THE PANDYA KINGS PERFORMED ASHVAMEDYA YAJNAS TO CELEBRATE THEIR Conquests
❓❓❓❓❓ Why
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
"Pandya" redirects here. For the related surname, see Pandey. For the description in Mahabharata, see Pandya kingdom (Mahabharata). For the alternate spelling, see Pandiyan.
Pandya Empire
Flag of Pandya Empire
Note: A modern illustration of the Pandya flag (early historic, approximate)
Pandya Empire (12th–14th century CE)
Pandya Empire (12th–14th century CE)
Capital
Madurai (till mid-14th century)[1]
Korkai (port, early historic)[2]
Tenkasi (mid-14th century–end of the 16th century CE)[1]
Official languages
Tamil[3]
Religion Hinduism
Jainism
Government Monarchy
• 560–590 CE
Kadungon
• 1100–1400 CE
"Five Pandyas"
Succeeded by
Madurai Nayak dynasty
Delhi Sultanate
Jaffna kingdom
Sambuvaraya
Today part of India
Sri Lanka
Part of a series on
Dravidian culture and history
Dravidische Sprachen.png
Origins[show]
History[show]
Culture[show]
Language[show]
Religion[show]
Regions[show]
People[show]
Politics[show]
Portal:Dravidian civilizations
vte
Part of a series on
History of Tamil Nadu
Thanjavur temple.jpg
Main[show]
Sangam period[show]
Medieval history[show]
Categories[show]
vte
The Pandya dynasty, also known as the Pandyas of Madurai, was a dynasty of south India, one of the three ethnically Tamil lineages, the other two being the Chola and the Chera.[4] The rulers of the three dynasties were referred to as "the three crowned rulers (the mu-ventar) of the Tamil country".[4][5] 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).Madurai was capital of the pandya kingdom.[6][7]
The age and antiquity of the dynasty is difficult to establish.[7] The early Pandya chieftains[8] ruled their country (the Pandya nadu) from time immemorial, which included the inland city of Madurai and the southern port of Korkai.[9] The country of the Pandyas finds mention in a number of Graeco-Roman sources (as early as 4th century BCE[7]) and the edicts Maurya emperor Asoka (3rd century BCE).[10][9] The Pandyas are also celebrated in the earliest available Tamil poetry ("the Sangam literature").[7] 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.[11] The early historic Pandyas faded into obscurity upon the rise of the Kalabhra dynasty in south India.[12]
The Pandyas revived under Kadungon (r. 590 – 620 CE) towards the end of the 6th century, helped to disestablish the Kalabhras in south India.[13] From 6th century to 9th century CE, the Chalukyas of Badami or Rashtrakutas of the Deccan, the Pallavas of Kanchi, and Pandyas of Madurai dominated the politics of south India. The Pandyas, at one time or another, ruled or invaded the fertile estuary of Kaveri (the Chola country), the ancient Chera country (Kongu and central Kerala) and Venadu (south Kerala), the Pallava country and Sri Lanka.[13] The Pandyas went into decline with the rise of the Cholas of Tanjore in the 9th century and were in constant conflict with them. The Pandyas allied themselves with the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) and the Cheras in harassing the Chola Empire until they found an opportunity for reviving their fortunes during the late 13th century.[14] The Pandyas were very close allies of the Sinhalese and they often deposited their crowns and other royal insignia with the Sinhalese king for safe-keeping.[15]
The Pandyas (1216–1345) entered their "golden age" under Maravarman Sundara I and Jatavarman Sundara I (c. 1251), who expanded the empire into the Telugu country (as far north as Nellore[7]), south Kerala[6] and conquered Sri Lanka.[6] The Pandyas of Ucchangi (9th–13th century), in the Tungabhadra Valley were related to the Pandyas of Madurai.[7]
During their history, the Pandyas were repeatedly in conflict with the Pallavas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Cheras (Keralas). An internal crisis in the Pandya empire coincided with the Khalji invasion of south India in 1310–11.[7] 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 (c. 1334[1]).[16][17] In the mid-16th century, the Vijayanagara governors of Madurai declared independence and established the Madurai Nayak dynasty.[7]
According to tradition, the legendary Sangams ("the Academies") were held in Madurai under the patronage of the Pandyas, and some of the Pandya rulers claim to be poets themselves. The Pandya country was home to a number of renowned temples including Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. After the revival of the Pandya power by Kadungon, the Shaivite nayanars and the Vaishnavite alvars rose to prominence.[18] It is known that the Pandya rulers followed Jainism for a short period of time in history.[7]