History of Tamil Nadu

The **history of Tamil Nadu** goes back to the early Stone Age. Tamil Nadu (now one of the states in the south of the Republic of India) has been under continuous human habitation since prehistoric times. The civilisation of the Tamil people is among the oldest in the world. It has coexisted with many external cultures and has influenced and been influenced by them.

## Overview

The three Tamil dynasties of Chera, Chola and Pandya were all of ancient origins. Together they ruled over Tamil Nadu with a unique culture and language, contributing to the growth of _Sangam Literature_, some of the oldest literature in the world. They had extensive oversee trade contacts with the Roman and Greek empires. The three dynasties were in constant struggle with each other as they wanted hegemony over the land.

Invasion by the Kalabhras during the third century disturbed the tradition, and order of the land by displacing the three traditional ruling dynasties. These occupiers were overthrown by the Pandyas and the Pallavas, who restored the kingdoms. The Cholas in the ninth century defeated the Pallavas and the Pandyas and became a great power and extended their empire over the entire southern peninsula. At its height the Chola empire spread from Bengal in the northeast to Sri Lanka in the south. The Chola navy held sway over the Sri Vijaya kingdom in Southeast Asia.

Rapid changes in the political situation of the rest of India occurred with Muslim armies from the northwest. With the decline of the three ancient dynasties during the fourteenth century, the Tamil country became part of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Telugu speaking Nayak governors ruled the Tamil land. The brief appearance of the Marathas gave way to the European trading companies during the seventeenth century. The Madras Presidency comprising of most of southern India including what is now Tamil Nadu, was created in the eighteenth century. It was ruled directly by the British East India Company. After the independence of India the Tamil Nadu state was created based on linguistic boundaries, due to a Telugu man who wished the Telugu speaking land bordering Tamil Nadu to become its own state, which it did, Andra Pradesh was born. This caused a reaction because the other languages also wanted their own states. This led to state boundaries because of linguistic reasons.

## Pre-historic period

Although there is very little concrete historical evidence that has been found so far before 600 BCE, the history of the Tamil people probably goes back further. Various legends are known after the 5th century BCE regarding the antiquity of the Tamil people. According to _Iraiyanar Agapporul_, a 3rd/5th century CE Sangam literature, the Tamil country extended southwards beyond the natural boundaries of the Indian peninsula comprising of 49 ancient _nadus_ (divisions). The land was supposed to have been destroyed by a deluge. The Sangam legends also claimed tens of thousands of years of continuous literary activity during three _Sangams_. There have been no direct archaeological finds supporting these legends.

The prehistoric period during which the Palaeolithic civilisations existed in the Tamil Nadu region has been estimated to span the period from about 50,000 BCE until around 3000 BCE. People lived close to river valleys with sparse forest cover or in grassland. The population density was very low and so far only two localities of this lower Palaeolithic culture have been found in south India. One of these is in Attirampakkam valley in the northwest of Chennai. Archaeological research has uncovered evidence of fossil remains of animals and primitive stone implements around the northern Tamil Nadu that could be dated to around 300,000 BCE. The species of _Homo erectus_, lived in this primitive 'old Stone Age', using only crude implements such as hand axes and choppers and subsisting on food hunted and gathered instead of actively growing it.

The ancestor of modern humans (_Homo sapiens sapiens_) who appeared around 50,000 years ago was more developed and could fabricate thinner flake tools and blade-like tools using a variety of stones. From about 10,000 years ago, humans made still smaller tools called Microlithic tools. The material used by the early humans to make these tools were jasper, agate, flint, quartz, etc. In 1949, researchers found such microliths in Tirunelveli district. In Tamil Nadu, the Neolithic period had its advent around 2500 BCE. The Neolithic humans lived mostly on small flat hills or on the foothills in small, more or less permanent settlements but for periodical migration for grazing purposes. They gave the dead proper burials within urns or pits. They were also starting to use copper for making certain tools or weapons. The Iron Age culture in peninsular India is marked by Megalithic burial sites, which are found in  hundreds of places.

## Early history (500 BCE – 300 CE)

Ancient Tamil Nadu contained three monarchical states, headed by kings called _Ventar_ and several tribal chieftaincies, headed by the chiefs called by the general denomination _Vel_ or _Velir_. During the third century BCE, the Deccan was part of the Mauryan kingdom, and from the middle of the first century BCE to second century CE the same area was ruled by the Satavahana dynasty. The Tamil area had an independent existence outside the control of these northern empires.

The names of the three dynasties, Cholas, Pandyas, and Keralaputras or Chera<nowiki/>s are mentioned in the Pillars of Ashoka (inscribed 273–232 BCE) inscriptions, where they are mentioned among the kingdoms, which though not subject to Ashoka, were on friendly terms with him.

Karikala Chola was the most famous early Chola. He is mentioned in a number of poems in the Sangam poetry.

Pandyas ruled initially from Korkai, a sea port on the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula, and later moved to Madurai. Pandyas are also mentioned in Sangam literature, as well as by Greek and Roman sources during this period. The early Pandyas went into obscurity at the end of the third century CE during the incursion of the Kalabhras.

The kingdom of the Cheras comprised of the modern state of Kerala, along the western or Malabar Coast of southern India. Their proximity to the sea favoured trade with Africa. Internal and external trade was well organised and active.

## Interregnum (300 – 600)

After the close of the Sangam era, from about 300 to about 600 CE, there is an almost total lack of information. Some time about 300 CE, the whole region was upset by the appearance of the Kalabhras. These people are described in later literature as 'evil rulers' who overthrew the established Tamil kings. They did not leave many artefacts or monuments. The only source of information on them is the scattered mentions in Buddhist and Jain literature.

Jainism and Buddhism, took deep roots in the society, giving birth to a large body of ethical poetry. Writing became very widespread and _vatteluttu_ evolved from the Tamil-Brahmi became a mature script for writing Tamil.

## Age of empires (600  - 1300)

The medieval period of the history of the Tamil country saw the rise and fall of many kingdoms, some became empires, exerting influences both in India and overseas. The Hindu sects Saivism and Vaishnavism became more dominant, with temples being built and Dravidian architecture being supported by empires replacing the significance of Nastik Jainism and Buddhism. Some of the output of villages throughout the kingdom was given to temples that reinvested some of the wealth accumulated as loans to the settlements.

Tamil script replaced the _vatteluttu_ script throughout Tamil Nadu for writing Tamil. Both secular and religious literature flourished during the period.

### Pallavas

The seventh century Tamil Nadu saw the rise of the Pallava<nowiki/>s under Mahendravarman I and his son _Mamalla_ Narasimhavarman I. The Pallavas were not a recognised political power before the second century. After the fall of the Satavahanas, they began to get control over parts of Andhra and the Tamil country. The Pallavas were at their finest during the reigns of Narasimhavarman I and _Pallavamalla_ Nandivarman II.

During the sixth and the seventh centuries, the western Deccan saw the rise of the Chalukyas based in Vatapi. The Pallavas had to fight on two fronts - against the Pandya<nowiki/>s as wells as the Chalukyas.

### Pandyas

Pandya Kadungon (560 - 590) is credited with the overthrow of the Kalabhras in the south. Pandya Cendan extended their rule to the Chera country. His son Arikesari Parantaka Maravarman (c. 650 - 700) had a long and prosperous rule. He fought many battles and extended the Pandya power. After some decades of expansion, the Pandya kingdom was large enough to pose a serious threat to the Pallava power. It continued to grow under Srimara and encroached further into the Pallava territories.

### Cholas

Around 850  Vijayalaya, made use of an opportunity arising out of a conflict between Pandyas and Pallavas, and captured Thanjavur and eventually established the imperial line of the medieval Cholas. Vijayalaya revived the Chola dynasty and his son Aditya I helped establish their independence. He invaded the Pallava kingdom in 903 and killed the Pallava king Aparajita in battle. The Chola kingdom under Parantaka I expanded to cover the entire Pandya country. However towards the end of his reign he suffered several reverses by the Rashtrakutas who had extended their territories well into the Chola kingdom.

The Cholas went into a temporary decline during the next few years due to weak kings, palace intrigues and succession disputes.

## European colonisation (1650 - 1850)

European settlements began to appear in the Tamil country In 1605. The Dutch established trading posts in the Coromandel Coast near Gingee and in Pulicat. The British East India Company built a 'factory' (warehouse) at Armagaon (Durgarazpatnam), a village around 35 miles North of Pulicat,  in 1626.

The conflict between the British and the French made the Emperor of Delhi issued a _firman_ (decree) in 1765 recognizing the British possessions in southern India.

Although the Company was becoming increasingly bold and ambitious in putting down resisting states, it was getting clearer that the company was incapable of governing the vast expanse of the captured territories. In 1784 Pitt's India Act made the Company subordinate to the British Government. The territories controlled by the English expanded in the Anglo-Mysore Wars of 1766 to 1799, the Anglo-Maratha Wars of 1772 and the Polygar Wars of 1800-1805. Dheeran chinnamalai,the Tamil king won three wars against Britishers and at last he was hanged along with his two brothers. Then  the British East India Company took  control of Tamil Nadu.

The discontent in the various districts of the company territories exploded in 1857 into the Sepoy war. Although the rebellion had a huge impact on the  colonial power in India, Tamil Nadu was mostly unaffected by it.

## British rule (1850 – 1947)

In 1858 the British Crown assumed direct rule in India.

Failure of the summer monsoons and administrative shortcomings of the Ryotwari system resulted in a severe famine in the Madras Presidency during 1876 - 1877.The government instituted a famine insurance grant, setting aside 1.5 million Rupees. Other civic works such as canal building and improvements in roads and railway were also undertaken to minimise effects of any future famines.

### Independence struggle

The growing desire for independence began to gradually gather pace in the country and its influence in Tamil Nadu generated a number of volunteers to the fight against the British colonial power in the struggle for Independence. Notable amongst these is Tiruppur Kumaran, who was born in 1904 in a small village near Erode. Kumaran died during a protest march against the British.

In 1916 Dr. T.M. Nair and Rao Bahadur Thygaraya Chetty released the _Non-Brahmin Manifesto_ sowing the seeds for the Dravidian movements.

## Post Independence period

The trauma of the partition did not impact Tamil Nadu when India was granted Independence in 1947. There was no sectarian violence against various religions. There had always been an atmosphere of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence between all religions in Tamil Nadu. Congress formed the first ministry in the Madras Presidency. Rajaji was the first Chief Minister. Madras Presidency was eventually reconstituted as Madras State.

The Madras state was named Tamil Nadu (the land of the Tamils) in 1968. Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka during the 1970s and the 80s saw large numbers of Sri Lankan Tamils fleeing to Tamil Nadu.

### Evolution of regional politics

The politics of Tamil Nadu have gone through three distinct phases since independence. The domination of the Congress Party after 1947 gave way to the Dravidian populist mobilisation in the 1960s. This phase lasted until towards the end of the 1990s. The most recent phase saw the fragmentation of the Dravidian political parties and led to the advent of political alliances and coalition governments.

## Related pages

- History of India
- Polygar Wars

## References

- Theeran Chinnamanlai Gounder by Pulavar S. Rasu, Samba Publications, 152 Peters Road, Chennai, India 600 086, 1996.
- Knogu Nattu Lion Singham Theeran Chinnamalai by Kavignar Magudam Manickam, Sakunthla Publications, Rangoli Graphics, 329 E.V.N.Road, Erode, TH, India 638 009, year 2001.
- http://kongu-usa.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=74