 A temple from the Chola period. The Cholas united most of the south Indian peninsula under a single administration during the tenth and the eleventh century CE. The region of Tamil Nadu in India has been under continuous human habitation since prehistoric times, and the history of Tamil Nadu and the civilisation of the Tamil people are among the oldest in the world. Throughout its history, spanning from the early Paleolithic age to modern times, this region has coexisted with various external cultures. Except for relatively short periods in its history, the Tamil region has remained independent of external occupation. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
South India is a geographic and linguistic-cultural region of India. ...
Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ...
Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are an ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ...
This cranium, of Homo heidelbergensis, a Lower Paleolithic predecessor to Homo neanderthalensis, dates to between 400,000 BCE to 500,000 BCE The Paleolithic is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of stone tools. ...
The three Tamil dynasties of Chera, Chola and Pandya were of ancient origins. Together they ruled over this land with a unique culture and language, contributing to the growth of some of the oldest extant literature in the world. They had extensive maritime trade contacts with the Roman empire. These three dynasties were in constant struggle with each other vying for hegemony over the land. Invasion by the Kalabhras during the third century disturbed the traditional order of the land by displacing the three ruling dynasties. These occupiers were overthrown by the resurgence of the Pandyas and the Pallavas, who restored the traditional kingdoms. The Cholas, who re-emerged from obscurity in the ninth century by defeating the Pallavas and the Pandyas, rose to become a great power and extended their empire over the entire southern peninsula. At its height the Chola empire had spread from Bengal in the northeast to Sri Lanka in the south. The Chola navy held sway over the Sri Vijaya kingdom in Southeast Asia. The Chera dynasty (Tamil: சேரர௠Malayalam: േചര ) were one of the ancient Tamil dynasties who ruled the southern India from ancient times until around the fifteenth century CE. The Early Cheras ruled over the Malabar Coast, Coimbatore, Karur and Salem Districts in South India, which now forms part of the modern day...
The Chola Dynasty (Tamil: , IPA: ) was a Tamil dynasty that ruled primarily in southern India until the 13th century. ...
The Pandyan kingdom பாணà¯à®Ÿà®¿à®¯à®°à¯ was an ancient Tamil state in South India of unknown antiquity. ...
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years 200 BCE and 300 CE.[1][2] This collection contains 2381 poems written by 473 poets, some 102 of whom are anonymous authors[3]. The period during which these poems were written is commonly referred to...
Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ...
Kalabhras were the South Indian dynasty who between the 3rd and the 6th century C.E. ruled over entire Tamil country, displacing the ancient Chola, Pandya and Chera dynasties. ...
The Pallavas were hereditary Hindu rulers who dominated southeastern India between the 4th and 9th centuries. ...
Bengal (Bengali: বঙà§à¦— Bôngo, বাংলা Bangla, বঙà§à¦—দেশ Bôngodesh or বাংলাদেশ Bangladesh), is a historical and geographical region in the northeast of South Asia. ...
Chola Military was one of the most well organised and effective fighting machines of the medieval times. ...
Srivijaya (-jaya meaning success or excellence) was an ancient kingdom on the island of Sumatra which was to influence much of the Malay Archipelago. ...
Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...
Rapid changes in the political situation of the rest of India due to incursions of Muslim armies from the northwest marked a turning point in the history of Tamil Nadu. With the decline of the three ancient dynasties during the fourteenth century, the Tamil country became part of the Vijayanagara Empire. Under this empire the Telugu speaking Nayak governors ruled the Tamil land. The brief appearance of the Marathas gave way to the European trading companies, who began to appear during the seventeenth century and eventually assumed greater sway over the indigenous rulers of the land. The Madras Presidency comprising of most of southern India was created in the eighteenth century and was ruled directly by the British East India Company. After the independence of India, the state of Tamil Nadu was created based on linguistic boundaries. The Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent took place from the 13th to the 16th centuries. ...
The ancient Tamil country refers to the areas of South India and the northeastern Sri Lanka in which Tamil was the major language during ancient times. ...
The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ...
Telugu (తెలà±à°—à±) is a Dravidian language primarily spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ...
Thanjavur Nayaks were the rulers of Thanjavur principality of Tamil Nadu between the 16th to the 19th century C.E. Nayakas were subordinates of the imperial Vijayanagara emperors, and were appointed as provincial governors by the Vijaya Nagar Emperor. ...
Extent of the Maratha Confederacy ca. ...
East India Company was the name of several historical European companies chartered with the monopoly of trading with Asia; more specifically with India. ...
Madras Presidency, also known as Madras Province and known officially as Presidency of Fort St. ...
The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was the first joint-stock company (the Dutch East India Company was the first to issue public stock). ...
On August 8, 1942, Gandhi led the Quit India Movement, a move for early independence. ...
India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (587x900, 70 KB) Summary Detail of the main Vimanam (Tower) of the Great Temple at Thanjavur Licensing The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with...
// Pre-historic period c. ...
Early Tamil History has few authentic sources. ...
The ancient Tamil country refers to the areas of South India and the northeastern Sri Lanka in which Tamil was the major language during ancient times. ...
The Pallavas were hereditary Hindu rulers who dominated southeastern India between the 4th and 9th centuries. ...
The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ...
The Chola Dynasty (Tamil: , IPA: ) was a Tamil dynasty that ruled primarily in southern India until the 13th century. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Chera dynasty. ...
The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ...
The Madurai Nayaks were the rulers of the city and region of Madurai, in India, from 1559 until 1736. ...
TANJORE NAYAK KINGS Tanjore Nayak kings started as viceroys of Vijaynagar dynasty lasted 1535 to 1675,a span of 140 years by only 4 kings each having a lengthy reign. ...
[edit] Pre-historic period - See also: South Asian Stone Age
Although very little concrete historical evidence has been found so far for the period before 600 CE, the history of the Tamil people probably predates the Christian era.[1] Various legends became prevalent after the tenth century CE regarding the antiquity of the Tamil people. According to Iraiyanar Agapporul, a tenth/eleventh-century annotation on the Sangam literature, the Tamil country extended southwards beyond the natural boundaries of the Indian peninsula comprising 49 ancient nadus (divisions). The land was supposed to have been destroyed by a deluge. The Sangam legends also added to the antiquity of the Tamil people by claiming tens of thousands of years of continuous literary activity during three Sangams. However no direct archaeological finds have supported these legends.[2] This article is about the History of South Asia. ...
The archaeological record in India (encompassing the territory of the modern nations of the Republic of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) shows first traces of Homo sapiens from ca. ...
Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Bangladesh. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Bhutan. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Maldives. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Nepal. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Sri_Lanka. ...
The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic in South Asia. ...
Mehrgarh was an ancient settlement in South Asia and is one of the most important sites in archaeology for the study of the earliest neolithic settlements in that region. ...
Excavated ruins of Mohenjo-daro. ...
The Cemetery H culture developed out of the northern part of the Indus Valley Civilization around 1900 BC, in and around the Punjab region. ...
The Vedic period (or Vedic Age) is the period in the history of India when the sacred Vedic Sanskrit texts such as the Vedas were composed. ...
The Iron Age in the Indian subcontinent succeeds the Late Harappan (Cemetery H) culture, also known as the last phase of the Indus Valley Tradition. ...
This article tries to compile and classify all the kingdoms of ancient India mentioned in the Sanskrit/Vedic literature. ...
This does not cite its references or sources. ...
Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ...
A representation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which was erected around 250 BC. It is the emblem of India. ...
Middle kingdoms of India refers to the political entities in India from the 6th century BCE through to the Islamic invasions and the related Decline of Buddhism from the 7th century CE. // Kingdoms and Empires The Aryans had invaded India from the Northwest, according to the Aryan Invasion Theory, and...
The SÄtavÄhanas (Marathi:सातवाहन Telugu:సాతవాహనà±à°²à±), also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled from Junnar, Pune over Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted...
Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ...
The Gupta Empire under Chandragupta II (ruled 375-415) The Gupta Empire was one of the largest political and military empires in ancient India. ...
Buddha and Bodhisattvas, 11th century, Pala Empire. ...
The Chola Dynasty (Tamil: , IPA: ) was a Tamil dynasty that ruled primarily in southern India until the 13th century. ...
During the middle ages, several Islamic regimes established empires in South Asia. ...
The Delhi Sultanate (دلی سلطنت), or Sulthanath-e-Hind (سلطنت٠Ûند) / Sulthanath-e-Dilli (سلطنت٠دلی) refers to the various Muslim dynasties that ruled in India from 1210 to 1526. ...
The Deccan sultanates were five Muslim-ruled kingdoms–-Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmednagar, Bidar, and Berar of south-central India. ...
The Hoysala Empire ruled part of southern India from 1000 to 1346. ...
The Kakatiya Dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that ruled parts of what is now Andhra Pradesh, India from 1083 to 1323. ...
The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ...
It has been suggested that Mughal Era be merged into this article or section. ...
This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ...
The Sikh Empire (from 1801-1849) was formed on the foundations of the Sikh Confederacy by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. ...
In 1498, the Portuguese set foot in Goa. ...
Caution! This Article Is Under Construction This article or section is currently in the middle of an expansion or major revamping. ...
Buddha and Bodhisattvas, 11th century, Pala Empire Further information: History of Bangladesh The history of Bengal (including Bangladesh and West Bengal) dates back four millennia. ...
Himachal Pradesh has been inhabited by human beings since the dawn of civilization. ...
// Orissa has a history spanning a period of over 3000 years. ...
The historical regions of Pakistan are former states, provinces and territories which mainly existed between 1947 and 1975 when the current provinces and territories were finally established. ...
The first known use of the word Punjab is in the book Tarikh-e-Sher Shah (1580), which mentions the construction of a fort by Sher Khan of Punjab. The name is mentioned again in Ain-e-Akbari (part 1), written by Abul Fazal, who also mentions that the territory...
The history of South India covers a span of over two thousand years during which the region saw the rise and fall of a number of dynasties and empires. ...
Tibet is situated between the two ancient civilizations of China and India, but the tangled mountain ranges the Tibetan Plateau and the towering Himalayas serve to distance it from both. ...
The following list of Indian monarchs is one of several lists of incumbents. ...
Indology is a name given by indologists to the academic study of the history, languages, and cultures of South Asia. ...
Indian literature is generally acknowledged, but not wholly established, as the oldest in the world. ...
India has had a maritime history dating back around 5,000 years. ...
Science and technology in ancient India covered all the major branches of human knowledge and activities, including mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, medical science and surgery, fine arts, mechanical and production technology, civil engineering and architecture, shipbuilding and navigation, sports and games. ...
This is a timeline of Indian history. ...
The Palaeolithic and Mesolithic in South Asia. ...
Era Vulgaris redirects here. ...
Anno Domini (Latin: In the year of the Lord), or more completely Anno Domini Nostri Jesu Christi (in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ), commonly abbreviated AD or A.D., is the designation used to number years in the dominant Christian Era in the world today. ...
This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...
now. ...
The prehistoric period during which the Palaeolithic civilisations existed in the Tamil Nadu region has been estimated to span the period from about 500,000 BCE until around 3000 BCE.[3] For most part of the lower Palaeolithic stage, humans lived close to river valleys with sparse forest cover or in grassland environments. The population density was very low and so far only two localities of this lower Palaeolithic culture have been found in south India. One of these is in Attirampakkam valley in the northwest of Chennai in Tamil Nadu.[4] Archaeological research has uncovered evidence of fossil remains of animals and primitive stone implements around the northern Tamil Nadu that could be dated to belong to around 300,000 BCE.[5] Humans in South India, belonging to the species of Homo erectus, lived in this primitive 'old stone age' (Palaeolithic) for quite a long time, using only crude implements such as hand axes and choppers and subsisting on food he hunted and gathered instead of actively growing it according to his needs.[6] BCE is a TLA that may stand for: Before the Common Era, date notation equivalent to BC (e. ...
South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ...
“Madras†redirects here. ...
Binomial name †Homo erectus (Dubois, 1892) Synonyms †Pithecanthropus erectus †Sinanthropus pekinensis †Javanthropus soloensis †Meganthropus paleojavanicus Homo erectus (Latin: upright man) is an extinct species of the genus Homo. ...
A hand axe is a bifacial Paleolithic core tool. ...
The ancestor of modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) who appeared around 50,000 years ago was more developed and could make thinner flake tools and blade-like tools using a variety of stones. From about 10,000 years ago, humans made still smaller tools called Microlithic tools. The material used by the early humans to make these tools were jasper, agate, flint, quartz, etc. In 1949, researchers found such microliths in Tirunelveli district.[7] Archaeological evidence suggests that the microlithic period lasted between 6000–3000 BCE.[8] In Tamil Nadu, the Neolithic period had its advent around 2500 BCE. Humans of the Neolithic period made their stone tools in finer shapes by grinding and polishing. A Neolithic axe head with ancient writing on it has been found in Tamil Nadu.[9] The Neolithic humans lived mostly on small flat hills or on the foothills in small, more or less permanent settlements but for periodical migration for grazing purposes. They gave the dead proper burials within urns or pits. They were also starting to use copper for making certain tools or weapons. Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ...
Flint tools were made by stone age peoples worldwide. ...
A microlith is a small stone tool, typically knapped of flint or chert, usually about three centimetres long or less. ...
Polished jasper pebble, one inch (2. ...
Agate is a term applied not to a distinct mineral species, but to an aggregate of various forms of silica, chiefly chalcedony. ...
A flint nodule from the Onondaga limestone layer, Buffalo, New York. ...
Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earths continental crust. ...
Tirunelveli District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ...
An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ...
Humans started using iron for making tools and weapons. The Iron Age culture in peninsular India is marked by Megalithic burial sites, which are found in several hundreds of places.[10] On the bases of both some excavations and the typology of the burial monuments, it has been suggested that there was a gradual spread of the Iron Age sites from the north to the south.[11] The earliest clear evidence of the presence of the megalithic urn burials are those dating from around 1000 BCE, which have been discovered at various places in Tamil Nadu, notably at Adichanallur.[12] General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ...
Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ...
Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany A megalith is a large stone which has been used to construct a structure or monument either alone or with other stones. ...
[edit] Early history (300 BCE – 300 CE) - See also: Tamil history from Sangam literature
Ancient Tamil Nadu contained three monarchical states, headed by kings called Ventar and several tribal chieftaincies, headed by the chiefs called by the general denomination Vel or Velir.[13] Still lower at the local level there were clan chiefs called kizar or mannar.[14] During the third century BCE, the Deccan was part of the Mauryan kingdom, and from the middle of the first century BCE to second century CE the same area was ruled by the Satavahana dynasty. The Tamil area had an independent existence outside the control of these northern empires. The Tamil kings and chiefs were always in conflict with each other mostly over property. The royal courts were mostly places of social gathering rather than places of dispensation of authority; they were centres for distribution of resources. Gradually the rulers came under the spell of north Indian influence and Vedic ideology, which encouraged performance of sacrifices to enhance the status of the ruler.[15] Early Tamil History has few authentic sources. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Hathigumpha on Udayagiri Hills, Bhubaneswar Hathigumpha inscription of King KhÄravela at Udayagiri Hills Khandagiri caves Kharavela (IAST: KhÄravela, Devanagari: खारवेल) (?209 - after 170 BCE), was the king of Kalinga, in Orissa state of India. ...
Velirs were tribal chieftains who ruled in the Tamil country during the early historic period. ...
The Deccan Plateau is a vast plateau in India, encompassing most of Central and Southern India. ...
Chandragupta Maurya (ruled 322–298 BC), known to the Greeks as Sandracottus, was the first emperor of the Mauryan empire. ...
The SÄtavÄhanas (Marathi:सातवाहन Telugu:సాతవాహనà±à°²à±), also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled from Junnar, Pune over Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted...
The religion of the Vedic civilization is the predecessor of classical Hinduism, usually included in the term. ...
The names of the three dynasties, Cholas, Pandyas, and Keralaputras or Cheras are mentioned in the Pillars of Ashoka (inscribed 273–232 BCE) inscriptions, where they are mentioned among the kingdoms, which though not subject to Ashoka, were on friendly terms with him.[16][17] The king of Kalinga, Kharavela, who ruled around 150 BCE, mentioned in the famous Hathigumpha inscription of the confederacy of the Tamil kingdoms that had existed for over 100 years.[18] The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout the northern Indian subcontinent, and erected by the Mauryan king Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BCE. SAlMAN Ashish Many of the pillars are carved with proclamations reflecting Buddhist teachings: the Edicts of Ashoka. ...
Allegiance: Magadhan Empire Rank: Emperor Succeeded by: Dasaratha Maurya Reign: 273 BC-232 BC Place of birth: Pataliputra, India Battles/Wars Kalinga War Emperor Ashoka the Great (Devanagari: अशोक(:); IAST transliteration: , pronunciation: ) (304 BC–232 BC) (Imperial Title:Devanampiya Piyadassi ie He who is the beloved of the Gods who, in...
Kalinga in 265 B.C. Kalinga was an ancient Indo-Aryan kingdom of central-eastern India, in the province of Orissa. ...
Karikala Chola was the most famous early Chola. He is mentioned in a number of poems in the Sangam poetry.[19] In later times Karikala was the subject of many legends found in the Cilappatikaram and in inscriptions and literary works of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. They attribute to him the conquest of the whole of India up to the Himalayas and the construction of the flood banks of the river Kaveri with the aid of his feudatories.[20] These legends however are conspicuous by their absence in the Sangam poetry. Kocengannan was another famous early Chola king who has been extolled in a number of poems of the Sangam period. He was even made a Saiva saint during the medieval period.[21] Karikala Chola was the greatest among the Chola kings of the Sangam age in South India. ...
The Early Cholas of the pre and post Sangam period (100 C.E. – 200 C.E.) were only the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country. ...
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years 200 BCE and 300 CE.[1][2] This collection contains 2381 poems written by 473 poets, some 102 of whom are anonymous authors[3]. The period during which these poems were written is commonly referred to...
Cilappatikaram (Tamil: சிலபà¯à®ªà®¤à®¿à®•à®¾à®°à®®à¯ IPA tʃɪlÊŒppʌθɪkÉ‘Ëɹʌm),[1] is one of the five great epics of ancient Tamil Literature. ...
The Cauvery (sometimes written as Kaveri) is one of the major rivers of southern India. ...
Kocengannan was one of the Early Cholas mentioned in Sangam Literature. ...
This article is about the Hindu God Åšiva. ...
Pandyas ruled initially from Korkai, a sea port on the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula, and in later times moved to Madurai. Pandyas are also mentioned in Sangam Literature, as well as by Greek and Roman sources during this period. Megasthenes in his Indika mentions the Pandyan kingdom.[22] The Pandyas controlled the present districts of Madurai, Tirunelveli, and parts of south Kerala. They had trading contacts with Greece and Rome.[23] Various Pandya kings find mention in a number of poems in the Sangam literature. Among them Nedunjeliyan, 'the victor of Talaiyalanganam', yet another Nedunjeliyan 'the conqueror of the Aryan army' and Mudukudimi Peruvaludi 'of several sacrifices' deserve special mention. Besides several short poems found in the Akananuru and the Purananuru collections, there are two major works—Mathuraikkanci and the Netunalvatai (in the collection of Pattupattu) that give a glimpse into the society and commercial activities in the Pandyan kingdom during the Sangam age. The early Pandyas went into obscurity at the end of the third century CE during the incursion of the Kalabhras. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ...
A medieval artists rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; ca. ...
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Megasthenes (c. ...
Tirunelveli(Tamil: திரà¯à®¨à¯†à®²à¯à®µà¯‡à®²à®¿) is a 2000 year old city[1] located on the west bank of the perennial Thamirabarani River in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. ...
Roman commerce was the engine that drove the growth of the Roman Empire. ...
Akananuru (அகநானà¯à®±à¯) is the seventh book in the Sangam literature anthology Ettuthokai. ...
Mathuraikkanci, is a Tamil poetic work in the Pathinenmaelkanakku anthology of Tamil literature, belonging to the Sangam period corresponding to between 100 BCE – 100 CE. Mathuraikkanci contains 583 lines of poetry in the Achiriyappa meter. ...
Netunalvatai, is a Tamil poetic work in the Pathinenmaelkanakku anthology of Tamil literature, belonging to the Sangam period corresponding to between 100 BCE – 100 CE. Netunalvatai is part of the Pattupattu collection, which is the oldest available collection of long poems in Tamil literature. ...
Pattupattu (பதà¯à®¤à¯à®ªà¯à®ªà®¾à®Ÿà¯à®Ÿà¯) – The ten Idylls, is an anthology of ten mind length books and is one of the oldest surviving Tamil Poetry. ...
The kingdom of the Cheras comprised of the modern state of Kerala, along the western or Malabar Coast of southern India. Their proximity to the sea favoured trade with Africa.[24][25] The people of the current Indian state of Kerala, which constitutes the ancient territories of the Cheras spoke the same language and had extensive interaction with the rest of the Tamil country. It was only towards the ninth or the tenth centuries CE, their individual identity and language began to evolve.[26] The Cheras were one of the three ancient Tamil dynasties who ruled the southern tip of the peninsula of India for most of its early history. ...
Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ...
Malabar Coast, Kerala Bekal Fort Beach, Kerala The Malabar Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. ...
These early kingdoms sponsored the growth of some of the oldest extant literature in Tamil. The classical Tamil literature, referred to as Sangam literature is attributed to the period between 200 BCE and 300 CE.[27][28] The poems of Sangam literature, which deal with emotional and material topics, were categorised and collected into various anthologies during the medieval period. These Sangam poems paint the picture of a fertile land and of a people who were organised into various occupational groups. The governance of the land was through hereditary monarchies, although the sphere of the state's activities and the extent of the ruler's powers were limited through the adherence to the established order (dharma).[29] The people were loyal to their kings and roving bards and musicians and danseuse gathered at the royal courts of the generous kings. The arts of music and dancing were highly developed and popular. Musical instruments of various types find mention in the Sangam poems. The amalgamation of the southern and the northern styles of dancing started during this period and is reflected fully in the epic Cilappatikaram.[30] Tamil literature is literature in the Tamil language which most prominently includes the contributions of the Tamil country (or Tamizhagam) history, a large part of which constitutes the modern state of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as well as some parts of Karnataka and Andra pradesh. ...
(Sanskrit) or Dhamma (Pali) is the underlying order in nature and human life and behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ...
The ancient Tamil music was the music of the ancient Tamil people. ...
Internal and external trade was well organised and active. Evidence from both archaeology and literature speaks of a flourishing foreign trade with the yavanas. The port city of Puhar on the east coast and Muziris on the west coast of south India were emporia of foreign trade, where huge ships moored, offloading precious merchandise.[31] This trade started to decline after the second century CE and the direct contact between the Roman empire and the ancient Tamil country was replaced by trade with the Arabs and the Auxumites of East Africa. Internal trade was also brisk and goods were sold and bartered. Agriculture was the main profession of a vast majority of the populace and Vellalars, the hereditary agriculturalists, owned the bulk of the land.[32] Yona (also sometimes Yonaka) is a Pali word used in ancient India to designate ancient Greek people. ...
Poompuhar is a town in Thanjavur district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...
Muziris is a lost port city in the southern Indian state of Kerala which was a major center of trade, especially pepper and other spices, with the Roman Empire from the 1st or 2nd century BCE to probably as late as 6th century CE. Large hordes of coins and innumerable...
The Kingdom of Aksum (or Axum), was an important trading nation in northeastern Africa, growing from ca. ...
Eastern Africa (UN subregion) East African Community Central African Federation (defunct) geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ...
Vellalars are a dominant caste of agriculturalists of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lanka. ...
[edit] Interregnum (300–600) -
After the close of the Sangam era, from about 300 to about 600 CE, there is an almost total lack of information regarding occurrences in the Tamil land. Some time about 300 CE, the whole region was upset by the appearance of the Kalabhras. These people are described in later literature as 'evil rulers' who overthrew the established Tamil kings and got a strangle hold of the country.[33] Information about their origin and details about their reign is scarce. They did not leave many artefacts or monuments. The only source of information on them is the scattered mentions in Buddhist and Jain literature.[34] Kalabhras were the South Indian dynasty who between the 3rd and the 6th century C.E. ruled over entire Tamil country, displacing the ancient Chola, Pandya and Chera dynasties. ...
A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, SiddhÄrtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by...
Historians speculate that these people followed Buddhist or Jain faiths and were antagonistic towards the Hindu and Brahminical religions adhered by the majority of inhabitants of the Tamil region during the early centuries C.E.[35] As a result Hindu scholars and authors who followed their decline in the 7th and 8th century may have expunged any mention of them in their texts and generally tended to paint their rule in a negative light. It is perhaps due to this reason, the period of their rule is known as a 'Dark Age'—an interregnum. Some of the ruling families migrated northwards and found enclaves for themselves away from the Kalabhras.[36] Jainism and Buddhism, took deep roots in the society, giving birth to a large body of ethical poetry. Jainism (pronounced in English as IPA ), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धरà¥à¤®), is a dharmic religion and philosophy originating in Ancient India. ...
Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion and a philosophy. ...
Writing became very widespread and vatteluttu evolved from the Tamil-Brahmi became a mature script for writing Tamil.[37] While several anthologies were compiled by collecting bardic poems of earlier centuries, some of the epic poems such as the Cilappatikaram and didactic works such as the Tirukkural were also written during this period.[38] The patronage of the Jain and Buddhist scholars by the Kalabhra kings influenced the nature of the literature of the period, and most of the works that can be attributed to this period were written by the Jain and Buddhist authors. In the field of dance and music, the elite started patronising new polished styles, partly influenced by northern ideas, in the place of the folk styles. A few of the earliest rock-cut temples belong to this period. Brick temples (known as kottam, devakulam, and palli) dedicated to various deities are referred to in literary works. Kalabhras were displaced around the 7th century by the revival of Pallava and Pandya power.[39] An example of the Vatteluttu script from an inscription by Rajaraja Chola I at the Brihadisvara temple in Thanjavur. ...
The Tamil Brahmi script, unlike standard Asokan Brahmi, distinguished between pure consonants and consonants with an inherent vowel marker Tamil-Brahmi was an early script used to write Tamil characters. ...
Manimegalai, Seevaga Sindhamani, Valayaapathi, Kundalakesi and Silapadhigaaram constitute the Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature. ...
Tiruvalluvar statue at Kanyakumari Tirukural (திருக்குறள் in Tamil) is an important work of Tamil literature by Tiruvalluvar written in the form of couplets expounding various aspects of life. ...
Even with the exit of the Kalabhras, the Jain and Buddhist influence still remained in Tamil Nadu. The early Pandya and the Pallava kings were followers of these faiths. The Hindu reaction to this apparent decline of their religion was growing and reached its peak during the later part of the seventh century.[40] There was a widespread Hindu revival during which a huge body of Saiva and Vaishnava literature was created. Many Saiva Nayanmars and Vaishnava Alvars provided a great stimulus to the growth of popular devotional literature. Karaikkal Ammaiyar who lived in the sixth century CE was the earliest of these Nayanmars. The celebrated Saiva hymnists Sundaramurthi, Thirugnana Sambanthar and Thirunavukkarasar were of this period. Vaishnava Alvars such as Poigai Alvar, Bhoothathalvar and Peyalvar produced devotional hymns for their faith and their songs were collected later into the four thousand poems of Naalayira Divyap Prabhandham.[41] Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ...
The Nayanars were the sincere and ardent devotees of Lord Siva. ...
The Alvars are Hindu saints, followers of Lord Vishnu. ...
Sundaramurti Nayanmar(8th century C.E.), shortly known as Sundarar, was one of the four most prominent Nayanmars. ...
This article needs cleanup. ...
Thirunavukkarasar (Tamil: திரà¯à®¨à®¾à®µà¯à®•à¯à®•à®°à®šà®°à¯), literally Lord of Speech , also spelt as Tirunavukarasar, and popularly known as Appar, meaning father-figure, or a high one in Tamil is a Shaivite saint who lived in Tamil Nadu. ...
Poigai Alvar was one of the twelve Alvars and was a Hindu saint. ...
Bhoothathalvar was one of the twelve Alvars and was a Hindu saint. ...
Payalvar was one of the twelve Alvars and was a Hindu saint. ...
The Naalayira Divyap Prabhandham is one of the most sacred texts in Hinduism, especially in South India. ...
[edit] Age of empires (600–1300) The medieval period of the history of the Tamil country 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 were entirely absent during the first few centuries.[42] The period started with the rivalry between the Pandyas and the Pallavas, which in turn caused the revival of the Cholas. The Cholas went on to becoming a great power. Their decline saw the brief resurgence of the Pandyas. This period was also that of the re-invigorated Hinduism during which temple building and religious literature were at their best.[43]
The Hindu sects Saivism and Vaishnavism became dominant, replacing the prevalence of Jainism and Buddhism of the previous era. Saivism was patronised more by the Chola kings and became more or less a state religion.[44] Some of the earliest temples that are still standing were built during this period by the Pallavas. The rock-cut temples in Mamallapuram and the majestic Kylasanatha and Vaikuntaperumal temples of Kanchipuram stand testament to the Pallava art. The Cholas, utilising their prodigious wealth earned through their extensive conquests, built long-lasting stone temples including the great Brihadisvara temple of Thanjavur and exquisite bronze sculptures. Temples dedicated to Siva and Vishnu received liberal donations of money, jewels, animals, and land, and thereby became powerful economic institutions.[45] This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ...
Shaivism, also Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ...
Temple dedicated to the worship of Vishnu as Venkateswara. ...
Shore Temple, rescued from the sea Mahabalipuram (after the demon king Mahabali) or Mamallapuram (after the Pallava king Mamalla) is a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. ...
Kanchipuram temple, engraved in 1811. ...
The Brihadisvara temple (also spelled Brahadeeswarar temple) is an ancient Hindu temple located at Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ...
“Tanjore†redirects here. ...
Tamil script replaced the vatteluttu script throughout Tamil Nadu for writing Tamil. Both secular and religious literature flourished during the period. The Tamil epic, Kamban's Ramavatharam, was written in the 13th century. A contemporary of Kamban was the famous poetess Auvaiyar who found great happiness in writing for young children. The secular literature was mostly court poetry devoted to the eulogy of the rulers. The religious poems of the previous period and the classical literature of the Sangam period were collected and systematised into several anthologies. Sanskrit was patronised by the priestly groups for religious rituals and other ceremonial purposes. Nambi Andar Nambi, who was a contemporary of Rajaraja Chola I, collected and arranged the books on Saivism into eleven books called Tirumurais. The hagiology of Saivism was standardised in Periyapuranam by Sekkilar, who lived during the reign of Kulothunga Chola II (1133–1150 CE). Jayamkondar's Kalingattupparani, a semi-historical account on the two invasions of Kalinga by Kulothunga Chola I was an early example of a biographical work.[46] Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...
Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ...
Kambar is one of the greatest Tamil poets. ...
The RÄmÄyana (Sanskrit: रामायण, march or journey (Ä€yana) of RÄma) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ...
Auvaiyar is a female icon of Tamil literature. ...
Detail of a statue of Rajaraja at Brihadisvara Temple Rajaraja Chola I was the king of the Chola dynasty, who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE. Rajaraja, the greatest of all the Chola rulers of the Vijayalaya dynasty, laid the foundation for the growth of the Chola kingdom into an...
Kulothunga Chola II succeeded his father Vikrama Chola to the Chola throne in 1135 C.E. Vikrama Chola made his heir apparent and coregent in 1133 C.E and so the inscriptions of Kulothunga II count his reign from 1133 C.E. Kulothunga II reigned over a period of general...
Kulothunga Chola was the offspring of two rival dynasties - the Cholas of Thanjavoor and the Chalukyas of Vengi when he came to the throne in 1070 A.D. The Cholas and the Chalukyas had always existed in constant warfare, spaced by periods of uneasy peace, for decades, due to differences...
[edit] Pallavas -
The seventh century Tamil Nadu saw the rise of the Pallavas under Mahendravarman I and his son Mamalla Narasimhavarman I. The Pallavas were not a recognised political power before the second century.[47] It has been widely accepted by scholars that they were originally executive officers under the Satavahana kings.[48] After the fall of the Satavahanas, they began to get control over parts of Andhra and the Tamil country. The Pallavas were at their finest during the reigns of Narasimhavarman I and Pallavamalla Nandivarman II. The Pallavas were hereditary Hindu rulers who dominated southeastern India between the 4th and 9th centuries. ...
The rock-cut temples at Mamallapuram. ...
Narasimhavarman I was one of the most famous Pallava kings who ruled from A.D. 630 - 668. ...
Nandivarman II (Pallavamalla) (732 - 796 CE) was a Pallava ruler who ruled in South India. ...
During the sixth and the seventh centuries, the western Deccan saw the rise of the Chalukyas based in Vatapi. Pulakesi II (c.610–642) invaded the Pallava kingdom in the reign of Mahendravarman I. Narasimhavarman who succeeded Mahendravarman mounted a counter invasion of the Chalukya country and took Vatapi. The rivalry between the Chalukyas and the Pallavas continued for another 100 years until the demise of the Chalukyas around 750. The Chalukyas and Pallavas fought numerous battles and the Pallava capital Kanchipuram was occupied by Vikramaditya II during the reign of Nandivarman II.[49] Nandivarman II had a very long reign (732–796). He led an expedition to the Ganga kingdom (south Mysore) in 760. Pallavas were also in constant conflict with the Pandyas and their frontier shifted along the river Kaveri. The Pallavas had the more difficult existence of the two as they had to fight on two fronts—against the Pandyas as wells as the Chalukyas. The Chalukya Dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled parts of southern India between 550 and 750, and again between 973 and 1190. ...
Badami Cave Temple No 3. ...
PULAKESI II (C.610-642 A.D.): Pulakesi II ascended the throne in C.610 A. D., and he has been rightly regarded as the ablest monarch in the Chalukyan line. ...
Vikaramaditya II was a son of Vijayaditya. ...
The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...
Mysore or Maisūru (Kannada: ) is the second largest city in the Indian state of Karnataka. ...
[edit] Pandyas -
Pandya Kadungon (560–590) is credited with the overthrow of the Kalabhras in the south.[50] Kadungon and his son Maravarman Avanisulamani revived the Pandya power. Pandya Cendan extended their rule to the Chera country. His son Arikesari Parantaka Maravarman (c. 650–700) had a long and prosperous rule. He fought many battles and extended the Pandya power. The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ...
After some decades of expansion, the Pandya kingdom was large enough to pose a serious threat to the Pallava power. Pandya Maravarman Rajasimha aligned with the Chalukya Vikramaditya II and attacked the Pallava king Nandivarman II.[51] Varagunan I defeated the Pallavas in a battle on the banks of the Kaveri. The Pallava king Nandivarman sought to restrain the growing power of the Pandyas and went into an alliance with some minor chieftains of Kongu and Chera countries. The armies met in several battles and the Pandya forces scored decisive victories in them. Pandyas under Srimara Srivallaba also invaded Sri Lanka and devastated the northern provinces in 840.[52] The Chalukya dynasty (Kannada: ಚಾಲà³à²•à³à²¯à²°à³) was a powerful Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th century C.E. They began to assert their independence at the decline of the Satavahana empire and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of...
The Pandya power continued to grow under Srimara and encroached further into the Pallava territories. The Pallavas were now facing a new threat in the form of the Rashtrakutas who had replaced the Chalukyas in the western Deccan. However the Pallavas found an able monarch in Nandivarman III, who with the help of his Ganga and the Chola allies defeated Srimara at the battle of Tellaru. The Pallava kingdom again extended up to the river Vaigai. The Pandyas suffered further defeats in the hands of the Pallava Nripatunga at Arisil (c 848). From then the Pandyas had to accept the overlordship of the Pallavas.[53] The Rashtrakutas were a dynasty which ruled the Deccan during the 8th-10th centuries. ...
The Vaigai is a river in Tamil Nadu state of southern India. ...
[edit] Cholas -
Around 850, out of obscurity rose Vijayalaya, made use of an opportunity arising out of a conflict between Pandyas and Pallavas, captured Thanjavur and eventually established the imperial line of the medieval Cholas. Vijayalaya revived the Chola dynasty and his son Aditya I helped establish their independence. He invaded Pallava kingdom in 903 and killed the Pallava king Aparajita in battle, ending the Pallava reign.[54] The Chola kingdom under Parantaka I expanded to cover the entire Pandya country. However towards the end of his reign he suffered several reverses by the Rashtrakutas who had extended their territories well into the Chola kingdom. The Chola Dynasty (Tamil: , IPA: ) was a Tamil dynasty that ruled primarily in southern India until the 13th century. ...
Vijayalaya was the Chola king of South India who captured Thanjavur during c. ...
Aditya I (870-906) was an Indian ruler. ...
Parantaka Chola I (907 c. ...
The Cholas went into a temporary decline during the next few years due to weak kings, palace intrigues and succession disputes. Despite a number of attempts the Pandya country could not be completely subdued and the Rashtrakutas were still a powerful enemy in the north. However, the Chola revival began with the accession of Rajaraja Chola I in 985. Cholas rose as a notable military, economic and cultural power in Asia under Rajaraja and his son Rajendra Chola I. The Chola territories stretched from the islands of Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the river Ganges in Bengal. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of Sri Lanka and occupied the islands of Maldives. Rajendra Chola extended the Chola conquests to the Malayan archipelago by defeating the Srivijaya kingdom.[55] He defeated Mahipala, the king of Bihar and Bengal, and to commemorate his victory he built a new capital called Gangaikonda Cholapuram (the town of Cholas who conquered the Ganges). At its peak the Chola Empire extended from the island of Sri Lanka in the south to the Godavari basin in the north. The kingdoms along the east coast of India up to the river Ganges acknowledged Chola suzerainty. Chola navies invaded and conquered Srivijaya in the Malayan archipelago.[56] Chola armies exacted tribute from Thailand and the Khmer kingdom of Cambodia.[57] During the reign of Rajaraja and Rajendra, the administration of the Chola empire matured considerably. The empire was divided into a number of self-governing local government units, and the officials were selected through a system of popular elections.[58] Image File history File links Rajendra_territories_cl. ...
Image File history File links Rajendra_territories_cl. ...
Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola I, the great Chola king of South India. ...
World map showing the location of Asia. ...
Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola I, the great Chola king of South India. ...
Early morning on the Ganges The River Ganges (Ganga in Indian languages) (Devanagiri गंगा) is a major river in northern India. ...
South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ...
Map of Southeast Asia at end of 12th century. ...
Mahipala I (c. |
