History of Tamilnadu
As
is the case with most of the early history of the state, it is impossible to
pin-point the exact period, when the great Tamil Sangam (Academy) flourished,
though it can be said with some certainty that two Sangams were held well before
the Christian era and the third between 100 and 250 AD. The Tamil Sangam, which
marks the Golden Age of Tamil literature is the one major source of knowledge
about the administration, art, architecture and economic conditions that existed
then. Among some of the greatest compositions of the four centuries of Sangam
age are Tiruvalluvar's Thirukkural which consists of 1330 couplets about morality
in private and public life combined with some of life's greatest truths, compositions
of the saint-poetess Avviayar, Pathupatu or ten Idylls which is a compilation
of the work of several authors on philosophy, intermingled with descriptions
of the natural world and Ettuthogai or the eight anthologies. Of these, the
last is historically the most important as it contains a description of the
daily life of the people. This collection of poems is the earliest record of
its kind as far as the history of the Tamils is concerned.
The history of the Tamils presents an exciting pageant of a powerful civilization
whose origin dates back to ancient times. It is clear that the Tamils, who belong
to the Dravidian race, were the first major occupants of the country and settled
in the north-western part of India long before the coming of the Indo-Aryans.
Excavations have revealed that the features of the people of the Indus Valley
Civilization bore a strong resemblance to this race.
However, with the advent of the Aryans, the Dravidians were pushed back into
the deep south where they ultimately settled.
Even after the end of the Sangam age, Tamil writers, under the patronage of
Royal Dynasties, continued to produce excellent literature like the two Tamil
epics Silapathikaram written between 200 - 300 AD by Ilango Adigal, the son
of a Chera King, and Manimekalai by Sattanar also written between the 2nd and
3rd century AD. Both contain vivid descriptions of life during their times.
Over the ages, the south was to see other great poets like the Nayanmars and
the Alwars and, later, the poet Kamban who composed the Tamil version of Ramayana.
The Pallavas ruled between the 6th and 8th century AD over a large portion of
Tamil Nadu with Kanchipuram as their base. Their reign was marked by battles
with the Chalukyas of the north and the Pandyas of the south. Among the greatest
Pallava rulers were Mahendravarman-l and his son Narasimhavarman.Among the famous
temples built by the Pallavas are the temples of Kanchipuram, the Kapaliswarar
and Parthasarathy temples at Chennai, and last but not the least, the magnificent
poetry in rock and stone at Mamallapuram. Kanchi has been described extensively
by the Chinese traveller Huan Tsu Ang who visited the city in the middle of
the 6th century AD, and according to him it was a major centre of learning.
Among its more famous citizens was Dharmapala, the Vice-Chancellor of the Nalanda
University. Quite probably the most ancient of the dynasties of the south, the
Cholas had their headquarters first at Uraiyur and later at Thanjavur and ruled
over most of modern Tamil Nadu (as well as Karnataka.)
The
early Cholas reigned between the 1st and 4th century AD and the first and most
famous king of this period was Karikalan. What remains of his reign today is
the magnificent civil engineering achievement of the Grand Anicut which was
constructed during the 2nd century and is used even to this day. The later Cholas,
who went on to become a force to reckon with by defeating both the Pallavas
and Pandyas, made their appearance in the 9th century under the leadership of
Vijayalaya Chola and continued to dominate the South until the 13th century.The
greatest of the later Cholas was Rajaraja Chola (985-1014 AD) under whose reign
several islands in the Indian Ocean including (Lakshadweep, Maldives) and Sri
Lanka were conquered. It was during the reign of Rajaraja that Chola architecture
attained its peak with the building of the Brahadeeshwarar (Big) Temple at Thanjavur
.
Rajendra Chola-I, the son and successor of Rajaraja, consolidated and expanded
the empire that was left to him by his father. The Chola empire stretched as
far as central India, Orissa and parts of West Bengal. In commemoration of his
victory over the latter, Rajendra-I constructed a new capital which he named
Gangaikondancholapuram. Here, he built another temple to Brahadeeshwarar which
is similar to the one built by his father at Thanjavur.
Meanwhile, the Pandyas remained subservient to the Cholas and their opportunity
to strike back came over two centuries after the death of Rajendra-I, when they
overthrew a weakened Chola empire in 1267. The Cholas were great administrators
and builders, not just of temples but of other public structures too. In the
field of art, metal casting and making of bronze figures developed to a speciality,
an outstanding example of which is the beautiful sculpture of the Cosmic Dancer
at Chidambaram. Even today, Thanjavur is known for its bronze and other metal
carvings - a remnant of the legacy that was left behind by the greatest dynasty
that ruled the South.
Madurai
has been praised by the Greek traveller Magasthenes in the 3rd century. The
Pandyas had trading contacts with Greece and Rome and were powerful in their
own right though they were subjugated during various periods by the Pallavas
and Cholas. With the decline of the Cholas, the Pandyas rose to prominence once
again in the early 14th century before their challenge was snuffed out once
and for all and the city of Madurai completely destroyed and ransacked by the
Khilji invaders from the North in 1316.
Of the four dynasties mentioned, the Cheras are comparatively less important
as far as this State is concerned.
The Cheras ruled over the south-west coast and their empire included the modern
state of Kerala and parts of Western Tamil Nadu.The downfall of the Pandyas
brought into Tamil Nadu a new powerful force in the form of the Vijayanagara
empire which had its headquarters at Hampi in Karnataka. They overthrew the
Muslims who had invaded Madurai and established supremacy, though it was their
governors or Nayaks who actually brought back the lost glory to this city. The
contributions of the Nayak dynasty to art and architecture of Madurai, Thanjavur
and Tiruchi made Tamil Nadu a favourite destination with many tourists and pilgrims.
Among the best examples are the Meenakshi temple at Madurai which was in a state
of ruin before it was rebuilt by Thirumalai Nayakar.
To the people of Madurai, the Pandyan name is synonymous with the city itself.
Legend has it that Madurai was founded by the first Pandyan King Kulasekara
in the 6th century BC.The city is believed to be built at the spot where a few
drops of nectar from Lord Siva's locks fell when he came to bless the people.Pandyas
are also associated with Madurai's older, and perhaps more absorbing and enthralling
legend of the goddess Meenakshi, who was born to the Pandya King Malayatwasan
and his Queen Kachanamala.
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