List of Tamil monarchs

List of Tamil speaking monarchs around the world
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This is a list of ethnically Tamil and predominantly Tamil speaking monarchs, who ruled in Southern India and parts of Sri Lanka and South East Asia. The ancient Tamil monarchy was largely hereditary and supported by numerous chieftains.[1]

Tamil royal titles

Three Crowned Kings

Tamilakam in the 'Sangam Period.

The three crowned kings known as Muvendar were the traditional three Tamil dynasties that ruled the Tamilakam since the Sangam era.

Pandyan dynasty (c. 600 BCE – 1620 CE)

Pandyan Empire at greatest extent

Early Pandyans (c. 6th century BCE – 3rd century CE)

Imperial Pandyans (590–920 CE)

Pandyans under Chola empire (920–1216 CE)

Later Pandyans (1212–1345 CE)

Tenkasi Pandyans (1422–1620 CE)

During the 15th century, the Pandyans lost their traditional capital city Madurai to Delhi Sultanate, and were forced to move their capital to Tirunelveli in southern Tamilakam and existed there as vassals.

Mutharaiyar dynasty (600 and 850 CE)

Mutharaiyar dynasty is one of the royal dynasty in Tamil Nadu state of India. Mutharaiyars ruled Tanjore, Trichy and Pudukottai regions from 600 CE to 850 CE.

Admirable accounts of Mutharaiyar kings are found in the Tamil epics Nālaṭiyār and Muthollaayiram

Kuvavan Maaran alias Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar I (650-680 CE)

Maaran Parameswaran alias Ilangovadiaraiyan (680 -705 CE)

Suvaran Maran alias Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II (705-745 CE)

Videlviduku Satan Maran(745 -770 CE)

Peradiarayan alias Marbiduku(770-791 CE)

Kuvavan Satan alias Videlviduku Mutharaiyar(791 -826 CE)

sandhan Pailiili(826 -851 CE)

Chola dynasty (c. 300 BCE – 1280 CE)

Chola Empire at greatest extent

Legendary Chola rulers

Early Chola rulers (c. 300 BCE – 850 CE)

A bronze statue of Karikalan.

Imperial Chola Empire (850–1279 CE)

A sculpture of Rajaraja Chola I.

Chera dynasty (c. 300 BCE – 1528 CE)

South India & location of Cheras in west

Early Chera kingdom (c. 3rd century BCE – 4th century CE)

A Chera coin with legend "Makkotai"
A Chera coin with legend "Kuttuvan Kotai"

From inscriptions

From inscribed coins

Kongu Chera dynasty (c. 400–844 CE)

Chera Perumal dynasty of Makotai (c. 844–1124 CE)

Venadu Chera/Kulasekhara dynasty (c. 1124–1528 CE)

Pallava Empire (c. 275–897 CE)

A Pallava coin with lion insigne of Narasimhavarman I.

Early Pallavas

Middle Pallavas

Later Pallavas

Ay Kingdom

Ay chieftains (early historic)

Medieval Ay kings

Mushika Kingdom

Early rulers

Medieval rulers

Jaffna Kingdom (c. 1277–1619 CE)

Image of Singai Parasasekaran, his sons Pandaram, Paranirupsingan and Cankili I

Kingdom of Ramnad (c. 1601–1949 CE)

List of Sethupathi rulers

Chieftains With the Madurai Nayaks (c. 1601–1677)

Imperial rulers (c. 1678–1795 CE)

Rulers of princely state under British Raj (c. 1795–1949 CE)

As King

As Zamindars

Pudukkottai Kingdom (c. 1686–1948 CE)

Sivaganga Kingdom (c. 1725–1947 CE)

Zamindar under British rule (1803–1947)

Velir Monarches

Palaiyakkarar Monarches

Nayaka dynasties

Nayaks, Nayakas or Nayakars were a Telugu-origin dynasty that established themselves after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire as sovereign rulers of Tamil territories and replaced the indigenous Tamil dynasties like Cholas and Pandyans.

Nayaks Kingdom of Gingee (1509–1649 CE)

Madurai Nayak Kingdom (1529–1736 CE)

Thanjavur Nayak kingdom (1532–1673 CE)

Kingdom of Kandy (1739–1815 CE)

Other Tamil monarchs

See also

References

  1. ^ Splendours of Tamil Nadu. p.146
  2. ^ "genealogy of the royal house of jaffna".
  3. ^ K. R. Venkatarama Ayyar, Sri Brihadamba State Press, 1938, A Manual of the Pudukkóttai State, p.720