The Polygar War, involving Palaiyakkarars led by Veerapandiya Kattabomman and forces of the British East India Company, was waged on the city's outskirts from 1797 to 1801.

[5] Swami Nellaiappar temple inscriptions say that Shiva (as Vrihivriteswara) descended in the form of a hedge and roof to save the paddy crop of a devotee.

[10] The Pandya dynasty in the region dates to several centuries before the Christian era from inscriptions by Ashoka (304–232 BCE) and mention in the Mahavamsa, the Brihat-Samhita and the writings of Megasthenes (350–290 CE).

[11] Tirunelveli remained under the control of the Cholas until the early 13th century, when the second Pandyan empire was established with Madurai as its capital.

After the death of Kulasekara Pandian (1268–1308), the region was occupied by Vijayangara rulers and Marava chieftains (palayakarars, or poligars) during the 16th century.

The Maravars occupied the western foothills and the Telugus, and the Kannadigas settled in the black-soil-rich eastern portion.

In 1743 Nizam-ul-mulk, lieutenant of the Deccan Plateau, displaced most of the Marathas from the region and Tirunelveli came under the rule of the Nawabs of Arcot.

Some polygars (such as the head of Ettaiyapuram) aided the British; Kattabomman was defeated and hanged in his home province of Panchalaguruchi.

[18][19][20] After acquiring Tirunelveli from the Nawab of Arcot in 1801, the British anglicised its name to "Tinnevelly" and made it the headquarters of Tinnelvelli District.

The river (with its tributaries, such as the Chittar) is the major source of irrigation, and is fed by the northeast and southwest monsoons.

Other trees grown in the region are teak, wild jack, manjakadambu, venteak, vengai, pillaimaruthu, karimaruthu and bamboo.

Livestock of the city and district comprises cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep and other animals in smaller numbers.

[30] As per the religious census of 2011, Tirunelveli had 69.0% Hindus, 20.02% Muslims, 10.59% Christians, 0.01% Sikhs, 0.01% Buddhists, 0.02% Jains and 0.35% following other religions.

From 1550 until the early modern era, migration to the city from other parts of the state was common and the urban regions became hubs of manufacturing and commerce.

[35] The chief exports during British rule were cotton, jaggery, chillies, tobacco, palmyra fibre, salt, dried saltwater fish and cattle.

[36] Occupations in Tirunelveli include service-sector activities such as administration, agricultural trading, tourism, banking, agro-machinery, cement manufacturing, information technology and educational services.

Tirunelveli has beedi and cement factories, tobacco companies, workshops for steel-based products and mills for cotton textiles, spinning and weaving; there are also small-scale industries, such as tanneries and brick kilns.

[39] Industries involving rice-making, blue-jelly metal manufacturing and jem power generating are located on the outskirts of the city.

[38][47] The corporation has six departments: general administration and personnel, engineering, revenue, public health, city planning and information technology (IT).

Tirunelveli is also connected by major highways to Kollam, Tiruchendur, Rajapalayam, Sankarankovil, Ambasamudram and Nazareth.

The State Express Transport Corporation has intercity services to Bangalore, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum and other cities.

The 2nd Vande Bharat Express (20665,20666) of Tamil Nadu runs between (Tirunelveli to Chennai) almost fully packed in the day time with 110% booking rate, whereas the most demanded Nellai express (12631,12632) also runs at its max capacity The line from Tirunelveli to Sengottai railway station was opened in 1903; the connection to Quilon, which was completed later, was the most important trade route to Travancore province in British India.

Tirunelveli is also connected to major Indian cities with daily services to Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram, Virudhunagar, Theni, Dindugul, Kanyakumari, Salem, Tirupati, Hosur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Guruvayur, Kolkata, Jabalpur, Varanasi, Delhi, Jammu, Kollam, Palghat and Ahmedabad.

There are daily passenger services to Tuticorin, Madurai, Tiruchendur, Theni, Dindugul, Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram, Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur, Coimbatore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagercoil, Palghat and Kollam.

The temple was greatly expanded during the 16th-century Nayak period and has a number of architectural attractions, including musical pillars.

The VOC grounds (in central Palayamkottai) and the Anna Stadium (on St. Thomas Road) are popular venues in the city, and some events are held at scholastic sports facilities.

Also popular are football, volleyball, swimming and hockey, played on facilities provided by the Tirunelveli Division of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.

Near the city are regional tourist attractions such as the Manimuthar and Papanasam Dams, the Ariakulam and Koonthakulam Bird Sanctuaries, Manjolai and Upper Kodaiyar.

The clinics operated by the corporation provide primary health care to the urban poor through family-welfare and immunisation programs.

[110] Tirunelveli is one of a few cities in India where BSNL's Caller Line Identification (CLI)-based internet service, Netone, is available.