Vishal Meena Phagi: Created Info

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{{Short description|Ancient kingdoms in South Asia}}
[[File:Mahabalipuram Shore Temple, Tamil Nadu.jpg|thumb|A painting of the [[Shore Temple|Mahabalipuram Shore Temple]], Chengalpattu, built by the Pallavas.]]

'''Tamil dynasties''' (தமிழ் பேரரசுகள்) are the [[Monarchy|kingdoms]] who ruled over present day [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]], [[Odisha]] and [[Telangana]], with some other areas in South and Southeast Asia occasionally. These include the [[Pallavas]], the [[Pandyas]], the [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] and the [[Cheras]], with a few more.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nair |first=P. Thankappan |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=swNuAAAAMAAJ&q=pallavas+tamil+origin&dq=pallavas+tamil+origin&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjG57ePiv6SAxVoR2wGHXLVCcM4FBDoAXoECAcQAw#pallavas%20tamil%20origin |title=South Indians in Kolkata: History of Kannadigas, Konkanis, Malayalees, Tamilians, Telugus, South Indian Dishes, and Tippoo Sultan's Heirs in Calcutta |date=2004 |publisher=Punthi Pustak |isbn=978-81-86791-50-9 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[History of Tamil Nadu|medieval period of the history of Tamil Nadu]] saw the rise and fall of many kingdoms, some of whom went on to the extent of empires, exerting influences both in India and overseas. The Cholas who were very active during the [[Sangam Age|Sangam age]] were entirely absent during the first few centuries. The period started with the rivalry between the Pandyas and the Pallavas, which in turn caused the [[Medieval Cholas|revival of the Cholas]]. The Cholas went on to become a great power. Their decline saw the brief resurgence of the Pandyas. This period was also that of the re-invigorated Hinduism during which [[Architecture of Tamil Nadu|temple building]] and [[Sangam literature|religious literature]] were at their best.

== History ==

=== Pallava dynasty ===
{{Main|Pallava dynasty}}
[[File:Greater Pallavas.png|thumb|left|Greatest extent of Pallava Empire, during the reign of Narasimhavarman I (630-668 CE)]]

The Pallava dynasty, originating from [[Tondaimandalam]], was an Indian dynasty that existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of [[South India|southern India]]. They gained prominence after the downfall of the [[Satavahanas|Satavahana dynasty]], with whom they had formerly served as [[feudatories]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The journal of the Numismatic Society of India |pages=109, Volume 51}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jaweed |first=Ali and Tabassum |title=World heritage monuments and related edifices in India |year=2008 |pages=107}}</ref>

The Pallavas became a major power during the reign of [[Mahendravarman I]] (600–630 CE) and [[Narasimhavarman I]] (630–668 CE), and dominated the southern [[Andhra Pradesh|Telugu Region]] and the northern parts of the [[Ancient Tamil country|Tamil]] region for about 600 years, until the end of the 9th century. Throughout their reign, they remained in constant conflict with both the [[Chalukyas]] of [[Badami]] in the north, and the Tamil kingdoms of [[Chola Dynasty|Chola]] and [[Pandyas]] in the south. The Pallavas were finally defeated by the [[Chola]] ruler [[Aditya I]] in the 9th century CE.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jouveau-Dubreuil |first=Gabriel |title=The Pallavas |publisher=Asian Educational Services |year=1995 |pages=83}}</ref>

The Pallavas are most noted for their patronage of architecture, the finest example being the [[Shore Temple]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in [[Mamallapuram]]. [[Kanchipuram|Kancheepuram]] served as the capital of the Pallava kingdom. The dynasty left behind magnificent sculptures and temples, and are recognised to have established the foundations of medieval South Indian architecture. They developed the [[Pallava alphabet|Pallava script]], from which [[Grantha alphabet|Grantha]] ultimately took form. This script eventually gave rise to several other Southeast Asian scripts such [[Khmer language|Khmer]]. The Chinese traveller [[Xuanzang]] visited [[Kanchipuram]] during Pallava rule and extolled their benign rule.

=== Pandya dynasty ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2022}}
{{Main|Pandyan Empire}}
[[File:Pandya Kingdom (south India).png|thumb|right|200px|[[Pandyan Empire]]]]
The '''Pandya dynasty''', also referred to as the '''Pandyas of Madurai''', was an ancient dynasty of [[South India]], and among the three great kingdoms of [[Tamilakam]], the other two being the [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]] and the [[Chera dynasty|Cheras]]. Extant since at least the 4th to 3rd centuries BCE, the dynasty passed through two periods of imperial dominance, the 6th to 10th centuries CE, and under the 'Later Pandyas' (13th to 14th centuries CE). The Pandyas ruled extensive territories, at times including regions of present-day [[South India]] and northern [[Sri Lanka]] through vassal states subject to [[Madurai]].

The rulers of the three Tamil dynasties were referred to as the "[[Three Crowned Kings|three crowned rulers (the mu-ventar)]] of [[Tamilakam|the Tamil country]]". The origin and the timeline of the Pandya dynasty are difficult to establish. The [[Early Pandyan Kingdom|early Pandya]] chieftains ruled their country ([[Pandya Nadu]]) from the ancient period, which included the inland city of [[Madurai]] and the southern port of [[Korkai]]. The Pandyas are celebrated in the earliest available Tamil poetry ([[Sangam literature]]"). [[Classical antiquity|Graeco-Roman]] accounts (as early as 4th century BCE), the edicts of [[Maurya dynasty|Maurya]] emperor [[Ashoka]], coins with legends in [[Tamil-Brahmi]] script, and Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions suggest the continuity of the Pandya dynasty from the 3rd century BCE to the early centuries CE. The early historic Pandyas faded into obscurity upon the rise of the [[Kalabhras|Kalabhra dynasty]] in south India.

From the 6th century to the 9th century CE, the [[Chalukyas of Badami]] or [[Rashtrakuta dynasty|Rashtrakutas]] of the Deccan, the [[Pallavas of Kanchi]], and Pandyas of Madurai dominated the politics of south India. The Pandyas often ruled or invaded the fertile estuary of [[Kaveri]] (the Chola country), the ancient [[Chera dynasty|Chera country]] (Kongu and central [[Kerala]]) and [[Venad]]u (southern Kerala), the [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava country]] and [[Sri Lanka]]. The Pandyas fell into decline with the rise of the [[Cholas]] of Thanjavur in the 9th century and were in constant conflict with the latter. The Pandyas allied themselves with the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] and the [[Chera Perumals of Makotai|Cheras]] in harassing the [[Chola Empire]] until it found an opportunity for reviving its frontiers during the late 13th century.

The Pandyas entered their golden age under [[Maravarman Sundara Pandyan|Maravarman I]] and [[Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan|Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I]] (13th century). Some early efforts by [[Maravarman Sundara Pandyan|Maravarman I]] to expand into the ancient [[Chola dynasty|Chola country]] were effectively checked by the [[Hoysalas]]. [[Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan|Jatavarman I]] (<abbr>c.</abbr> 1251) successfully expanded the kingdom into the Telugu country (as far north as [[Nellore]]), south Kerala, and conquered northern [[Sri Lanka]]. The city of [[Kanchipuram|Kanchi]] became a secondary capital of the Pandyas. [[Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I|Maravarman Kulasekhara I]] (1268) defeated an alliance of the Hoysalas and the Cholas (1279) and invaded [[Sri Lanka]]. The venerable [[Relic of the tooth of the Buddha|Tooth Relic of the Buddha]] was carried away by the Pandyas. During this period, the rule of the kingdom was shared among several royals, one of them enjoying primacy over the rest. An internal crisis in the Pandya kingdom coincided with the [[Khalji dynasty|Khalji]] [[Malik Kafur's invasion of the Pandya kingdom|invasion]] of south India in 1310–11. The ensuing political crisis saw more sultanate raids and plunder, the loss of south Kerala (1312), and north Sri Lanka (1323) and the establishment of the [[Madurai Sultanate|Madurai sultanate]] (1334). The Pandyas of Ucchangi (9th–13th century), in the [[Tungabhadra]] Valley were related to the Pandyas of Madurai.

According to tradition, the legendary [[Tamil Sangams|Sangams ("the Academies")]] were held in [[Madurai]] under the patronage of the Pandyas, and some of the Pandya rulers claimed to be poets themselves. Pandya Nadu was home to a number of renowned temples, including the [[Meenakshi Temple]] in [[Madurai]]. The revival of the Pandya power by [[Kadungon]] (7th century CE) coincided with the prominence of the Shaivite [[nayanars]] and the Vaishnavite [[alvars]].

=== Chola dynasty ===
{{main|Chola dynasty}}
{{see also|Early Cholas|Medieval Cholas|Later Cholas}}
[[File:Chola Empire Map (1).svg|left|thumb|250x250px|[[Chola Empire]] under [[Rajendra Chola]] (c. 1030).]]
The '''Chola dynasty''' was a [[Tamil people|Tamil]] [[thalassocratic]] empire of southern India, one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the world history. The earliest datable references to the Chola are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BCE left by [[Ashoka]], of the [[Maurya Empire]]. As one of the [[Three Crowned Kings]] of [[Tamilakam]], along with the [[Chera dynasty|Chera]] and [[Pandya dynasty|Pandya]], the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until the 13th century CE. Despite these ancient origins, the period when it is appropriate to speak of a "Chola Empire" only begins with the [[medieval Cholas]] in the mid-9th century CE when [[Vijayalaya Chola]], the successor of [[Srikantha Chola]] captured [[Thanjavur]] from the Pandyas.

The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the [[Kaveri River]], but they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power from the later half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. The whole country south of the [[Tungabhadra]] was united and held as one state for a period of three centuries and more between 907 and 1215 CE. Under [[Rajaraja Chola I|Rajaraja I]] and his successors [[Rajendra Chola I|Rajendra I]], [[Rajadhiraja Chola|Rajadhiraja I]], [[Rajendra Chola II|Rajendra II]], [[Virarajendra Chola|Virarajendra]], and [[Kulothunga Chola I]], the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in [[South Asia]] and [[South-East Asia]]. The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the expedition to the [[Ganges]] which [[Rajendra Chola I]] undertook and by [[Chola invasion of Srivijaya|naval raids]] on cities of the city-state of [[Srivijaya]], as well as by the repeated embassies to China. The Chola fleet represented the zenith of [[Indian maritime history|ancient Indian maritime capacity]].

During the period 1010–1153, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the [[Maldives]] in the south to as far north as the banks of the [[Godavari River]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular [[South India]], annexed parts of which is now [[Sri Lanka]] and occupied the islands of the Maldives. Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river [[Ganges]] and defeated the [[Pala Empire|Pala]] ruler of [[Pataliputra]], [[Mahipala]]. In 1025, he also successfully invaded cities of [[Srivijaya]] of [[Malaysia]] and [[Indonesia]]. The Chola invasion ultimately failed to install direct administration over Srivijaya, since the invasion was short and only meant to plunder the wealth of Srivijaya. Chola rule or influence on Srivijava would last until 1070 when the Cholas began to lose almost all of their overseas territories. The [[Later Cholas]] (1070–1279) would still rule portions of Southern India. The Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the [[Pandyan dynasty]], which ultimately caused their downfall.

The Cholas left a lasting legacy. Their patronage of [[Chola literature|Tamil literature]] and their zeal in the building of temples has resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture. The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of economic activity. They were also well known for their art, specifically temple sculptures and 'Chola bronzes', exquisite bronze sculptures of [[Hindu]] deities built in a lost wax process they pioneered; that continues (to a certain extent) to this day. They established a centralized form of [[Chola Government|government]] and a disciplined bureaucracy. The Chola school of art spread to [[Southeast Asia]] and influenced the architecture and art of Southeast Asia. The medieval Cholas are best known for the construction of the magnificent [[Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur|Brihadisvara]] temple at Thanjavur, commissioned by the most famous Chola king, Rajaraja Chola in 1010 CE.

=== Chera dynasty ===
{{Main|Chera dynasty}}
[[File:Map of Chera Kingdom.jpg|250px|thumb|left|[[Chera Empire]].]]
The '''Chera dynasty''' ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]: சேரர், [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]]: ചേരൻ) ([[ISO 15919|or]] '''Cēra'''), <small>IPA:</small> [[Help:IPA/Malayalam|[t͡ʃeːɾɐ]]], was one of the principal lineages in the early history of the present day state of [[Kerala]] and some parts of [[Tamil Nadu]] in southern India. Together with the [[Chola dynasty|Cholas of Uraiyur(Tiruchirappalli)]] and the [[Pandya dynasty|Pandyas of Madurai]], the early Cheras were known as one of the [[Three Crowned Kings|three major powers (muventar)]] of ancient [[Tamilakam]] in the early centuries of the Common Era.
The Cheras used the bow and arrow insignia during the [[Sangam era]].

The Chera country was geographically well placed to profit from maritime trade via the extensive Indian Ocean networks. Exchange of spices, especially [[black pepper]], with [[Middle East]]ern and [[Classical antiquity|Graeco-Roman]] merchants are attested in several sources. The Cheras of the early historical period (c. second century BCE – c. third century CE) are known to have had their original centre at [[Karur]] in [[Kongu Nadu]] and harbours at [[Muziris|Muchiri (Muziris)]], [[Nelcynda]], and [[Tyndis|Thondi (Tyndis)]] on the Indian Ocean coast ([[Kerala]]). They governed the area of [[Malabar Coast]] between [[Alappuzha]] in the south to [[Kasaragod]] in the north. This included [[Palakkad Gap]], [[Coimbatore]], [[Dharapuram]], [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]], and [[Kolli Hills]]. The region around [[Coimbatore]] was ruled by the Cheras during [[Sangam period]] between c. 1st and the 4th centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the [[Palakkad Gap]], the principal trade route between the [[Malabar Coast]] and [[Tamil Nadu]]. However the southern region of present-day Kerala state (The coastal belt between [[Thiruvananthapuram]] and southern [[Alappuzha]]) was under [[Ay dynasty]], which was more related to the [[Pandya dynasty]] of [[Madurai]].

The early historic pre-Pallava Tamil polities are often described as a "kinship-based redistributive economies" largely shaped by "pastoral-cum-agrarian subsistence" and "predatory politics". [[Tamil-Brahmi|Tamil Brahmi]] cave label inscriptions, describe Ilam Kadungo, son of [[Perumkadungo|Perum Kadungo]], and the grandson of Ko Athan Cheral of the Irumporai clan. Inscribed portrait coins with Brahmi legends give a number of Chera names. Reverse of these coins often contained the Chera bow and arrow symbol. The anthologies of [[Sangam literature|early Tamil texts]] are a major source of information about the early Cheras. [[Senguttuvan|Chenguttuvan, or the Good Chera]], is famous for the traditions surrounding [[Kannagi (Tamil mythology)|Kannaki]], the principal female character of the Tamil epic poem ''[[Silapathikaram|Chilapathikaram]]''. After the end of the early historical period, around the 3rd–5th century CE, there seems to be a period when the Cheras' power declined considerably.

The [[Kongu Chera dynasty|Cheras of the Kongu country]] are known to have controlled western [[Tamil Nadu]] and central [[Kerala]] in early medieval period. Present-day central Kerala probably detached from Kongu Chera kingdom around 8th–9th century CE to form the [[Chera Perumals of Makotai|Chera Perumal kingdom]] (c. 9th- 12th century CE). The exact nature of the relationships between the various branches of Chera rulers is somewhat unclear. Some of the major dynasties of medieval south India – Chalukya, Pallava, Pandya, Rashtrakuta, and Chola – seem to have conquered the Chera or Kerala country. The Kongu Cheras appear to have been absorbed into the Pandya political system by 10th/11th century CE. Even after the dissolution of the [[Perumal]] kingdom, royal inscriptions and temple grants, especially from outside Kerala proper, continued to refer the country and the people as the "Cheras or Keralas".

The rulers of [[Venad]] (the Venad Cheras or the "Kulasekharas"), based out of the port of [[Kollam]] in south Kerala, claimed their ancestry from the Perumals. ''Cheranad'' was also the name of an erstwhile province in the kingdom of [[Zamorin of Calicut]], which had included parts of present-day [[Tirurangadi Taluk Office|Tirurangadi]] and [[Tirur Taluk]]s of [[Malappuram district]] in it. Later it became a [[Tehsil|Taluk]] of [[Malabar District]], when Malabar came under the [[British Raj]]. The headquarters of ''Cheranad Taluk'' was the town of [[Tirurangadi]]. Later the Taluk was merged with [[Eranad]] Taluk. In the modern period the rulers of [[Kochi|Cochin]] and [[Thiruvananthapuram|Travancore]] (in Kerala) also claimed the title "Chera".

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Middle kingdoms of India}}
[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
[[Category:Tamil empires and kingdoms|*]]

Tamil dynasties - Revision history

Vishal Meena Phagi: Created Info