| Senhor dos Senhores Dom Gabriel da Cruz (Parathavarma Pandian) | |
| Birth Date: | 13 December 1753 |
| Birth Place: | Tuticorin |
| Occupation: | Ruler |
Senhor dos Senhores Dom Gabriel da Cruz (also known with the titles Parathavarma Pandian or Pandiyapathy) (December 13, 1753 – 1808) was the ruler of the Pearl Fishery Coast, in what is now southern India, who helped Maruthu Pandiyar and other freedom fighters like Veerapandiya Kattabomman and Oomaithurai.
Senhor dos Senhores Dom Gabriel da Cruz (Parathavarma Pandian) was born on December 13, 1753 in a Catholic Paravar family, and became the ruler of the Pearl Fishery Coast following the death of Don Caspar Anthony De Cruz Vaz Victoria (Parathavarma Pandian) in 1779. Senhor dos Senhores ("first among notables") was the title given by the Portuguese for the headmen Or rulers of the Paravar community. And Parathavarma Pandian Or Pandiyapathy are the local titles given to those rulers.
Initially, Pandian allied with the British to defeat the Dutch who controlled the beach road in the 1780s. However, he later joined forces with Veerapandiya Kattabomman to fight against British rule.[1] Pandian sheltered and protected Kattabomman's brother Oomaithurai after his escape from prison and supplied explosives to support the retaliation against the British.[2] Despite orders from the British to capture him, Pandian managed to evade authorities until his death at the age of 56 in 1808.
He was also known for his involvement in the traditional practice of pulling the rope of the Tiruchendur Murugan temple car and offering a golden chariot for the Our Lady of Snows Church in Thoothukudi. His tomb is still preserved at the La Salle Higher Secondary School campus in Thoothukudi.