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Tamilnadu Tourism >
Tamilnadu History
Tamilnadu History
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.
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.
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. 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, Muslim rule under the Nawabs of Arcot and later,
the advent of the Europeans and the struggle for supremacy resulted in the
ultimate victory of the Europeans and symbols of their authority stands
still at Fort St. George in Chennai.
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