Pandya NaduorPandi Naduis a geographical region comprising the southern part of the present day state of Tamil Nadu. The region is bounded on its West by theVenad/Ay Nadu,Northeast by theChola Naduand Northwest by theKongu Nadu.It comprises the present-day districts ofMadurai,Theni,Sivaganga,Ramanathapuram,Virudhunagar,Tirunelveli,Tenkasi,Thoothukudi,Kanniyakumari,parts ofPudukkottaiandDindigul.[1][2]
Pandya Nadu | |
|---|---|
Geographical region | |
| Pandya/Pandi Nadu | |
 Pandya Nadu region within Tamil Nadu | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Covering districts | Madurai,Theni,Ramanathapuram,Sivaganga,Virudhunagar,Tenkasi,Tirunelveli,Thoothukudi,Kanyakumari,Parts ofPudukkottai,Parts ofDindigul |
| Largest City | |
| Area |
|
| Government | |
| • Body | Government of Tamil Nadu,Government of India |
| Population | |
• Total | 15,616,770 |
| Languages | |
| • Major | Tamil,English |
| • Others | Telugu,Kannada,Malayalam,Saurashtra |
| Time zone | Indian Standard Time |
The region was the principal historic seat of thePandya dynastywho ruled it intermittently and with differing capacities at least from the 4th century BCE to 1759 CE.[3]The political capital of the region is the city ofMaduraiwithKorkaiserving as a secondary capital and the principal port city during the early historic period.[4]
After the end of theSangam agein the third century BCE, the region came under of the occupation of theKalabhraswho continued to possess it till the Pandyan reconquest led byKadungonwho founded the First Pandyan Empire. TheMedieval Cholasconquered the region from the Pandyas in the 10th century and renamed it the Rajaraja Pandimandalam. The region became independent once again with the rise of theSecond Pandyan Empirewhich continued to be the dominant power in Tamil Nadu until the invasions of the Delhi Sultanates. The result of which was the formation of the independentMadurai Sultanatewith the Pandya rulers pushed southwards from theVaigaibelt. The Madurai Sultanate was then overthrown by the Vijayanagara Prince,Kumara Kampana,and the region was reinstated to the later Pandyas as vassals and as one of the rajyams under theVijayanagara Empire.After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century, theNayaks of Maduraideclared independence and ruled the region until the conquest of theNawab of Carnaticwhich was then followed shortly by theBritishannexation in the 18th century into theMadras Presidency.[4]
Etymology
editPandya Nadu is named after thePandya dynastywhich was one of the three crowned dynasties ofancient Tamilakam.As to the etymology of the wordPandyaorPandi,scholars have not a consensual answer but the exact meaning of the word may refer to the Old Tamil words forPloughing or BullorOld/Ancient.[5]
Geographical Extent
editThe exact borders to the region of Pandya Nadu is not well-defined and was probably different during different historical period. But rough approximations to the boundary can be found in the poem Pandimandala Sathakam.[6]Mandala Sathakams are collections of poems written about specific geographical regions in Tamil, dating variously from 1000s to 1700s CE.
"North of Kumari Sea, South of Vellar,
East of Dindigul and Karaikadu,
West of Sethu, lies the land of
Pandiyan, ruled by the Great Maran! "
—Passage 98 from Pandimandala Sathakam states[7]
From this poem, which was written by Madurai Ayyamperumal Asiriyar, it can be inferred that at the time of his authorship, the Pandimandalam or Pandya Nadu extended South of River Vellar (River South Vellar,present-dayPudukottaidistrict), North of Kumari Sea (Indian Ocean), West of Sethu (present-dayRamanathapuramdistrict) and East of Dindigul (City in present-dayDindiguldistrict) & Karaikadu (Village in present-dayKanniyakumaridistrict).[7]
History
editPandya Nadu was one of the earliest territorial divisions of the ancientTamilakam,the home of theTamil peopleat least from the 6th century BCE. The region is home to manyneolithicandmegalithicsettlements. The archaeological sites ofAdichanallurandKorkaiare one of the oldest Iron Age settlements in Tamil Nadu withradiocarbon datingassigning the locations to the 9th century BCE. Other historical sites likeKeezhadihave been dated to 6th century BCE[8]by the ongoing excavations by the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department.
During the Sangam Age
editBetween the 3rd century BCE and 3rd century CE, the region was ruled theSangam Pandyaswith Madurai and Korkai as their capitals. The period produced the beautiful TamilSangam literatureswhich provides a clear window to the life of Tamil people of the age. Under the Sangam Pandyan rule, the region served as one of richest locations in India with its extensive involvement in maritime trades withSoutheast Asiaand the Western world. The Pandyan pearls, fished from theGulf of Mannarand the Pearl Coast, were found to be of the highest quality and were adorned by the people of theRoman Empire.[9]Literacy was also widespread in this region during this time owing to the found presence of the most number ofTamil Brahmirock inscriptions and pot sherd markings.
Under the Kalabhras
editThe region entered a dark period (with reference to absence of records) in history with the end of the 3rd century BCE. The three crowned Kings of Tamilakam were displaced by theKalabhrasduring this time and the region experienced a huge boom ofBuddhistandJainactivities.[4]Under the patronage of the Kalabhras, the Jains formed a literary academy in Madurai producing some of the most wonderful literatures in Tamil language. The famous Jain poetSithalai SathanarofManimegalaiis thought to have lived inMaduraiduring this age.
Under the First Pandyan Empire
editThePandyan Kingdomwas restored in the 6th century CE by theKing Kadungonwho managed to push off the Kalabhra presence from Tamilakam along with thePallavas.[4]During this period, the Tamil country was divided up between the Pandyas and Pallavas, with the Pandyas even managing to vassalize the Tulu, Chera, Ay and Venad Kingdoms of the West Coast. Despite a huge Buddhist and Jain presence, the region was one of the epicenters of theBhakti movementwhich brought into limelight the cults of GodsShivaandPerumalwith beautiful devotional Tamil compositions.[4]This period also saw significant evolution in material culture with the building of one of the oldest rock cut temples atPillayarpatti.Many temples like the rock temples ofKazhugumalaiwere also built during this period.
Under the Chola Empire
editTheMedieval Cholasrose from their obscurity in the late 9th century and established their hold in the historicalChola Naduregion. By the 10th century, various Chola kings and princes have claimed to have subdued and annexed the Pandya Nadu in their stone inscriptions, ending the First Pandyan Empire. The region was then renamed Rajaraja Pandimandalam and incorporated into the Chola administration as aMandalamwith the title of Chola-Pandya having been introduced and given to the Chola Governors of the region.[4]
Under the Second Pandyan Empire
editAfter the steady decline of theChalukya Cholasin the 12th century CE, the Pandya princes managed to establish themselves as an independent entity. The early years of the Second Pandyan Empire saw numerous civil wars with two factions being supported each by the Chola and theSinhaleseMonarchs. The Second Pandyan Kingdom entered its peak during the 13th century under the reigns ofMaravarman Sundara PandyanandMaravarman Kulasekhara Pandyan.Marco Polo,a famed European traveler visited the Pandya Empire during this period and celebrated the region as being one of the wealthiest and noblest in the whole world. Unfortunately, the Second Pandyan Empire met a crashing downfall owing to the civil war between the two sons of Maravarman Kulasekhara Pandyan.[4]
Under the Madurai Sultanate
editThe frequent brotherly civil wars between the sons of the Emperor Maravarman Kulasekhara Pandyan made the region prone to external attacks and invasions. One such attack came from the DelhiKhiljiSultanate under the infamousMalik Kafuras a raiding campaign. This campaign plundered the city ofMaduraialong with other important cities of northern Tamil Nadu, revealing the weakened state of the Pandya rule. Despite the Pandya rule continuing after the Turkish raid, many regions under the empire declared independence. The final blow to the Pandyan Empire came under multiple direct invasions by theTuglaq Sultanate.Northern parts of the Pandya Nadu were annexed into the Delhi Sultanate and a separate governorship was established which later got independent and became theMadurai Sultanate.The descendants of the Second Pandyan Emperors were pushed further south, into the Thenpandi Nadu regions ofTinnevelly.[4][3]
Under the Vijayanagara Empire
editAs a result of multiple Delhi invasions into the Southern India, a new political power was emerging in the Kannada and Telugu countries, called theVijayanagara Empire.The empire successfully managed to repel the Turkic presence in Southern India after they destroyed theMadurai Sultanateunder the leadership of PrinceKumara Kampana.The Vijayanagara Emperors restored the Pandya Kings and vassalized them as one of the Rajyams under their rule. This situation continued until the rise of the Chola Prince Virasekhara Chola who managed to defeat Chandrasekhara Pandya from Madurai. The lost Pandya King sought the Vijayanagara Emperor's help, who sent Nagama Nayak, a general with a huge army to liberate Madurai. Nagama Nayak succeeded in defeating the Chola Prince, but instead of restoring the Pandya King, he declared independence from the Vijayanagara rule with himself as the new King of Pandya Nadu. This rebellion was then put down by the Vijayanagara Emperor underViswanatha Nayakwho was Nagama's son. The Emperor then gifted the Pandya and Chola rajyams to Viswanatha Nayak's direct rule as a reward. ThePandyasmoved their capital intoTenkasiand continued to rule the southern portions of Pandya Nadu, nominally.[3][4]The period also saw the annexation of Kanniyakumari region by the Kings ofVenad.
Under the Madurai Nayaks
editThe descendants ofViswanatha Nayakdeclared independence from theVijayanagara Empireafter its decline and continued as theMadurai Nayak dynasty.The various kings of the dynasty had marital alliances with the Later Pandyas ofTenkasitowards securing the legitimacy for their rule. The Madurai Nayaks had under them during their peak,Kongu Nadu,Chola NaduandVenaduregions. The Kingdom, unfortunately met a crashing fall after multiple internal squabbles which resulted in the kingdom's fracturing and the later annexation by theNawab of Carnatic.[3][4]
Under the British Rule
editTheEnglish East India Companymanaged to invade and annex the former territories of theNawab of Carnaticinto theirMadras Presidency.Under theBritish rule,the Pandya Nadu was divided into two districts, namelyMaduraandTinnevelly.These later got subdivided intoMadura,RamnadandTinnevellyand continued to be so till the independence of India in 1947.[10]
Under the Republic of India
editThe region was part of the Madras State under the newly independent India, which was subsequently renamed Tamil Nadu. The region ofKanniyakumariwas transferred to Tamil Nadu. The region now comprises the districts ofMadurai,Theni,Sivaganga,Ramanathapuram,Virudhunagar,Tirunelveli,Tenkasi,Thoothukudi,Kanniyakumari,Pudukkottai(South of Vellar) and parts ofDindigul.
Read Also
editReferences
edit- ^"Pandiya Nadu".Retrieved26 December2017.
- ^Stein, Burton (1977). "Circulation and the Historical Geography of Tamil Country".The Journal of Asian Studies.37.
- ^abcdN., Sethuraman (1993).The Later Pandyas (1371 - 1759 AD).Tiruchirapalli: The Epigraphical Society of India.
- ^abcdefghijSastri, K. N. (1972).The Pandyan Kingdom.
- ^Avari, Burjor (2016).India: a History of the Indian Subcontinent from c. 7000 BCE to CE 1200(2nd ed.). New York: Taylor and Francis.ISBN978-1-317-23673-3.OCLC953659820.
- ^"History of Pudukkottai District".
- ^abஆசிரியர், மதுரை ஐயம்பெருமாள் (1932).பாண்டிமண்டல சதகம் (Pandimandala Sathakam).Seerkali: Sri Ambal Press. p. 19.
- ^"Keezhadi excavations: Sangam era older than previously thought, finds study".The Hindu.
- ^McLaughlin, Raoul (2014).The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy and the Kingdoms of Africa, Arabia and India.Pen & Sword Military.
- ^Caldwell, Robert.A political and general History of the District of Tinnevelly In the Presidency of Madras.ISBN978-3-337-13334-4.OCLC1189923370.