Pandyas and Cheras — TNPSC Group 4 History Notes

Overview

The Pandyas and Cheras were two of the three great Tamil kingdoms alongside the Cholas. Both had deep roots in the Sangam Age (~300 BC – 300 AD) and experienced powerful medieval revivals. Their histories span over fifteen centuries — from ancient trade with Rome to battles against Delhi Sultanate invasions.

This note covers both kingdoms across two distinct periods:

• Sangam Age (c. 300 BC – 300 AD): the classical Tamil period documented in Sangam literature
• Medieval period (c. 600–1350 AD): revival under new dynasties

Part I — Sangam Pandyas (c. 300 BC – 300 AD)

Capital and Identity

International Trade Connections

The Pandyas had the most documented international trade connections of the three Sangam kingdoms:

• Megasthenes (Greek ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya, c. 300 BC) mentions the Pandyas in his Indica
• Strabo (Roman geographer, c. 20 BC) records that Pandya kings sent ambassadors to Augustus Caesar
• Pliny the Elder mentions Pandya pepper and pearls in his writings
• Roman gold coins, amphorae (wine jars), and pottery found at Korkai and Arikamedu confirm this trade
• The Pandyas exported: pearls, pepper, spices, ivory, cotton textiles, precious stones

The Pandya port Korkai was the greatest pearl-fishing centre in the ancient world. Divers harvested pearl oysters from the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mannar — this industry made the Pandyas famous across the ancient world.

Key Sangam Pandya Kings

Nedunchezhiyan — The Most Prominent Sangam Pandya

Nedunchezhiyan appears in two contexts: 1. Battle of Talaiyalanganam — a great Pandya military victory over the combined forces of the Cheras and Cholas. The battle is mentioned in several Sangam poems. 2. Silappathikaram — Nedunchezhiyan is the king who wrongly has Kovalan executed for stealing the queen's anklet (when in fact the anklet was Kannagi's). His court error leads to Kannagi's burning of Madurai.

The Tamil Sangams and Pandya Patronage

The legendary Three Tamil Sangams were literary academies held under Pandya royal patronage at Madurai:

The Third Sangam produced Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies) and Pattupattu (Ten Idylls) — the bulk of Sangam literature we have today.

Part II — Medieval Pandyas (9th–14th century AD)

Revival of Pandya Power

After centuries of eclipse under Pallavas and Cholas, the Pandyas revived powerfully in the 9th century:

Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I — The Empire Builder

The greatest medieval Pandya ruler:

• Extended kingdom from the Godavari River in the north to Sri Lanka in the south
• Received tribute from the Hoysalas, Kakatiyas, and Kerala rulers
• Launched successful raids into Sri Lanka; brought Buddhist relics
• Built extensively at Madurai — the great temple complex expanded under his reign

Decline of Medieval Pandyas

The invasion of Malik Kafur in 1310–1311 AD (general of Alauddin Khalji of Delhi Sultanate) effectively ended Pandya greatness:

• Malik Kafur looted Madurai extensively, taking enormous wealth to Delhi
• A civil war between rival Pandya claimants had already weakened the kingdom
• The Madurai Sultanate was established in 1335 AD — a breakaway sultanate that ruled Tamil Nadu briefly
• Vijayanagara Empire eventually absorbed most Pandya territory in the 14th century

Part III — Sangam Cheras (c. 300 BC – 300 AD)

Capital and Identity

The Cheras controlled the Malabar Coast (present-day Kerala) and parts of western Tamil Nadu. Their control of the spice routes to Rome made them commercially vital to the ancient world.

Sangam Literature on Cheras — Pathitrupathu

Pathitrupathu (Ten Tens) is the primary Sangam source for Chera kings:

• 100 poems (10 sets of 10) by 10 different poets
• Each set celebrates one Chera king
• First and last sections (kings) are lost; 8 sections survive
• Provides biographical detail, military campaigns, and royal generosity of each king

Key Sangam Chera Kings

Cheran Senguttuvan — The Red Chera (c. 2nd century AD)

Cheran Senguttuvan (Senguttuvan = "Red Hero") is celebrated in both Sangam poetry and in the epic Silappathikaram by Ilango Adigal.

Key achievements:

• Marched north through India, crossing the Himalayas — defeating kings along the way
• Brought stone from the Himalayas (from the foreheads of his defeated enemies, who had to carry it as a mark of submission) to carve an idol for the Kannagi temple
• Consecrated Kannagi (the heroine of Silappathikaram) as a goddess of chastity — this is why she is worshipped as Pattini in Sri Lanka and Kerala even today
• His campaigns are described in the Silappathikaram and in Pathitrupathu poems by Paranar and Kappiyattu Kappiyanar
• Said to have sent envoys to the court of a Chinese emperor — suggesting Chera diplomatic reach

Connection to Silappathikaram:

• Senguttuvan's court is the setting for the end of Silappathikaram
• The poet Ilango Adigal (said to be the brother of Cheran Senguttuvan) composed the epic at his court

Part IV — Medieval Cheras (Kulasekhara Dynasty, 9th–12th century)

After the classical Cheras, a new dynasty — the Kulasekhara — ruled Kerala:

• Capital at Mahodayapuram (Kodungallur)
• Kulasekhara Alvar — a Vaishnavite saint-king; composed Tamil devotional poetry included in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham (the 4,000 divine verses of the Alvars)
• The dynasty fragmented in the 12th century into smaller chiefdoms, eventually giving rise to the kingdoms of Zamorin of Calicut, Cochin, and Travancore

Important for Exam - Pandya capitals: Madurai (main) + Korkai (port); symbol: Fish - Pandyas mentioned by Megasthenes, Strabo, Pliny — Rome trade documented - Nedunchezhiyan = Battle of Talaiyalanganam; in Silappathikaram (kills Kovalan) - Third Tamil Sangam = Madurai; under Pandya patronage - Jatavarman Sundara Pandya = greatest medieval Pandya (13th century) - Malik Kafur looted Pandya kingdom in 1310–1311 AD - Chera capital: Vanji; symbol: Bow - Pathitrupathu = Sangam poems about 10 Chera kings - Cheran Senguttuvan = crossed Himalayas; built Kannagi temple; in Silappathikaram - Kulasekhara Alvar = saint-king; medieval Kerala Chera dynasty