Pandyas

• Ashoka, in his inscriptions, refers to Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas and Satyaputras as peoples of South India.
• Korkai, associate with pearl fisheries early capital and port, later mved to Madurai.
• In Pattinappalai and Maduraikkanchi, Koodal is mentioned as the capital city of Pandyas. It finds mention in Ettuthogai (Eight Anthologies) also.

Sources

• Velvikkudi grant of Nedunjadayan is the most important.
• Travelers such as Marco Polo, Wassaff and Ibn-Batuta.
• Madurai Tala Varalaru, Pandik Kovai and Madurai Tiruppanimalai provide information.
• Term Sangam occurs in Iraiyanar Akapporul of late seventh or eighth century CE.
• Seethalai Saththanar, the author of epic Manimekalai,

Territory

• Pandymandalam, Thenmandalam or Pandynadu.
• fed by the rivers Vaigai and Tamiraparni.
• Northern Border - Pudukkottai region, Southern Border – Indian Ocean, West Border - Western Ghats & Eastern Border - Bay of Bengal.

Pandya Revival (600–920)

• Taken place after the disappearance of the Kalabhras.
• Kadunkon, who recovered Pandya territory from the Kalabhras. Title Vanavan is suggestive of his conquest of Cheras.
• Arikesari Maravarman (624–674) contemporary of Mahendravarman I and Narsimahvarman I.
• Arikesari is identified with Kun Pandian the persecutor of Jains.
• Kochadayan Ranadhira (700–730) and Maravarman Rajasimha I (730–765), came Jatila Parantaka Nedunjadayn (Varaguna I) (756–815), the successfully handled the Pallavas and the Cheras.
• Next king Srimara Srivallabha 815–862) invaded Ceylon defeated by Pallava Nandivarman III (846–869).
• Followed by Varaguna II who was defeated by Aparajita Pallava (885–903) at Sripurmbiyam.
• Parantaka Viranarayana and Rajasimha II, could not stand up to the rising Chola dynasty under Parantaka I, Rise of Pandyas Again (1190–1310).
• Parantaka I defeated the Pandya king Rajasimha II who fled the country in 920CE.

Rise of Pandyas Again (1190–1310)

• Sri Vallaba Pandyan fought Rajaraja II and lost his son in the battle. Using this situation, the five Pandyas waged a war against Kulotunga I (1070–1120) and were defeated. In 1190, Sadayavarman Srivallabhan, at the behest of Kulotunga I, started ruling the Pandya territory.
• After the decline of the Cholas, Pandya kingdom became the leading Tamil dynasty in the thirteenth century. Capital at Madurai, Kayal has great Port.
• Marco Polo traveller from Venice visit kayal in 1288 & 1293, also records the incidents of sati and the polygamy practiced by the kings.

Sadaiyavarman Sundarapandyan

• Sadaiyavarman (Jatavarman) Sundarapandyan (1251- 1268), brought the entire TN under control & also exercised his authority up to Nellore in Andhra.
• Conquered the Chera ruler. defeating the Kadava chief, Capture western region now, Arcot and Salem, killing the king of Kanchipuram.
• Brother of the slain king got back Kanchipuram and agreed to pay tribute.
• The decline of the Chola state emboldened the Boja king of Malwa region Vira Someshwara to challenge Sundarapandyan.
• Two or three co-regents: Vikrama Pandyan and Vira Pandyan.
• Record of Vira Pandyan (1253–1256) states that he took Eelam (Ceylon), Kongu and the Cholamandalam (Chola country).

Maravarman Kulasekharan

• Successor of Sundarapandyan.
• Had two sons, 1302, the accession of the elder son, Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan III, as co-regent took place. The king’s appointment of Sundarapandyan as a co-regent provoked the other son Vira Pandyan and so he killed his father Maravarman Kulasekharan.
• Vira Pandyan won and became firmly established in his kingdom.
• Other son, Sundara Pandyan, fled to Delhi and took refuge under the protection of Alauddin Khalji

Invasion of Malik Kafur

• Malik Kafur arrived in Madurai in 1311, he found the city empty and Vira Pandyan had already fled. Enormous amount of wealth was looted.
• After Malik Kafur’s invasion, the Pandyan kingdom came to be divided.
• In Madurai, a Muslim state subordinate to the Delhi Sultan
• 1335 CE, Muslim Governor of Madurai Jalaluddin Asan Shah threw off his allegiance and declared himself independent.

State

• Madurai has been popularly venerated as Kudal and Tamil Kelukudal
• Pandyas derived military advantage over their neighbours by means of their horses
• Connection to a wider Arab commercial and cultural world.

Palace and Couch

• Royal Palace – Tirumaligai & Manaparanan Tirumaligai.
• Couches are Munaiya Daraiyan, Pandiya Daraiyan and Kalinkat Traiyan.
• Tirumantira Olai. - documented by royal scribe.

Royal Officials

• Uttaramantri – Prime Minister.
• Eluttu Mandapam - Royal secretariat.
• Akapparivara Mudalikal were the personal attendants of the kings.
• Most respected officials - Maran Eyinan, Sattan Ganapathy, Enathi Sattan, Tira Tiran, Murthi Eyinan and others.
• Titles of military commanders - Palli Velan, Parantakan Pallivelan, Maran Adittan and Tennavan Tamizhavel

Political Divisions

• Administrative authorities of nadus were the nattars.
• Access qualities of land under cultivation & levy taxes.
• Surveying the lands officials used rods of 14 and 24 feet.
• Land assigned to ironsmiths – tattarkani
• Land assigned to carpenters - taccu-maniyam
• Bhattavriutti - Land donated for Brahmin group for imparting education.

Administration and Religion

• Seventh to Ninth Centuries, Inscription account of village administration.
• civil and military powers were vested in the same person.
• The Pandya kings of the period supported and promoted Tamil and Sanskrit.
• Period was marked by intense religious tussles.
• Bhakti movement invited heterodox scholars for debate.

Economy

Society

• Mangalam or Chaturvedimangalam – Brahmin Settlement.
• Influential Brahmins had honorific titles such as Brahmmadhi Rajan and Brahmmaraiyan.

Trade

• Arab settlements on the west coast of southern India.
• Expansion of their trade connection to the east coast of Tamizh country, the governments of the east coast pursued a more liberal and enlightened policy towards the overseas traders.
• In Kayal, agency established by Arab chieftain by name Maliku-l-Islam Jamaluddin, agency facilitated the availability of horses to Pandya kings
• Traders are referred to as nikamattor, nanadesi, ticai-ayiratu-ainutruvar, ainutruvar, manikiramattar and patinen-vishyattar
• Trading in horse called - kudirai-chetti.
• Kayalpattinam – busiest Port.
• Establishing matrimonial link with Southeast Asian dynasties, Pandyas left an imprint in maritime trade activities
• Gold coins were in circulation as the trade. variously called kasu, palankasu, anradunarpalankasu, kanam, kalancu and pon.
• The titular gods of the traders are Ayirattu Aynurruvaar Udaiyar and Sokka Nayaki Amman.
• Tavalamin settlements called teru

Irrigation

• Tank on either side of the river Vaigai & Tamiraparani, canals leading to the tanks for irrigation were built.
• Sluice installed to distribute the water from the river.
• Constructed a canal leading from river Pennai to the lands of Tiruvannamalai temple.
• Dry-zone Ramanathupuram also, tanks were created.
• Irrigation works were done by local administrative bodies, local chiefs and officials.
• Iruppaikkuti-kilavan, local chief, built many tanks and repaired the tanks in disrepair.
• The communal assembly of this group is Cittirameli-periyanattar.

Literacy

• Promoting Sanskrit Education.
• Important Tamil literary - Tiruppavai, Tirvempavai, Tiruvasagam, Tirukkovai and Tirumantiram.

Religion

• Jains initially and later adopted Saivism.
• Early rock-cut cave temples were the outcrop of transitional stage in religion and architecture.
• Vimanam over the sanctum of Srirangam and Chidambaram temples were covered with golden leaves.
• Patronage to Vedic practices. Palyagasalai Mudukudumi Peruvaluthi, who performed many Vedic rituals.
• Rituals like Ashvamedayaga, Hiranyagarbha and Vajapeya yagna.
• Temples of both sects (Saivism and Vaishnavism) were patronised through land grant, tax exemption, renovation and addition of gopuras and spacious mandapas.

Temples

• Different models of temples - Sepulchral temple (e.g sundarapandisvaram), rock-cut cave temples and structural temples.
• Medieval Pandyas and later Pandyas did not build any new temples but maintained the existing temples.
• Monolithic mega-sized ornamented pillars are the unique feature of the medieval Pandya style.
• Early Pandya temples are modest and simple.
• Prominent rock-cut cave temples created by the early Pandyas are found in Pillayarpatti, Tirumeyyam, Kuntrakkudi, Tiruchendur, Kalugumalai, Kanyakumari and Sittannavasal.
• A 9^th century inscription from Sittannavasal cave temple informs that the cave was authored by Ilam Kautamar. Sri Maran Srivallaban renovated this temple.
• Fresco paintings on the walls, ceilings and pillars are great works of art.