Tenkasi Pandyas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1422 C.E.–1618 C.E. | |||||||||||||
 A close depiction of Tenkasi Pandiya flag as per archaeological findings and historians illustration.[1] | |||||||||||||
Location of the present day Tenkasi (Capital of Tenkasi Pandyas) and Madurai (Pandya dynasty's traditional capital) | |||||||||||||
| Capital | Tenkasi | ||||||||||||
| Official languages | Tamil[2][3] | ||||||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||
• 1422–1463 CE | Sadaavarman Parakrama | ||||||||||||
• 1613–1618 CE | Varagunarama | ||||||||||||
| Historical era | Early modern era | ||||||||||||
• Established | 1422 C.E. | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1618 C.E. | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Today part of | Tamil Nadu,India | ||||||||||||
Tenkasi Pandyas were thePandya kings from Sadaavarman Parakrama Pandya to his successors who ruled withTenkasi as theircapital.[4] With the invasion of theSultanates,Vijayanagaras, andNayakars from the fourteenth century onwards, the Pandyas lost their traditional capital ofMadurai and shifted to cities like Tenkasi andTirunelveli.[5] Tenkasi was the last capital of the Pandyas.[6] All the Pandyas from Sadaavarman Parakrama Pandya and his next generations were crowned in the Adheenam Mutt[7] inKasi Viswanathar temple.[8] During the same period, some Pandyas ruled with Tirunelveli as their capital.Kayatharu,Vadakkuvalliyur, and Ukkirankottai are some of their major cities. Inscriptions on them are found in Tenkasi's Kasi Viswanathar temple,Brahmadesam,Cheranmadevi,Ambasamudram,Kalakkad andPudukkottai. The last Pandyan king to be known in the history of the Pandyas was Kolakonda, who was also among the Tenkasi Pandyas.
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All the Pandyas of the Varagunarama Pandya period were under the Vijayanagara Empire and paid them tribute.[9] However, other sources invariably mention that though theMadurai Nayakas were in-charge of Madurai, from time to time, they were opposed by and had skirmishes with the Tenkasi Pandyans, who are also said to have had intermittent control of Madurai. The Tenkasi Pandyas also had imperial ambitions, fought some wars, conquered territories outside their terrain. This is proven by the fact that the last Tenkasi Pandyan king bore the title "Kollamkondan", which means the one who conquered Kollam in Malayalam country.[10]
Although theVijayanagara Empire and theNayaks ruled Madurai after the 14th century, they were occasionally opposed by the Pandyas. Sometimes they have ruled Madurai. Prominent among them were Saadavarman Vikrama Pandya (1401 – 1422 AD) and his son, Arikesari Parakrama Pandya.[11] They had built 32 forts around Madurai. Later, when Vishwanatha Nayakkar became the Madurai Mandalasuvaran, he feared of Pandya resurgence in Madurai. He divided Madurai into 72 districts, including 16 districts of those closest to the Pandyas.[12] He gave them positions and made them separate from the Pandyas. This made Pandyas to lose Madurai forever.[11]
Shenbagapozhil in Tamil means "champak tree-linedrainforest". In the fifteenth century,Lord Shiva is said to have had appeared in the dream of King Parakrama Pandya, who ruled the Shenbagapozhil area. In that dream, he was said that alingam worshiped by the Pandya's ancestors was in theShenbaga forest. He was said that ants could be found crawling out of their fort and if they followed the ants, the lingam could be found. He was also told by Shiva to construct a temple there. The reason is the order from Shiva,"Shiva devotees in the south die before reachingKashi on their way toVaranasi in the north. So for them to get my grace, build a city equaling that of Varanasi in the south". Obeying his words, King Parakrama Pandya built theTenkasi gopuram for his ancestor-worshiped lingam. The wordTenkasi translates to "South Kashi" ("ten" or "then" meaning south in Tamil). The town was called the Tenkasi after the temple.[13]
Tenkasi was known by 16 names before the reign of Sadaavarman Parakrama Pandya.[13] They were
The Pandya city of Tenkasi was centered around theKasi Viswanathar temple. There were square-shaped streets in succession around the temple. The Tenkasi Pandyas were based on a fortress known as Ukkirankottai.[14]
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List of Pandyas who ruled with Tenkasi as the capital.
| No | King | Period |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sadaavarman Parakrama Pandya | 1422–1463 AD |
| 2 | Kulasekara Pandiyan III | 1429–1473 AD |
| 3 | Aksharan Perumal Parakrama Pandya | 1473–1506 AD |
| 4 | Kulasekara Pandya | 1479–1499 AD |
| 5 | Sadaverman Sewallapa Pandya | 1534–1543 AD |
| 6 | Parakrama Kulasekaran | 1543–1552 AD |
| 7. | Nelveli Maran | 1552–1564 AD |
| 8. | Sadaavarman Adeevirama Pandya | 1564–1604 AD |
| 9. | Varathuranga Pandya | 1588–1612 AD |
| 10. | Varagunarama Pandya | 1613–1618 AD |
| 11. | Kollankondan (Pandya Dynasty) | (N.A.) |
Pandya Kulodayam is a Pandya history book written byMandalakavi (zonal poet) of the Tenkasi Pandya period.[15] The information it contained were:
Although the Pandya kings who ruled Tenkasi ruled only marginal lands, they had issued coins in their name. The coins with the name of King Sadayarvarman Kulasekara Pandya II's son Aagavarman, were found.
| No. | Temple | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kasi Viswanathar temple | The origin period is unknown. Temple towers and shrines were erected during the reign of Saadavarman Parakrama Pandya. |
| 2 | Thirukutralam temple | The origin period is unknown. Temple towers and shrines were erected during the reign of Saadavarman Parakrama Pandya. |
| 3 | Kulasekaranath Temple | Built during the reign of Saadavarman Ativirama Pandya. |
Some of the sculptural masterpieces of Tamil Nadu can be seen in theThiruoolaka Mandapam at the Swami sannathi. There are 16 statues in the hall.
The above statues are all sculpted out of single stone with subtle workmanship by the Pandya-era sculptors.
The entrance to the tunnel is still visible in the big temple. It is said to have four tunnels.
There is a cave temple on the Thirumalapuram hill near Tenkasi. It is on the way to Serndamaram village nearKadayanallur. The temple has paintings of the Pandya period. The first to discover these paintings was scholar Duprai. These colour cave temple paintings exemplify the art of the Pandya period.
Tenkasi Pandyas had also contributed to Tamil literature.[17]
| Year | Capital | Pandya king | Texts | Guru (Master) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1560 –1600 | Karuvai, later Tenkasi | Varakunaraman | Vaayu Sangeethai, Ilinga Puranam | Akora Shivam Swami Devar (also known as Kulasekara Pandya) |
| 1588 – 1613(?) | Karuvai | Varathurangaraman | Pramothira Kaandam, Karuvai Anthathi, Kokogam | Vembathur Eesana Munivar |
| 1564 – 1610 | Tenkasi | Ativiraraman known as Seevalaraman | Naidatham, Kashi Kandam, Koorma Puranam, Vetriverkai | Swamidevar |
Apart from these, a historical book calledPandya Kulodayam was also written by Mandalakavi during the Tenkasi Pandyas period.
Kings of the Chola and Pandya dynasties also issued Tamil and bilingual Sanskrit–Tamil inscriptions.
Thus the state language was Tamil whether the inscriptions were from the north or the south and whether the dynasty was Gupta, Vakatak[a], Vardhana, Maukhari, Pratihara, Paramara, Chandella, Pala, Sena, Gahadavala, Haihaya, Ganga, Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, or Vijayanagar[a]. Inscriptions were sometimes written in regional languages, but they invariably had a preface in Sanskrit.
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