The Pandyan kingdom was an unknown ancient Tamil state in South India. From prehistoric times until the end of the fifteenth century, the Pandyas were one of three ancient Tamil kingdoms that ruled the Tamil country. They ruled initially from Korkai, a seaport on the Indian peninsula's southernmost tip, and later moved to Madurai. Under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan, the Pandyas entered their golden age, expanding their empire into Telugu country and invading Sri Lanka to conquer the northern half of the island. This article will explain to you the Pandya kingdom which will be helpful in Ancient History preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Pandya kingdom

• After the Kalabhras, the Pandyas established their dynastic rule in southern Tamil Nadu by the end of the sixth century CE.
• The first Pandyan king mentioned in the Sangam works recovered so far is Nedunjeliyan I, who ruled from Korkai, a coastal town at the mouth of the Tamraparni River.
• Pandyas were Muvendars who ruled the southern part of India intermittently until the pre-modern period.
• Muvendar is a Tamil word that means "three chiefs," and it refers to the heads of three ruling families: the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas.
• The Sangam period Pandya history, from the third century BCE to the third century CE, has been reconstructed using various sources such as megalithic burials, inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi, and Tamil poems from the Sangam literature.
• Accounts of travellers such as Marco Polo, Wassaff, and Ibn-Battuta are useful for learning about the period's political and socio-cultural developments.
• Another important source of information about the Pandyas is the copper plates, which contain the essence of royal orders, a genealogical list of the kings, and their victory over enemies.
• Madurai Thala Varalaru, Pandik Kovai, and Madurai Tiruvannamalai provide information about Madurai's later Pandyas.
• The exact date of these Sangam-age Pandyas is difficult to determine. Unfortunately, the period covered by the Sangam's extant literature is difficult to determine with any degree of certainty.
• With the exception of the longer epics Silappatikaram and Manimekalai, which are thought to date from after the Sangam period, the poems have come down to us in the form of systematic anthologies.

Rising of Pandyas

• The Chola king, Parantaka I, defeated Pandya King Rajasimha II, leading to the decline of the Pandya empire.
• However, this was not the end of the dynasty.
• Following the demise of Adhi Rajendra in the last quarter of the 12th century, the Chola viceroyalty became weak in the Pandya country.
• Taking advantage of this situation, the Pandya chieftains began to govern their respective regions independently.
• Following the decline of the Cholas, the Pandya kingdom emerged as the dominant Tamil dynasty in the thirteenth century.
• Sadaya Varman Sundarapandian (1251-1268) was the illustrious ruler of the second Pandya kingdom, who not only ruled over all of Tamil Nadu but also extended his authority up to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
• Following Sundarapandian, Maravarman Kulasekharan ruled successfully for 40 years, bringing peace and prosperity to the country.
• Malik Kafur's invasion was ultimately responsible for the division and fall of the Pandya empire.

Important Pandya Rulers

Imperial Pandyas

• The Pandya empire encompassed vast territories, including large portions of south India and Sri Lanka at times.
• The empire was ruled by several royals, with one having primacy over the others.
• Through the collateral family branches subject to Madurai, the Pandya king at Madurai thus controlled these vast regions.
• Maravarman Sundara I laid the groundwork for Pandya supremacy in south India in the early 13th century.
• In 1216, he succeeded his older brother Jatavarman Kulasekhara.
• He invaded Chola country, sacked Uraiyur and Thanjavur, and exiled Chola king Kulothunga III.
• Following that, the Chola king made a formal submission to Maravarman Sundara I and acknowledged his overlordship.

Tenkasi Pandyas

• The Pandya kings, from Sadaavarman Parakrama Pandya to his successors, ruled from Tenkasi.
• With the invasion of the Sultanates, Vijayanagaras, and Nayakars beginning in the fourteenth century, the Pandyas lost their traditional capital of Madurai and were forced to relocate to cities such as Tenkasi and Tirunelveli.
• Tenkasi was the Pandyas' final capital.
• Sadaavarman Parakrama Pandya and his descendants were crowned in the Adheenam Mutt in Kasi Viswanathar temple.
• During the same time period, some Pandyas ruled from Tirunelveli.
• Their major cities include Kayathar, Vadakkuvalliyur, and Ukkirankottai. Tenkasi's Kasi Viswanathar temple, Brahmadesam, Cheranmadevi, Ambasamudram, Kalakkad, and Pudukkottai all have inscriptions on them.
• The last Pandyan king known in Pandya history was Kolakonda, who was also a Tenkasi Pandya.

Pandya kingdom - Administration

• Except for the areas fed by rivers, the territory of the Pandyas is known as Pandymandalam, Thenmandalam, or Pandianadu, and it is located in rocky, hilly regions and mountain ranges. Tamiraparani and Vaigai
• The capital of the Pandya kings was Madurai.
• Pandy Mandalam or Pandy Nadu was divided into many valanadus, which were further subdivided into many nadus and kurrams (meaning group of villages)
• Kings and local chiefs established Brahmin settlements with irrigation facilities known as Mangalam or Chaturvedi Mangalam.
• These settlements were given royal names as well as deity names.
• Different titles were given to royal officials:
• Uttaramantri was the name of the Prime Minister.
• Eluttu Mandapam was the name of the royal secretariat.
• Palli Velan, Parantakan Pallivelan, Maran Adittan, and Tennavan Tamizhavel were the military commanders' titles.

Pandya kingdom - Political aspect

• During the Pandya reign, royal palaces were named Tirumaligai and Manaparanan Tirumaligai, and the royal couches they used were named after local chiefs, attesting to the legitimacy of the kings' overlordship.
• The following was the political division of land:
• Salabogam was the land allotted to Brahmins.
• Tattarkani was the name given to the land assigned to ironsmiths.
• Taccu-maniyam was the name given to the Carpenters' land.
• Bhattavriutti was the name given to the land donated to the Brahmin group for educational purposes.
• According to Wassaff, horse trading was very common during this time period.
• Spices, pearls, precious stones, elephants, and birds were among the other items traded.
• Kayalpattinam was the busiest port town in the Pandyas (now in Thoothukudi district)
• Literacy was also promoted during this time period, and administrators used a variety of methods to accomplish this.
• To promote literacy, singers were appointed to recite Bhakti hymns in temples, and theatre plays based on similar issues were produced.

Pandya kingdom - Economy and Trade

• The ancient Tamil country, present-day Southern India and Sri Lanka, was frequented by Roman and Greek traders.
• Securing trade with the seafaring Tamil states of the Pandyan, Chola, and Chera dynasties and establishing trading settlements that secured trade with South Asia by the Greco-Roman world since the time of the Ptolemaic dynasty a few decades before the start of the Common Era and remained long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
• According to Strabo, Emperor Augustus of Rome received an ambassador from a South Indian King named Pandyan at Antioch.
• They also outlasted Byzantium's loss of the ports of Egypt and the Red Sea[5] due to Muslim conquests (639-645).
• The Christian kingdom of Axum fell into a slow decline after the severing of communications between the Axum and the Eastern Roman Empire in the seventh century, fading into obscurity in western sources.
• Despite pressure from Islamic forces, it lasted until the eleventh century, when it was reconfigured in a dynastic feud.
• Another industry that thrived during the Sangam period was pearl fishing. The pearl trade was centred in the Pandyan port city of Korkai.
• The Pandyan kingdom's pearls were also in high demand in the kingdoms of north India.
• Several Vedic mantras mention the widespread use of pearls.

Pandya kingdom - Coinage

• Early Tamilakam coins featured the Three Crowned Kings, a tiger, a fish, and a bow, which represented the Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras.
• Pandya coins bear the legend of various Pandya rulers at various times.
• During the early period, the Pandyas issued silver punch-marked and die-stricken copper coins.
• The Pandya rulers of this period were credited with a few gold coins. These coins featured the image of a fish, either alone or in pairs, as their emblem.
• Some of the coins bore the names Sundara, Sundara Pandya, or simply the letter 'Su.' Some of the coins featured a boar and the legend 'Vira-Pandya.'
• Pandya coins were essentially square. On one side of the coins, an elephant was etched, while the other side was left blank.
• During the Pandyas, the inscriptions on silver and gold coins were in Tamil-Brahmi, while copper coins bore Tamil legends.
• The Pandya coins with fish symbols were known as 'Kodandaraman' and 'Kanchi' Valangum Perumal'.
• Aside from these, the word 'Ellam Thalaiyangam' was seen on coins depicting a standing king on one side and a fish on the other.
• The words 'Samarakolahalam' and 'Bhuvanekaviram' were discovered on coins depicting a Garuda, 'Konerirayan' on coins depicting a bull, and 'Kaliyugaraman' on coins depicting a pair of feet.

Pandya kingdom - Architecture

• Pandyan architecture includes rock cut and structural temples.
• The early Pandyan temples had features such as vimana, mandapa, and shikhara.
• Small temple clusters can be found in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli district. A Nandi stands in front of the Maha Mandapa in Shiva temples.
• Finely sculpted idols, portals of temples, or gopurams on "Vimanas" were developed in the later stages of Pandya rule.
• Gopurams are temple entrances and portals that are rectangular in shape. The area above the entrance has a pyramidal shape. Gopurams gradually surpassed Shikaras in importance.
• During the reign of the Pandyas, Meenakshi Temple in Madurai and Nellaiappar Temple in Tirunelveli were built.

Pandya kingdom - Religion

• The Pandyas are thought to have followed Jainism at first before switching to Saivism.
• Many temples were repaired and endowed with gold and land by mediaeval and later Pandyas.
• Vedic practices were also given patronage.
• The invocatory portions of the Pandya inscriptions also reveal rulers' impartiality toward both Saivism and Vaishnavism.
• Many temples were built by the early Pandyas.
• The mediaeval and later Pandyas did not build any new temples, but they did ensure that the existing ones were well maintained.

Decline of Pandyas

• Maravarman Kulasekhara I (1310) died, and his sons Vira Pandya IV and Sundara Pandya IV fought a succession war for control of the empire.
• Maravarman Kulasekhara appears to have wanted Vira Pandya to succeed him (who in turn was defeated by Sundara Pandya after a short period of time).
• Unfortunately, the Pandya civil war occurred at the same time as the Khalji raids in south India.
• The neighbouring Hoysala king Ballala III took advantage of the political situation and invaded Pandya territory.
• Family feuds and sultanate invasions shattered the Pandya empire beyond repair, and coinage discoveries indicate that the Pandyas were confined to the old South Arcot region.
• The Jaffna kingdom declared independence from the crumbling Pandya influence in 1323.

Conclusion

The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient Tamil state in South India that was little known. The Pandyas were one of three ancient Tamil kingdoms that ruled the Tamil country from prehistoric times until the end of the fifteenth century. From the third century BCE to the third century CE, Pandya history was reconstructed using various sources such as megalithic burials, inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi, and Tamil poems from the Sangam literature.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which city was the capital of the Pandya Kingdom?

A. Kanchipuram
B. Thanjavur
C. Madurai
D. Pataliputra

2. What was the main export of the Pandya Kingdom?

A. Silk
B. Pearls
C. Gold
D. Horses

3. Which Pandya king is credited with consolidating power over Sri Lanka?

A. Nedunjeliyan I
B. Jatavarman Sundara Pandya
C. Sundara Pandya I
D. Rajendra Chola I

4. The decline of the Pandya Kingdom was marked by invasions from which dynasty?

A. Marathas
B. Mughals
C. Cholas
D. Mauryas

5. The Pandya Kingdom was prominent during which period of South Indian history?

A. Sangam Age
B. Vedic Age
C. Gupta Period
D. Mughal Period

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the contributions of the Pandya Kingdom to trade and commerce in ancient India.

Answer: The Pandya Kingdom played a crucial role in promoting trade and commerce in ancient India. The Pandyas were known for their maritime trade with distant regions like Rome, Southeast Asia, and China. They exported valuable commodities such as pearls, ivory, and spices, which were in high demand in foreign markets. The kingdom’s strategic location, particularly its access to the Gulf of Mannar, allowed it to become a prominent center for overseas trade. The wealth generated through trade helped the Pandyas build magnificent temples and contributed to the prosperity of the region.

Q2: Analyze the role of the Pandyas in the cultural development of South India during the Sangam Age.

Answer: The Pandyas were instrumental in the cultural development of South India during the Sangam Age. They were patrons of Tamil literature, supporting poets and scholars who produced the famous Sangam texts, which provide valuable insights into the life, politics, and society of the time. The Pandyas also encouraged the development of Dravidian architecture, as seen in the construction of the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. Their support for both Hinduism and Jainism contributed to the rich religious and cultural diversity of the region. The legacy of the Pandyas in art, literature, and religion continues to influence South Indian culture.

Q3: Examine the factors that led to the decline of the Pandya Kingdom.

Answer: The decline of the Pandya Kingdom was caused by a combination of internal and external factors. Internal disputes among the Pandya rulers weakened the kingdom’s unity, making it vulnerable to external invasions. The Cholas took advantage of this instability, launching military campaigns that significantly weakened the Pandyas. Later, the Delhi Sultanate invaded the region under Malik Kafur, leading to the incorporation of Pandya territory into the Madurai Sultanate. The lack of strong central leadership and continued pressure from powerful neighboring kingdoms contributed to the eventual fall of the Pandya Kingdom.

Previous Year Questions on the Pandya Kingdom

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2020

Question: The Pandya Kingdom was known for the trade of which commodity?
A. Gold
B. Spices
C. Pearls
D. Silk

Answer: C

Explanation: The Pandya Kingdom was famous for its pearl trade, exporting pearls to regions like Rome and Southeast Asia.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2019 (GS Paper 1)

Question: Evaluate the role of the Pandya Kingdom in the development of Tamil literature during the Sangam Age.

Answer: The Pandya Kingdom played a pivotal role in the development of Tamil literature during the Sangam Age. The Pandyas were patrons of Sangam poets and scholars, who composed literary works that provide detailed accounts of the political, social, and economic life of the time. These texts are considered some of the earliest and most important works in Tamil literature, reflecting the richness of the Dravidian cultural heritage. The Pandyas’ support for literature not only preserved the Tamil language but also helped establish Madurai as a center of learning and culture in South India.