Uthiramerur உத்திரமேரூர் Uttaramerur, Uttiramerur |
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panchayat town | |
Location in Tamil Nadu, India | |
Coordinates: 12°36′58″N 79°45′11″E / 12.616°N 79.753°ECoordinates: 12°36′58″N 79°45′11″E / 12.616°N 79.753°E | |
Country | India |
State | Tamil Nadu |
District | Kancheepuram |
Elevation | 62 m (203 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 25,194 |
Languages | |
• Official | Tamil |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Uthiramerur is a panchayat town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is noted for its temple inscriptions that describe a self-governance system existing around 7th to 9th century CE.
Uthiramerur originally existed as a Brahmin settlement. The Pallava king Nandivarman II (720–796 CE) formally established it as a brahamdeya village around 750 CE. It is believed that he donated the village to Vedic Brahmins from Srivaishanva community. A tenth century inscription states the name of the village as "Uttaramerur Chaturvedi Mangalam".
Around 25 inscriptions, spanning reigns of around four Pallava kings, have been found at Uthiramerur. In the later part of the 9th century, the Cholas captured the region. There are inscriptions from the period of Parantaka Chola I (907–950), Rajaraja Chola I (985–1014), Rajendra Chola I (1012–1044) and Kulothunga Chola I (1070–1120), indicating various gifts to the temples.
The region and the village came under the Pandya authority during the 13th century. Later, the Telugu Chola ruler Vijaya Gandagopala gained control of the territory, and renamed the village Gandagopala Chaturvedhi Managalam. During the later period, the village was part of the territories of Sambuvarayas and Kumara Kampana. The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya (1502–29) made contributions to the Sundaravarada Perumal Temple, Subhramanya temple and Kailasanatha temple. The village was the scene of war between Lingma and Yachama during the 17th century. The Carnatic Wars were fought in the nearby Vandavasi between the British and the French during the 18th century. From the period of 14th century, a steady decline is seen in agriculture on account of the political instability.