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Pandiyan Dynasty

Pandyan Empire
303 BCE–1650 CE
Extent of the Pandya Territories c. 1250 CE
Capital Korkai
Madurai (3rd century BCE – 1345 CE)
Tenkasi (1345 – 1630 CE),
Tirunelveli (1345 – 1650 CE)
Languages Tamil, Sanskrit
Religion Hinduism, Jainism
Government Monarchy
King
 •  560–590 CE Kadungon
 •  1309–1345 CE Vira Pandyan IV
 •  1422–1463 CE Jatavarman Parakrama Pandyan
Historical era Iron Age
 •  Established 303 BCE
 •  Disestablished 1650 CE
Succeeded by
Delhi Sultanate
Madurai Nayak dynasty
Jaffna kingdom
Sambuvaraya
Today part of  India
 Sri Lanka

The Pandyan or Pandiyan or Pandian dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty, one of the three Tamil dynasties, the other two being the Chola and the Chera. The kings of the three dynasties were referred to as the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam.

The dynasty ruled parts of South India from around 600 BCE (Early Pandyan Kingdom) to first half of 17th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved to Madurai. Fish being their flag, Pandyas were experts in water management, agriculture(mostly near river banks) and fisheries and they were eminent sailors and sea traders too. Pandyan was well known since ancient times, with contacts, even diplomatic, reaching the Roman Empire. The Pandyan empire was home to temples including Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, and Nellaiappar Temple built on the bank of the river Thamirabarani in Tirunelveli.

The Pandya kings were called either Jatavarman or Maravarman. They were Jains in their early ages but later became Shaivaites.Strabo states that an Indian king called Pandion sent Augustus Caesar "presents and gifts of honour". The country of the Pandyas, Pandi Mandala, was described as Pandyan Mediterranea in the Periplus and Modura Regia Pandyan by Ptolemy.


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