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Amandalam (maṇḍalam meaningcircle;[2] also known aspāḍi) was the largest territorial division during theChola dynasty. At its height, the state was divided into nine mandalams which included areas inSri Lanka and other conquered areas.[3] The two core mandalams were Chola-mandalam andJayangondachola-mandalam.[4]
The term mandalam had been in use as a designation of territory even during theClassical Age where it had been used to refer to theChera, Chola, andPandiya mandalams.[5] UnderRaja Raja Chola I, the concept was evolved to organise the various politico-cultural subregions of the Tamil country that had been unified under the Cholas. Each of these historically significant regions largely continued to maintain its own distinctive cultural characteristics as mandalams.[2]
The mandalam was the largest of the Chola territorial divisions and was divided into smaller units namednāḍu). Each nadu functioned as an agrarian production unit and comprised around ten villages and possibly one or two towns (nagaram). Raja Raja Chola I introduced an intermediate division namedvaḷanāḍu) to centralise the administration of the state. Chola-mandalam was divided into tenvalanadus which, through bifurcation and rearrangement, increased to fifteen by early 12th century.[6]
At the peak of their powers, the Chola country was divided into nine mandalams which included conquered regions such as Sri Lanka.[7]
One of the core mandalams of the Cholas, Cholamandalam comprised the modern districts ofTanjavur,Tiruchirapalli, andSouth Arcot. The capitals at various points of Chola history are located here atUraiyur,Tanjavur, andGangaikondacholapuram.[8]
The Districts of Perambalur, Ariyalur, Salem, Attur, Kallakurichi, Part of Nammakal, Dharmapuri, Chidambaram, Villupuram, Cudalore, Trichy, Tanjore, Pudukottai, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram are called Parkavan Mandalam.
Tondaimandalam was another of the core mandalams of the Cholas and was previously a territory of thePallavas. When it passed into the hands of the Cholasc. 880, it was renamed Jayankondacholamandalam (literally "the land victoriously absorbed into the Chola country"; also speltJayangondacholamandalam).[9] Tondaimandalam broadly covers the modern districts ofChingleput, South Arcot, andNorth Arcot in Tamil Nadu and portions ofChittoor andNellore districts inAndhra Pradesh. When under the control of the Pallavas between the fifth and ninth centuries,Kanchipuram was their capital.[10]
Kongumandalam was a region bounded on all sides by hills and consisted of the present-day districts ofCoimbatore,Nilgiri,Erode,Tiruppur,Karur,Krishnagiri,Dindigul,Salem,Namakkal,Dharmapuri and small parts ofTiruchirappalli(Thuraiyur taluk),Perambalur,Tirupathur (Kalrayan Hills),Palakkad district andChamarajanagar district.[11]
Pandyamandalam or Rajarajapandimandalam[1] was the land traditionally under the control of thePandya dynasty. The region covered much of the southeastern portion of the Tamil country with its seat atMadurai.[12]
This mandalam was also known as Mudikondacholamandalam.[1]
This mandalam was also known as Vikramacholamandalam.[1]
This mandalam was also known as Nigarilicholamandalam.[1]
Marayapadi[1] was one of the northern mandalams and included parts of modern-dayAndhra Pradesh andTelangana.
When Raja Raja Chola I annexed the northern part of Sri Lanka, he named the area Mummudicholamandalam which was also known as Ilamandalam or Izhamandalam.Anuradhapura andPolonnaruwa were the major settlements in the region.[1]
Not always considered a full-fledged mandalam, this region was called so as it lay between (naduvil) Cholamandalam and Tondaimandalam. The region was never associated with any particular ruling dynasty and consequently never gained in importance. Naduvilmandalam consisted of the area between the mouths of theSouth Pennar and NorthVellaru rivers.[13]