Tondaimandalam

Tondaimandalam also known as Tondai Nadu (Tamil: தொண்டைநாடு) is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the traditional Pallava kingdom. The boundaries of Tondaimandalam are ambiguous – some include only the Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and the northern part of Viluppuram district in Tondaimandalam, and group the southern part of Viluppuram District, the Union Territory of Pondicherry and Cuddalore District under a separate region called "Nadu Naadu", some even included the Vellore District and the so-called "Nadu Naadu" in Tondaimandalam. A larger Tondaimandalam may include all of these. Also, The Tondaimandalam region may extend to cover Chittoor and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Early days this region was ruled by the tribal chiefs who also called as Irular or Aravar. It then came under the rule of Cholas during first century CE. The capital of Tondai Nadu is Kanchipuram. In the 3rd century CE, Tondai Nadu was ruled by Ilandiraiyan, the first king with the title "Tondaiman", whom P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar identifies with a Pallava prince. The medieval Pallavas ruled Andhra and Northern Tamil Nadu, from the 4th to the 9th centuries, with their seat of capital at ancient Kanchipuram. When the ancient king Adondai captured Tondainadu, he brought Vellalars from Srisailam.

Tondai Nadu is the region north of the Kaveri basin, around Palar river basin. It was captured by the second Chola monarch, Aditya (r. ca. 871-907). he defeated the armies of the Pallavas of Kanchipuram and claimed all of Tondai Nadu as Chola territory. Tondai Nadu included Chittoor and Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

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