Among some of the greatest
compositions of the four centuries of the Sangam age are
Tiruvalluvar's Thirukkural. Ettuthogai or the eight
anthologies is historically the most important literature 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.
By about 200 AD, the influence of northern Aryan powers had
progressed and the Aryan sage Agastya had established himself
as a cultural hero. The use of Roman gold and lamps and the
consumption of Italian wine testify to the extensive foreign
trade of the period.
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 Shiva'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. 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 the Pallavas and Cholas subjugated them
during various periods.
| 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.
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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 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 the
dynasties that ruled South India.
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From the mid-6th century until the 9th century, the Calukyas
of Badami, the Pallavas of Kanchi, and the Pandyas of Madurai
fought a long series of wars in the region.
The Pallava Dyanasty was influential in the 7th and 8th
centuries and controlled a large area of Tamil Nadu with
Kanchipuram as their base. 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. The Chinese traveller Huan Tsu Ang who visited
the city in the middle of the 6th century AD has described
Kanchi extensively. According to him Kanchi was a major centre
of learning. Among its more famous citizens was Dharmapala,
the Vice-Chancellor of the Nalanda University.
From about AD 850, Tamil Nadu was dominated by the Cholas who
had their headquarters first at Uraiyur and later at
Thanjavur. Rajendra I (1014-44) was the most distinguished
ruler. The Chola Empire stretched as far as central India,
Orissa and parts of West Bengal.
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. Their challenge was snuffed out once and for
all, the city of Madurai was completely destroyed and
ransacked by the Khilji invaders from the North in 1316.
In the mid-14th century the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar,
which included all of Tamil Nadu, came into prominence. It was
headquartered 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 is the
Meenakshi temple at Madurai, which was in a state of ruin
before being rebuilt by Thirumalai Nayakar.
The Nayak's rule continued long after the collapse of the
Vijayanagara empire and following them some parts of Tamil
Nadu saw a period of Maratha rule and Muslim rule under the
Nawabs of Arcot. In 1640 the English East India Company opened
a trading post at the fishing village of Madraspatnam (now
Chennai) with the permission of the local ruler.
Modern
The advent of the Europeans and the struggle for supremacy
resulted in the ultimate victory of the Europeans and symbols
of their authority still stand at Fort St. George in Chennai.
The history of Tamil Nadu from the mid-17th century to 1946 is
the story of the Madras Presidency in relationship to the rise
and fall of British power in India. Many Tamils played a
significant part in the struggle for independence. In 1953 the
Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh was formed, and in
1956 the presidency was disbanded into the states of Kerala,
Mysore (now Karnataka), and Tamil Nadu.
Compiled by Puneet Sachdeva
the Cholas in
the east, the Pandayas in the central area and the Cheeras in
the west. This was the period of the Tamil Sangam, which marks
the Golden Age of Tamil literature and is the major source of
knowledge about the administration, art, architecture and
economic conditions of those times.
