PANDYA DYNASTY

Overview :

Pandyas, also known as the Pandyas of Madurai, was a dynasty of south India. The Pandyas ruled extensive territories, at times including the large portions of present-day south India and Sri Lanka (through collateral branches subject to Madurai). They fought Mahabharat War in Pandav's side

Jat clans :

Pandya Gotra Jats live in Tonk district in Rajasthan. They were rulers in Central Asia.

Origin :

According to James Todd One great arm of the tree of Yayati remains unnoticed, that of Uru or Urvasu, written by others Turvasu. Uru was the father of a line of kings who founded several empires. Virup, the eighth prince from Uru, had eight sons, two of whom are particularly mentioned as sending forth two grand shoots, Druhyu and Bhabru. From Druhyu a dynasty was established in the north. Aradwat, with his son Gandhar, is stated to have founded a State : Prachetas is said to have become king of Mlecchhdesh, or the barbarous regions. This line terminated with Dushyant, the husband of the celebrated Shakuntala, father of Bharat, and who, labouring under the displeasure of some offended deity, is said by the Hindus to have been the cause of all the woes which subsequenty befell the race. The four grandsons of Dushyant, Kalanjar, Keral, Pand (Pandya), and Chaul (Chola), gave their names to countries.

History :

The Pandyas were one of numerous kingdsoms of ancient India viz. Dwaraka, Kashi, Magadh, Matsya, Chedi, Pandya and the Yadus of Mathura who were allies of Pandavs.

Karna Parv in Mahabharat narrates the appointment of the wise king of Madra as (Karna's) charioteer. Then the history of the fall of the Asur Tripura. Then the application to each other by Karna and Shalya of harsh words on their setting out for the field, then the story of the swan and the crow recited in insulting allusion: then the death of Pandya at the hands of the high-souled Aswatthaman; then the death of Dandsen; then that of Darda; then Yudhishthir's imminent risk in single combat with Karna in the presence of all the warriors; then the mutual wrath of Yudhishthir and Arjun; then Krishna's pacification of Arjun. In this Parv, Bhim, in fulfilment of his vow, having ripped open Dushashan's chest in battle drank the blood of his heart. Then Arjun slew the great Karna in single combat.

The Hathigumph inscription of king Kharvel at Bhuvneshwar mentions about a Pandya king in Line 13 as under:

Mention by Pliny :

Pliny mentions....If the wind, called Hippalus, happens to be blowing, it is possible to arrive in forty days at the nearest mart of India, Muziris by name. This, however, is not a very desirable place for disembarcation, on account of the pirates which frequent its vicinity, where they occupy a place called Nitrias; nor, in fact, is it very rich in articles of merchandize. Besides, the road-stead for shipping is a considerable distance from the shore, and the cargoes have to be conveyed in boats, either for loading or discharging. At the moment that I am writing these pages, the name of the king of this place is Cælobothras.

Another port, and a much more convenient one, is that which lies in the territory of the people called Neacyndi, Barace by name. Here king Pandion used to reign, dwelling at a considerable distance from the mart in the interior, at a city known as Modiera. The district from which pepper is carried down to Barace in boats hollowed out of a single tree, 34 is known as Cottonara.

None of these names of nations, ports, and cities are to be found in any of the former writers, from which circumstance it would appear that the localities have since changed their names. Travellers set sail from India on their return to Europe, at the beginning of the Egyptian month Tybis, which is our December, or at all events before the sixth day of the Egyptian month Mechir, the same as our ides of January: if they do this, they can go and return in the same year. They set sail from India with a south-east wind, and upon entering the Red Sea, catch the south-west or south. We will now return to our main subject.

32 Or Favonius, the west wind, previously mentioned in the present Chapter.

33 The modern Mangalore, according to Du Bocage.

34 Or canoes.

35 The Cottiara of Ptolemy, who makes it the chief city of the Æi, a tribe who occupied the lower part of the peninsula of Hindostan. It has been supposed to be represented by the modern Calicut or Travancore. Cochin, however, appears to be the most likely.

36 Marcus observes that we may conclude that either Pliny or the author from whom he transcribed, wrote this between the years of the Christian era 48 and 51; for that the coincidence of the 6th of the month Mechir with the Ides of January, could not have taken place in any other year than those on which the first day of Thoth or the beginning of the year fell on the 11th of August, which happened in the years 48, 49, 50, and 51 of the Christian era.

Line 13 - [His Majesty] caused to erect towers with strong and beautiful gateways at the cost of two thousand coins. [His Majesty] obtained horses, elephants and jewels losing strange and wonderful elephants and ships. The King of Pandya caused to be brought here (capital Kalinga Nagri) various pearls, jewels and precious stones hundred thousand in number.

In Mahabharat :

Pandya is mentioned in Mahabharat (II.13.20), (II.28.10) / (2-32-17b), (II.28.48), (3-255-14a), (III.86.10) and (VI.46.50).

Sabha Parv, Mahabharat / Book II Chapter 13 mentions the Kshatriyas in support of Jarasandh. Pandya is mentioned in Mahabharat (II.13.20).... And, O king of kings, Bhishmak, the mighty king of the Bhojs--the friend of Indra--the slayer of hostile heroes--who governs a fourth part of the world, who by his learning conquered the Pandyas and the Krathakaishikas, whose brother the brave Akriti was like Ram, the son of Jamdagni, hath become a servitor to the king of Magadh.

Sabha Parv, Mahabharat / Book II Chapter 28 mentions Sahdev's march towards south: kings and tribes defeated. Pandya is mentioned in Mahabharat (II.28.10) / (2-32-17b). .... ....After Avanti, the hero (Sahdev) marched towards the town of Bhojkat and there, a fierce encounter took place between him and the king of that city for two whole days. But the son of Madri (Sahdev), vanquishing the invincible Bhismak, then defeated in battle the king of Koshal and the ruler of the territories lying on the banks of the Venwa, as also the Kantarkas and the kings of the eastern Koshals. The hero (Sahdev) then defeating both the Natkeyas and the Herambaks in battle, and subjugating the country of Marudh, reduced Ramyagram by sheer strength. And the son of Pandu then vanquished the mighty monarchs of the Nachins and the Arbuks and the various forest king of that part of the country. Endued with great strength the hero then reduced to subjection king Atavika. And defeating in battle the Pulinds, the hero then marched southward. And the younger brother of Nakul then fought for one whole day with the king of Pandya.

Sabha Parv, Mahabharat / Book II Chapter 28 mentions Sahdev's march towards south: kings and tribes defeated. Pandya is mentioned in Mahabharat (II.28.48). ....The hero (Sahdev) brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Pandyas and the Dravids along with the Udrakerals and the Andhras and the Talvans, the Kalings and the Ushtrakarniks, and also the delightful city of Atavi (Rom) and that of the Yavans.

Van Parv, Mahabharat / Book III Chapter 86 mentions the sacred tirths of the south. Pandya is mentioned in Mahabharat (III.86.10). ....O Bharat! And, O son of Kunti, in that spot is the tirth called Ashok (III.86.10) abounding in woody retreats of ascetics. And, O Yudhishthir, in the country of the Pandyas (III.86.10) are the tirths named Agastya (III.86.10) and Varun (III.86.10).

Van Parv, Mahabharat / Book III Chapter 255 describes Karna's victory march and countries subjugated. Pandya is mentioned in Mahabharat (3-255-14a). .... Having met with Rukmi (3-255-14a), Karna (3-255-14a), repaired to Pandya (3-255-14a) and the mountain, Shri (Shrishail) (3-255-14a). And by fighting, he made Keval (3-255-15a), king Nil (3-255-15a), Venudari's (3-255-15b) son, and other best of kings living in the southern direction pay tribute.

Bhishma Parv, Mahabharat / Book VI Chapter 46 mentions Krishna, Yudhisthir and his brothers looking for arrangements of the war. Pandya is mentioned in Mahabharat (VI.46.50). ....Balhikas, Tittiras, and Cholas Pandya.

Pandya :

Vijendra Kumar Mathur has written ... Pandya (AS, p.539): In ancient times, Pandya country was a kingdom in the far west. The Kritmal and Tamraparni were the main rivers of the Pandya country. In the Mahabharat Sabha Parv 31,16, the king of the Pandya country is described as being defeated by Sahdev: Mahabharat, Sabh Parv 31,1.

Ptolemy (around 150 AD) has written Pandudesh as ' Panduoyi ' and has described it as belonging to Punjab. It is possible that there was some relation between the 'Pandya country' of the far south and the 'Pandudesh' of the north. It is known from ancient literature that South India had some connection with Shurasen or Mathura, which may be the 'Pandudesh ' mentioned by Ptolemy as the birthplace of Sri Krishna, the beloved friend of the Pandavs, as also indicated by the account of Megasthenes. Just as the capital of Shurasen country was Mathura, similarly the capital of 'Pandya country' was also 'Madhura' or present day 'Madura' or 'Madurai'. possibly the answer People must have gone and settled in South India later.

Katyayan has told the origin of the word Pandya from Pandu. In Ashoka's 13th edict, 'Pandya' is considered along with Chola and Satyaput in the neighboring countries of the Mauryan Empire. In Raghuvansh 6, 60-61-62-63-64-65, Kalidas has given a beautiful description of Pandyaraj and his country in the context of Indumati Swayamvar, a part of which is- 'Pandyos Yamansarpitalambahar: Kliptaammaragoharichandnen, Abhati Balatparktasanu: Sanirjharodgar Dwadiraj:. Tambulvalli Paridhpugaswelalalingintchandanasu, Tamalapatrastranasurantum Prasid Shasvan Malayasthalishu.

These verses describe the sandalwood, tambul, ella (cardamom) and tamal trees and creepers of the Padya country and the location of the Malay mountain is described as this country. In Raghuvansh 6,65, Pandyaraj is called 'Indivar Syamatanu' which is the natural body color of the Indians of the far south. According to Sri Raychaudhuri, the ancient Pandya country included the present Madura, Ramnad and Tinnevali districts and the southern part of Kerala and had its capital at Korkai and Madura (South Madhura). (Raychaudhuri, Political History of Ancient India, p.270) (D. Korkai and Madura).

Pandya dynasty :

Pandya - This is also an ancient dynasty whose mention is found in the Mahabharat, the accounts of Magasthenes and the inscriptions of Ashok and other texts. His kingdom was on present-day Kerala region in South India. The description of Chola, Pandya etc. dynasties will be written in the chapter "Jatveer kingdom in South India". Even today the Jats of Videha, Pundra, Pandya, Chola, Vang gotras are settled in many places.

Dalip Singh Ahlawat writes :

Vidarbh country was ruled by Yaduvanshi Shashibindu. It was Chakravarti Samrat who happened in the seventh generation from Yadu in the branch of Yadu's son Karokshatri. These dynasties and territories are mentioned in Ramayan and Mahabharat which are as follows -

Sugriv ordered the monkey army to go to the countries mentioned above to search for Sita.

• In the east direction - Videh (Va. Ra. Kishkindha Kand Sarg 40).

• In the south - the city of Vidarbh, Vang, Pundra, Chola and Pandya dynasty kings (Tanjore). (Canto 41).

• In the north direction - Southern Kurudesh (around Kurukshetra) and Northern Kuru (in today's Siberia). (Canto 43).

Digvijay of Mahabharat Sabhaparv Pandavs - Arjun conquered many countries in the north along with Chola country (Chapter 27) and Uttar Kurudesh (Chapter 28). In the east Bhimsen conquered Videh (Mithila) (Chapter 29) and the Pandara-Pundrak and Vang countries (Chapter 30). Sahdev conquered the Pandya king in the south. (Chapter 31).

North Mathura :

Vijendra Kumar Mathur has written ... Answer Mathura (AS, p.92) is one of the two cities named Mathura or Madhura in Buddhist India. One was the famous Mathura of the north, the other the present Madura (Madras) which was the capital of the Pandya country. Harishen has considered North Mathura in Bharat-Kshetra or Northern India in Brihatkatha-Kosh Kathanak-21. The Ghatjatak (No. 454) mentions the king of North Mathura, Ocean and his son Sagar. Sagar was a contemporary of Shri Krishna.

Distribution in Rajasthan :

Villages in Tonk district :

Pandya Gotra Jats live in Tonk district in Rajasthan.

Bhanwati.

Pandya Dynasty in detail :

The Pandya dynasty at its greatest extent in 1290 CE under Marvarman Sundar Pandyan I.

The Pandya dynasty, also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the three great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other two being the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing 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 rulers (the mu-ventar) of the Tamil country". The origin and the timeline of the Pandya dynasty are difficult to establish. The 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"). Graeco-Roman accounts (as early as 4th century BCE), the edicts of Maurya emperor Ashok, 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 Kalabhra dynasty in south India.

From the 6th century to the 9th century CE, the Chalukyas of Badami or Rashtrakutas of the Deccan, the Pallavs 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 country (Kongu and central Kerala) and Venadu (southern Kerala), the Pallav 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 and the 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 I and Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I (13th century). Some early efforts by Maravarman I to expand into the ancient Chola country were effectively checked by the Hoysalas. Jatavarman I (c. 1251) successfully expanded the kingdom into the Telugu country (as far north as Nellore), south Kerala, and conquered northern Sri Lanka. The city of Kanchi became a secondary capital of the Pandyas.The Hoysalas, in general, were confined to Mysore Plateau and even king Somesvara was killed in a battle with Pandyas. Marvarman Kulshekhar I (1268) defeated an alliance of the Hoysalas and the Cholas (1279) and invaded Sri Lanka.

The venerable Tooth Relic of the Buddh 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 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 (1334). The Pandyas of Ucchangi (9th–13th century), in the Tungbhadra Valley were related to the Pandyas of Madurai.

According to tradition, the legendary 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. It is known that the Pandya rulers followed Jainism for a short period of time in history.

Etymology and origin legends :

The etymology of Pandya is still a matter of considerable speculation among scholars. One theory is that the word pandya is derived from the ancient Tamil word "pandu" meaning "old". The theory suggests that in early historic Tamil lexicon the word pandya means old country in contrast with Chola meaning new country, Chera meaning hill country and Pallav meaning branch in Sanskrit. Another theory is that the word Pandya is derived from the Sanskrit word Pandu to mean white or pale. Apart from these derivations mentioned, a number of other theories do appear in historical studies.

According to the ancient Tamil legends, the three brothers Cheran, Cholan and Pandyan ruled in common at the southern city of Korkai. While Pandya remained at home, his two brothers Cheran and Cholan after a separation founded their own kingdoms in north and west. Epic poem Silappatikaram mentions that the emblem of the Pandyas was that of a fish. Indian traditions such as the Great Epics and the Purans often associate southern India with Sage Agastya (who had his ashram in the south). Agastya appears prominently in medieval Tamil literature also.

Folklores attributes Alli Rani (meaning "the queen Alli") as one of the early historic rulers of the Pandyas. She is attributed as an "amazonian queen" whose servants were men and administrative officials and army were women. She is thought of ruling the whole western and northern coast of Sri Lanka from her capital Kudiramalai, where remains of what is thought of as her fort are found. She is sometimes seen as an incarnation of the Pandya associated gods, Meenakshi and Kannagi.

Chandra-vansh :

The medieval Pandya kings were claimed to have belonged to the Chandra-vansh or the Lunar Race. They claimed Pururavas and Nahush as ancestors. Pururavas is listed as one of the ancestors in the Velvikudi Inscription of Nedunjadaiyan Varagun-varman I (Jatil Parantak Nedunjdaiyan).

Sources of Pandya history :

The Greek ambassador to Chandragupt Maurya, Megasthenes mentions Queens of Pandyas as 'Pandai' and locates them in the south of India extending into ocean. It consisted of 365 villages which met the needs of the royal palace each day of the year. He described the queen as daughter of Heracles (by some author as Shiv or Krishna). Madurai, capital of Pandyas is mentioned in Kautilya's Arthashastra (4th century BCE) as 'Mathura of the south'.

Archaeological sources :

Mangulam inscription (3rd and 2nd centuries BCE)

Pandyas are also mentioned in the inscriptions of Maurya emperor Ashok (3rd century BCE). In his inscriptions (2nd and 13th Major Rock Edict) Ashok refers to the peoples of south India – the Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas and Satiyaputras. These polities, although not part of the Maurya empire, were on friendly terms with Ashok:

The conquest by dharma has been won here, on the borders, and even six hundred yojans (5,400–9,600 km) away, where the Greek king Antiochos rules, beyond there where the four kings named Ptolemy, Antigonos, Magas and Alexander rule, likewise in the south among the Cholas, the Pandyas, and as far as Tamraparni river.

The earliest Pandya to be found in epigraph is Nedunjeliyan, figuring in the Tamil-Brahmi Mangulam inscription (near Madurai) assigned to 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. The record documents a gift of rock-cut beds, to a Jain ascetic. It is assumed that the people found in the Mangulam inscription, Nedunjeliyan, Kadalan, and Izhanchadikan predates rulers such as Talaiyanganam Nedunjelyan and Palyaga-salai Mudukudimi Peruvaludi.

Kharavela, the Kaling king who ruled during c. 1st century BCE, in his Hathigumph inscription, claims to have destroyed an old confederacy of Tamil countries ("the tamira–desa–sanghata") which had lasted 132 years, and to have acquired a large quantity of pearls from the Pandyas.

Silver punch-marked coins with the fish symbol of the Pandyas dating from around the same time have also been found.

Early Tamil literature :

The early historic Pandyas are celebrated in the earliest available Tamil poetry. The poems refers to about twelve Pandya rulers. According to tradition, the legendary Sangams ("the Academies") were held in Madurai under the patronage of the Pandyas. Several Tamil literary works, such as Iraiyanar Agapporul, mention the legend of three separate Sangams and ascribe their patronage to the Pandyas.

Pandya rulers from early historic south India :

• Koon Pandya

• Nedunjeliyan I ("Aariyap Padai Kadantha")

• Puda-pandya

• "Palyagasalai" Mudukudumi Peruvaludi

• Nedunjeliyan II

• Nan Maran

• Nedunj Cheliyan III ("Talaiyaalanganathu Seruvendra")

• Maran Valudi

• Kadalan Valuthi

• Musiri Mutriya Cheliyan

• Ukkirap Peruvaludi

Pandya rulers – such as Nedunjeliyan, the Victor of Talaiyalanganam, and Mudukudimi Peruvaludi, the Patron of Several Sacrificial Halls ("the Palyaga-salai") – find mention in a number of poems (such as Mathuraikkanci).

Beside several short poems found in the Akananuru and the Purananuru collections, there are two major works – Mathuraikkanci and Netunalvatai – which give a glimpse into the society and commercial activities in the Pandya country during the early historic period. The Purananuru and Agananuru collections contain poems sung in praise of various Pandya rulers and also poems that were claimed to be composed by the rulers themselves.

Besides the poems, king Peruvaludi is also mentioned in later copper-plate grant (8th–9th century CE). In the work Mathuraikkanci, the author Mankudi Maruthanar, refers to his patron, Talaihalanganum Nedunjeliyan, as the Lord of Korkai and the Warlord of the Southern Parathavar People. It contains a full-length description of Madurai and the Pandya country under the rule of Nedunjeliyan. In the famous battle of Talaiyalanganam (in east Tanjore), the Pandya is said to have defeated his enemies (which included the Chera and the Chola). He is also praised for his victory of Mizhalai and Mutturu, two "vel" centres along the ocean (in Pudukkottai). The Netunalvatai (in the collection of Pattupattu) by Nakkirar contains a description of king Nedunjeliyan's palace.

Foreign sources :

Greek and Latin sources (early centuries CE) refer to the ancient Tamil country, same as the Tamilakam, as "Lymyrike" or "Damirice" (or Dymirice/Dimirixe or Damirice) and its ruling families.

• Pandyas are also mentioned by Greek author Megasthenes (4th century BCE) where he writes about south Indian kingdom being ruled by women. He described the Pandya country in Indika as "occupying the portion of India which lies southward and extends to the sea". According to his account, the kingdom had 365 villages, each of which was expected to meet the needs of the royal household for one day in the year. He described the Pandya queen at the time, Pandaia as the daughter of Hercules.

• Pliny the Elder refers to the Pandya ruler of Madurai in general terms (first century CE).

• The author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (first century CE) describes the riches of a "Pandian kingdom"

...Nelcynda is distant from Muziris by river and sea about five hundred stadia, and is of another kingdom, the Pandian. This place [Nelcynda] also is situated on a river, about one hundred and twenty stadia from the [Arabian] sea....

• The country of the Pandyas was described as Pandya Mediterranea and Modura Regia Pandionis by Ptolemy (c. 140 CE).

• Strabo states that an Indian king called Pandion sent Augustus Caesar "presents and gifts of honour". The 1st-century Greek historian Nicolaus of Damascus met, at Antioch, the ambassador sent by a king from India "named Pandion or, according to others, Porus" to Caesar Augustus around 13 CE (Strabo XV.4 and 73).

• The Roman emperor Julian received an embassy from a Pandya about 361 CE.

• Chinese historian Yu Huan in his 3rd-century CE text, the Weilüe, mentions the Panyue kingdom :

...the kingdom of Panyue is also called Hanyuewang. It is several thousand li to the southeast of Tianzhu (northern India)...The inhabitants are small; they are the same height as the Chinese...

Scholar John E. Hill identified Panyue as Pandya kingdom. However, others have identified it with an ancient state located in modern Burma or Assam.

• The Chinese traveler Xuanzang mentions a kingdom further south from Kanchipuram, a kingdom named Malakutta, identified with Madurai described by his Buddhist friends at Kanchipuram.

• In the later part of the 13th century (in 1288 and 1293 CE) Venetian traveller Marco Polo visited the Pandya kingdom and left a vivid description of the land and its people.

The darkest man is here the most highly esteemed and better than the others who are not so dark. Let me add that in very truth these people portray and depict their gods and their idols black and their devils white as snow. For they say that god and all the saints are black and the devils are all white. That is why they portray them as I have described.

Early historic Pandyas :

Vaigai River in Madurai

Maurya emperor Ashok (3rd century BCE) seems to have been on friendly terms with the people of south India and Sri Lanka (the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Satiya Putras, the Kerala Putras and the Tamraparnis). There are no indications that Ashok tried to conquer the extreme south India (the Tamilakam – the Abode of the Tamils).

The three chiefly lines of the early historic south India – the Cheras, Pandyas and Cholas – were known as the mu-vendar ("the three vendars"). They traditionally based at their original headquarters in the interior Tamil Nadu (Karur, Madurai and Uraiyur respectively). The powerful chiefdoms of the three ventar dominated the political and economic life of early historic south India. The frequent conflicts between the Chera, the Chola and the Pandya are well documented in ancient (the Sangam) Tamil poetry. The Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas also controlled the ports of Muziris (Muchiri), Korkai and Kaveri respectively (for the trade with the Graeco-Roman world). The gradual shift from chiefdoms to kingdoms seems to have occurred in the following period.

Pandya coin with temple between hills and elephant (Sri Lanka ca. 1st century CE) (British Museum)

The famous inscription of king Kharavel at Hathigumph (mid-first century BCE) mentions the defeat of a confederacy of the "Tramir" countries which had been a threat to Kaling. It also remembers the precious pearls brought to the capital as booty from the "Pandya" realm. The Pandya chiefdom was famous for its pearl fisheries and silk industry. Korkai and Alagankulam are believed to have been the exchange centres of the Pandyas. Korkai, a port at the mouth of the river Tambraparni, was linked to the famous pearl fisheries and Alagankulam was also developed as a port.

A number of coins attributed to early historic Pandyas are found from the region. Inscriptions, datable to c. 2nd century BCE, recording royal grants – both from royals and wealthy commoners – were also discovered from the Pandya country.

The Pandya seems to be the most prominent of the three "ventar" rulers. There are even references to a Pandya queen from 3rd century BCE representing a confederacy of the Tamil countries. Madurai, in south Tamil Nadu, was the most important cultural centre in south India as the core of the Tamil speakers. Megalithic relics such as menhirs, dolmens, urn burials, stone circles and rock-cut chambers/passages can be found in south India. Burial goods include iron objects, ivory ornaments, Black-and-Red Ware and even some Roman Imperial coins. The so-called "velir" hill chieftains are assumed to be associated with these megalithic burials.

Greek and Latin accounts (early centuries CE), coins with legends in Tamil-Brahmi script, and Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions suggest the continuity of the Pandya dynasty from the 3rd century BCE to early centuries CE. The early Pandyas, along with the Cheras and the Cholas, were eventually displaced by the Kalabhra dynasty.

Medieval Pandyas :

Pandya revival (7th–10th centuries CE) :

Vettuvan Koil, Kalugumalai, Tuticorin. Pandya kingdom, 8th century CE

Enthroned god Vishnu, Pandya dynasty, second half of the 8th–early 9th century CE (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City)

Manikkavachakar, Shaiva poet-saint and minister of Pandya king Varaguna II (dated to early 12th century) Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The Pandya kingdom was revived by king Kadungon (r. 590–620 CE) towards the end of the 6th century CE. In the Velvikudi inscription, a later copper-plate, Kadungon appears as the "destroyer" of the "anti-Brahmanical" Kalabhra kings. With the decline of the Kalabhra dynasty, the Pandyas grew steadily in power and territory. With the Cholas in obscurity in Uraiyur, the Tamil country was divided between the Pallavs of Kanchi and the Pandyas of Madurai.

From 6th century to 9th century CE, the Chalukyas of Badami, the Pallavs of Kanchi, and Pandyas of Madurai dominated the politics of south India. The Badami Chalukyas were eventually replaced by the Rashtrakuts in the Deccan. The Pandyas took on the growing Pallav ambitions in south India, and from time to time they also joined in alliances with the kingdoms of the Deccan Plateau (such as with the Gangas of Talakad in late 8th century CE). In the middle of the 9th century, the Pandyas had managed to advance as far as Kumbakonam (north-east of Tanjore on the Kollidam river).

Sendan (r. 654–70 CE), the third king of the Pandyas of Madurai, is known for expanding his kingdom to the Chera country (western Tamil Nadu and central Kerala). Arikesari Maravarman (r. 670–700 CE), the fourth Pandya ruler, is known for his battles against the Pallavs of Kanchi. Pallav king Narasimhavarman I (r. 630–68 CE), the famous conqueror of Badami, claimed to have defeated the Pandyas. Chalukya king Paramesvaravarman I "Vikramaditya" (r. 670–700 CE) is known to have fought battles with the Pallavs, the Gangas, and probably with the Pandyas too, on the Kaveri basin.

Kirtivarman II (r. 744/5–55 CE), the last Chalukya king, managed to lose to his southern countries as a result of his battles with the Pandyas. Pandya kings Maravarman Rajasimha I (r. 730–65 CE) and Nedunjadaiyan/Varagunavarman I (r. 765–815 CE) threatened Pallav king Nandivarman II Pallavmalla (r. 731–96 CE) who had managed to defeat the Gangas in around 760 CE. Varagunavarman I invaded the Pallav country, conquered the Kongu country (western Tamil Nadu) and Venadu (south Kerala). King Srimara Srivallabha (r. 815–62 CE) sailed to Sri Lanka, subjugated king Sena I, and sacked his capital Anuradhapura (the Panya invasion of Sri Lanka followed a period of vassalage). However, Srimara Srivallabha was soon overpowerd by Pallav king Nripatunga (r. 859–99 CE). Sena II, the king of Sri Lanka, invaded the Pandya country, sacked Madurai and chose Varagunavarman II (r. c. 862–880 CE) as the new king soon after. It is proposed that the start of the Kollam Era, the Kerala calendar, in 825 CE marked the liberation of Venadu from Pandya control.

During the rule of Dantivarman (r. 796–847 CE), the Pallav territory was reduced by the encroachment from the Pandyas from the south (and Rashtrakutas and the Telugu-Cholas from north). Pallav king Nandivarman III (r. 846–69 CE) was able to defeat the Pandyas and Telugu-Cholas (and even the Rashtrakutas) with the help of the Gangas and the emerging Cholas.

Pandya kings (6th – 10th century CE) :

Kalugumalai Jain beds, Pandya kingdom, king Jatila Parantaka Nedunjadaiyan (8th century CE)

Under Chola influence (10th–13th centuries) :

Pandya country in the Chola Empire (12th century)

While the Pandyas and the Rashtrakuts were busy engaging the Pallavs, with the Gangas and the Simhalas (Sri Lanka) also in the mix, the Cholas emerged from the Kaveri delta and took on the chieftains of Thanjavur (the Mutharaiyar chieftain had transferred their loyalty from the Pallav to the Pandya). The Chola king Vijayalaya conquered Thanjavur by defeating the Mutharaiyar chieftain around c. 850 CE. The Pandya control north of the Kaveri river was severely weakened by this move (and straightened the position of the Pallav ruler Nripatunga). Pandya ruler Varaguna-varman II (r. c. 862–880 CE) responded by marching into the Chola country and facing a formidable alliance of Pallav prince Aparajita, the Chola king Aditya I and the Ganga king Prithvipati I. The Pandya king suffered a crushing defeat (c. 880 CE) in a battle fought near Kumbakonam.

By c. 897 CE, Chola king Aditya I was the master of the old Pallav, Ganga and Kongu countries. It is a possibility that Aditya I conquered the Kongu country from the Pandya king Parantak Virnarayan (r. 880–900 CE). Parantak I, successor to Aditya, invaded the Pandya territories in 910 CE and captured Madurai from king Maravarman Rajasimha II (hence the title "Madurai Konda"). Rajasimha II received help from the Sri Lankan king Kassap V, still got defeated by Parantaka I in the battle of Vellur, and fled to Sri Lanka. Rajasimha then found refuge in the Chera country, leaving even his royal insignia in Sri Lanka, the home of his mother.

The Cholas were defeated by a Rashtrakut-lead confederacy in the battle of Takkolam in 949 CE. By mid-950s, the Chola kingdom had shrunk to the size of a small principality (its vassals in the extreme south had proclaimed their independence). It is a possibility that Pandya ruler Vira Pandya defeated Chola king Gandaraditya and claimed independence. Chola ruler Sundar Parantak II (r. 957–73) responded by defeating Vira Pandya I in two battles (and Chola prince Aditya II killed Vira Pandya on the second occasion). The Pandyas were assisted by Sri Lanka forces of king Mahind IV.

Chola emperor Rajaraja I (r. 985–1014 CE) is known to have attacked the Pandyas. He fought against an alliance of the Pandya, Chera and Sri Lankan kings, and defeated the Cheras and "deprived" the Pandyas of their ancient capital Madurai. Emperor Rajendra I continued to occupy the Pandya kingdom, and even appointed a series of Chola viceroys with the title "Chola Pandya" to rule from Madurai (over Pandya and Western Chera/Kerala countries). The very of beginning of Chola emperor Kulottunga's rule (r. from 1070 CE) was marked by the loss of Sri Lanka and a rebellion in the Pandya country.

The second half of the 12th century witnessed a major internal crisis in the Pandya country (between princes Parakram Pandya and Kulsekhar Pandya). The neighbouring kingdoms of Sri Lanka, under Parakrambahu I, Venadu Chera/Kerala, under the Kulasekharas, and the Cholas, under Rajadhiraj II and Kulottung III, joinined in and took sides with any of the two princes or their kins.

Pandya kings (10th century–first half of 11th century CE) :

• Sundara Pandya I

• Vir Pandya I (Veerapandyan)

• Vir Pandya II

• Amarbhujang Tivrakop

• Srivallabh Mankulchal (1101–1124 CE)

• Marvarman Srivallabh (1132–1161 CE)

• Parakram I (1161–1162 CE)

• Kulshekhar III

• Vir Pandya III

• Jatvarman Srivallabh (1175–1180 CE)

• Jatvarman Kulsehekhar I (1190–1216 CE)

Imperial Pandyas (13th–14th centuries) :

The Pandya empire included extensive territories, at times including large portions of south India and Sri Lanka. The rule of the empire was shared among several royals, one of them enjoying primacy over the rest. The Pandya king at Madurai thus controlled these vast regions through the collateral family branches subject to Madurai.

An aerial view of Madurai city from Meenakshi Temple

Pandya kings (13th–14th centuries CE) :

Marvarman Sundar I :

The foundation for the Pandya supremacy in south India was laid by Marvarman Sundar I early in the 13th century. He succeeded his older brother Jatvarman Kulshekhar in 1216. He invaded the Chola country, sacked Uraiyur and Thanjavur, and drove the Chola king Kulothung III into exile. The Chola king subsequently made a formal submission to Marvarman Sundar I and acknowledged his overlordship. Attempts by the next Chola king Rajaraja III (1216 – 46 CE) for self-rule (to stop the Pandya invasion into the Chola country), with the help of the Hoysals king Narasimha II (r. 1220 – 1238 CE), resulted in a battle between the Pandya and Hoysal forces at Mahendramangalam on the Kaveri Valley. Marvarman Sundar I was defeated and Rajaraja III was restored in the Chola country. Sometime later Chola prince Rajendra III attacked the Pandyas and defeated two Pandya royals including Marvarman Sundar II. Hoysala king Somesvara (r. 1233 – 1267 CE) then came to the aid of the Pandyas, defeated Rajendra III and then made peace with the Cholas.

Jatvarman Vira II's fish insignia at Koneswaram temple in Trincomalee (Eastern Province)

Jatvarman Sundar I ascended the Pandya throne in 1251 CE. He led his army to the Chola country (even as far as Nellore), to Sri Lanka and to south Kerala. He was also successful in confining the Hoysala control to the Mysore Plateau (the ancient Chola country was now overrun by the Pandyas). Kanchi functioned as the second major city in the kingdom. In his conquests, Jatvarman Sundar I was assisted by number of Pandya royals such as Jatvarman Vir Pandya.

Jatvarman Sundar I subdued Rajendra II around 1258–1260 CE and made him pay tribute. The rule of the Cholas ended c. 1279 with Rajendra III. The Pandya attacked the Hoysals in the Kaveri and captured the fort of Kannanur Koppam. Hoysal king Someshvar was forced to fall back into the Mysore Plateau. The Hoysal king, pressed by enemies from north and south, "assigned" the southern half of his kingdom to his younger son Ramnath (r. 1254–1292). Someshwar was eventually killed by the Pandya in 1262 CE. Ramnath managed to recover Kannanur and hold against the Pandya power. Jatvarman Sundar I also came into conflict with the Kadav ruler Kopperunjing II. It seems that Ban (Magdai) and Kongu countries came under the Pandya rule during the wars against the Hoysals and the Kadavs. Jatvarman Sundar I also fought the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati (1199–1262). Sri Lanka was invaded by Jatvarman Sundar I in 1258 and on his behalf by his younger brother Jatvarman Vir II between 1262 and 1264 CE. The island was again invaded and defeated by Jatvarman Vir II in 1270 CE.

Marvarman Kulshekhar I :

Sundar Pandya I (died in 1268) was succeeded by Marvarman Sundar I. Around 1279 the combined force of Hoysala king Ramanatha and Rajendra III was defeated by Marvarman Sundar I. Marvarman Sundar I, now virtually unchallenged, ruled over the Chola country and southern Tamil speaking portions of Hoysal kingdom. He also invaded Sri Lanka, ruled by Bhuvanaikabahu I, "carried away to the Pandya country the venerable Tooth Relic", and the wealth of the island. Sri Lanka remained under Pandya control until c. 1308–1309 CE.

Decline of Pandyas :

After the death of Marvarman Kulshekhar I (1310), his sons Vir Pandya IV and Sundar Pandya IV fought a war of succession for control of the empire. It seems that Marvarman Kulshekhar wanted Vir Pandya to succeed him (who in turn was defeated by Sundar Pandya after a short period of time). Unfortunately, the Pandya civil war coincided with the Khalji raids in south India. Taking advantage of the political situation, the neighbouring Hoysal king Ballal III invaded the Pandya territory. However, Ballal had to retreat to his capital, when Khilji general Malik Kafur invaded his kingdom at the same time. After subjugating Ballala III, the Khilji forces marched to the Pandya territory in March 1311. The Pandya brothers fled their headquarters, and the Khiljis pursued them unsuccessfully. By late April 1311, the Khiljis gave up their plans to pursue the Pandya princes, and returned to Delhi with the plunder. By 1312 the Pandya control over south Kerala was also lost.

After the departure of the Khiljis, Vir and Sundar Pandya resumed their conflict. Sundar Pandya was defeated, and sought help from the Khiljis. With their help, he regained control of the South Arcot region by 1314. Subsequently, there were two more expeditions from the sultanate in 1314 led by Khusro Khan and in 1323 by Ulugh Khan (Muhammad bin Tughluq) under sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq.

The family quarrels and the sultanate invasions shattered the Pandya empire beyond revival and coinage discoveries made imply that the Pandyas were left with the old South Arcot region. In 1323, the Jaffna kingdom declared its independence from the crumbling Pandya influence.

Tenkasi Pandyas (14th–16th centuries) :

The Pandya kings from Sadavarman Parakram Pandya to his successors who ruled with Tenkasi as their capital. With the invasion of the Sultanates, Vijaynagars, and Nayakars from the fourteenth century onwards, the Pandyas lost their traditional capital of Madurai and shifted to cities like Tenkasi and Tirunelveli. Tenkasi was the last capital of the Pandyas. All the Pandyas from Sadavarman Parakram Pandya and his next generations were crowned in the Adheenam Mutt in Kasi Vishwanathar temple. During the same period, some Pandyas ruled with Tirunelveli as their capital. Kayatharu, Vadakkuvalliyur, and Ukkirankottai are some of their major cities. Inscriptions on them are found in Tenkasi's Kasi Viswanathar temple, Brahmadesham, Tirunelveli dt.Brahmadesham, Cheranmadevi, Ambasamudram, Kalakkad and Pudukkottai (Goddess Bhuvneshwari Temple is also in Pudukkottai). The last Pandyan king to be known in the history of the Pandyas was Kolkond, who was also among the Tenkasi Pandyas.

Although the Vijaynagar Empire and the Nayaks ruled Madurai after the 14th century, they were occasionally opposed by the Pandyas. Sometimes they have ruled Madurai. Prominent among them were Sadavarman Vikrama Pandya (1401–1422 AD) and his son, Arikesari Parakram Pandya. They had built 32 forts around Madurai. Later, when Vishwanath Nayakkar became the Madurai Mandalasuvaran, he feared of Pandya resurgence in Madurai. He divided Madurai into 72 districts, including 16 districts of those closest to the Pandyas. He gave them positions and made them separate from the Pandyas. This made Pandyas to lose Madurai forever.

Legacy :

While the previous sultanate raids were content with plunder, the Tughluqs under Ulugh Khan (later Muhammad bin Tughluq) annexed the former Pandya dominions to the sultanate as the province of Ma'bar. Most of south India came under the sultanate rule and was divided into five provinces – Devagiri, Tiling, Kampili, Dorsamudra and Ma'bar. Jalal ud-Din Hasan Khan was appointed governor of the newly created southernmost Ma'bar province. In c. 1334, Jalal ud-Din Hasan Khan declared his independence and created Madurai sultanate. The Pandyas shifted their capital to Tenkasi and continued to rule a small area until the end of the 16th century as Tenkasi Pandyas.

Bukk Rai I of Vijaynagar empire conquered the city of Madurai in c. 1370, imprisoned the sultan, released and restored Arcot's prince Sambuv Rai to the throne. Bukk Rai I appointed his son Veer Kumar Kampan as the viceroy of the Tamil region. Meanwhile, Madurai sultanate was replaced by the Nayak governors of Vijaynagar in 1378. In 1529 the Nayak governors declared independence and established Madurai Nayak dynasty.

Economy :

Ancient Silk Road trade routes

Early historic :

The gopura of Nellaiappar Temple

The Pandya country, located at the extreme south-western tip of South Asia, served as an important meeting point throughout the history of the India. The location was economically and geopolitically significant as a key point connecting the shipping between Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Graeco-Roman merchants frequented the ancient Tamil country, present day south India and Sri Lanka, securing contacts with the Tamil chiefdoms of the Pandya, Chola and Chera families. The western sailors also established a number of trading settlements on the harbours of the ancient Tamil region.

One of the early coins of the Pandyas showing their emblem of the Two Fishes

The trade with South Asia by the Greco-Roman world flourished since the time of the Ptolemaic dynasty a few decades before the start of the Common Era and remained long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The contacts between south India and the Middle East continued even after the Byzantium's loss of the ports of Egypt and the Red Sea in the 7th century CE.

The early historic Pandya country was famous for its supply of pearls. The ancient port of Korkai, in present-day Thoothukudi, was the center of pearl trade. Written records from Graeco-Roman and Egyptian voyagers give details about the pearl fisheries off the Gulf of Mannar. Greek historian Megasthenes reported about the pearl fisheries, indicating that the Pandyas derived great wealth from the pearl trade. Convicts were according to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea used as pearl divers in Korkai. The Periplus even mentions that "pearls inferior to the Indian sort are exported in great quantity from the marts of Apologas and Omana". The pearls from the Pandya country were also in demand in the kingdoms of north India. Literary references of the pearl fishing mention how the fishermen, who dive into the sea, avoid attacks from sharks, bring up the right-whorled chank and blow on the sounding shell.

Pandya coinage :

The early coins of Tamilakam bore the symbols of the Three Crowned Kings, the tiger, the fish and the bow, representing the symbols of the Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras. Coins of Pandyas bear the legend of different Pandya ruler in different times. The Pandyas had issued silver punch-marked and die struck copper coins in the early period. A few gold coins were attributed to the Pandya rulers of this period. These coins bore the image of fish, singly or in pairs, which were their emblem.

Some of the coins had the names Sundar, Sundar Pandya or merely the letter 'Su' were etched. Some of the coins bore a boar with the legend of 'Vir-Pandya. It had been said that those coins were issued by the Pandyas and the feudatories of the Cholas but could not be attributed to any particular king. The coins of Pandyas were basically square. Those coins were etched with elephant on one side and the other side remained blank. The inscription on the silver and gold coins during the Pandyas, were in Tamil-Brahmi and the copper coins bore the Tamil legends. The coins of the Pandyas, which bore the fish symbols, were termed as 'Kodandaraman' and 'Kanchi' Valangum Perumal'. Apart from these, 'Ellamthalaiyanam' was seen on coins which had the standing king on one side and the fish on the other. 'Samarakolahalam' and 'Bhuvanekaviram' were found on the cois having a Garud, 'Konerirayan' on coins having a bull and 'Kaliyugaraman' on coins that depict a pair of feet.

Religion :

God Vishnu, goddess Meenakshi and god Shiv (Meenakshi Temple, Madurai)

The Pandya period (c. 13th century CE) was characterised by a temple-centered elite form of Hinduism, a popular bhakti religion and an even more widespread local forms of Hinduism. The distinctions between the three were not clearly differentiated. The worship of the gods Vishnu and Shiva was generally supported by the elite. The bhakti movement emphasized the mutual intense emotional attachment between the god and the devotee.

The Pandya country was home to a number of renowned temples including Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. As some of the largest employers and landowners of the Pandya country, the temples played an important part in the Tamil economy and society. They generally also served as banks, schools, dispensaries, and poorhouses (thus performing valuable social functions). The large walled temple complexes of the Pandya country also contained several administrative offices and bazaars.

It is known that the early Pandya rulers followed Jainism while at some point they converted to Hinduism. They supported the Bhakti movement from both Shaivism and Vaishnavism of Hinduism.

Architecture :

Madurai, Tamil Nadu at dawn

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

Natraj Temple, Chidambaram

The early temple architecture phase in Tamil Nadu opens with the rock-cut cave temples.

The Tamil country is home to the 'South Indian' or 'Dravidian' style of medieval temple architecture.

• Typical temple consists of a hall and a square sanctum (the gabhgrah)

• The foundation block, or socle, is known as the adhishsthan.

• Walls of the sanctum are generally divided by pilasters.

• Superstructure: 'kutin' type (stepped stories in pyramidal form with decorative bands/parapets or the hdras)

• The parapet is composed of miniature shrines (called the kuts and sals) connected by wall elements (the harantaras).

• On top, a necking that supports a solid dome, or cupola (crowned by a pot and finial)—the shikhar.

• Gopur: the great entrance buildings

The major Pandya contributions to the Dravidian architecture comes after the Pallav (7th–9th centuries) and the Chola periods (9th–12th centuries).

• Gopurs are extremely large and elaborately decorated (capped by a barrel vault).

• Successively built walls and gopurs.

Finest Pandya architecture :

• Jambukeshwar Temple, Tiruchirapalli

• Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

• Natraj Temple, Chidambaram

Source :

https://www.jatland.com/
home/Pandya

https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Pandya_dynasty