Tondaiman

Last updated

The Tondaiman family were Tamil rulers of the ancient Tondai Nadu (Tondaimandalam) division of Tamilakkam in South India. Their capital was at Kanchipuram. [1]

Contents

They ruled with the Pallava dynasty, which controlled northern Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and had its capital at Kanchipuram. Hundreds of records and edicts exist pertaining to the Tondaiman rulers of Chola dynasty.

Sangam literature

Ruler Tondaiman Ilandiraiyan was mentioned in Purananuru (புறநானூறு) (in one of the poems written by Avvaiyar) as a king confronting Adhiaman; battle was avoided by the tactics of Avvaiyaar. [2] He is said to be the founder of Pallava dynasty. [3] Pathupaattu (பத்துப்பாட்டு) a sangam literature work mentioned that Tondaiman Ilandriyan ruled Kanchipuram town before 2500 years. [4]

Chola Empire

The Tondaiman title was borne by various chiefs in the Chola empire, notable ones being Karunakara Tondaiman and Naralokaviran alias Porkoyil Tondaiman who served as generals under Kulottunga I. [5]

The poet Kambar wrote Silaiyezhupathu about Karunagara Tondaiman. [6]

Origin

Aranthangi Tondaimans

The Aranthangi Tondaimans ruled Aranthangi from the 15th to the 18th centuries in southern Tamil Nadu. There are references to the Aranthangi Tondaimans in temple inscriptions at Avudayarkovil, Alapiranthan, Palaiyavanam, Pillaivayal, Aranthangi, Kovilur, Paramandur, Palankarai, Piranmalai, Thiruvarankulam and Kurumbur. Similarly, the Aranthangi Tondaimans were an independent line of chieftains ruling from Aranthangi; they flourished about 200 years before the rule of the Thondaman dynasty of Pudukottai (which began about 1640). [7]

The Aranthangi Tondaimans were the chief patrons of the Avudayarkovil temple, and liberally donated to its maintenance (as indicated by copper plates in the possession of the Tiruvavaduthurai Adheenam). They donated land to the Tiruvarur, Rameswaram, Kanchipuram and Benares temples. About 25 copper plates indicating grants from the Aranthangi Tondaimans have been recorded so far; 16 are in the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam.Their direct descendants were the Palayavanam Zamin "Vanangamudi Pandarathar". [8] The Thondaiman kings of the Pudukkottai principality who came to power in the 17th century were their descendants. [8]

Pudukottai Tondaimans

Thondaiman King in his Durbar, Pudukkottai, 1858. Todiman Raja in his Durbar, Pudukkottai, 1858.jpg
Thondaiman King in his Durbar, Pudukkottai, 1858.

The Thondaimans are chieftains who ruled the region in and around Pudukottai from the 17th to 20th century. [9] The Pudukkottai Thondaiman dynasty was founded by Raghunatha Thondaiman, the brother-in-law of the then Raja of Ramnad, RaghunathaKilavan Setupati. The Pudukottai Samasthanam was under Thondaiman dynasty for one year even after Indian Independence. The Thondaiman dynasty had a special Valari regiment.

List of Pudukottai Thondaman Kings

The Thondaman lineage: [10]

Notes

  1. "Southern Indian Kingdoms". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  2. History of the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, 610-1210 A.D., page 446.
  3. Vijaya Ramaswamy (2007). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils.
  4. P. V. L. Narasimha Rao (2008). Kanchipuram: Land of Legends, Saints and Temples.
  5. S. R. Balasubrahmanyam; B. Natarajan; Balasubrahmanyan Ramachandran. Later Chola Temples: Kulottunga I to Rajendra III (A.D. 1070-1280), Parts 1070-1280. Mudgala Trust, 1979 – Architecture – 470 pages. p. 20.
  6. Silaiyelupathu (in Tamil) Retrieved 2012-07-17.
  7. C.Sivaratnam: The Tamils in early Ceylon, page 116
  8. 1 2 "MANUAL OF PUDUKKOTTAI STATE VOLUME II". 2002. pp.  721.
  9. Vijaya Ramaswamy (2017). Historical Dictionary of Tamils. Jawahar Lal Nehru University. p. 191. ISBN   9781538106860.
  10. Lists of Inscriptions, and Sketch of the Dynasties of Southern India By Robert Sewell, Archaeological Survey of Southern India

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kulottunga I</span> Chola Emperor from 1070 to 1122

Kulottunga Chola I also spelt Kulothunga, born Rajendra Chalukya, was a Chola Emperor who reigned from 1070 to 1122 succeeding his cousin Athirajendra Chola. He also served as the Eastern Chalukya monarch from 1061 to 1118, succeeding his father Rajaraja Narendra. He is related to the Chola dynasty through his mother's side and the Eastern Chalukyas through his father's side. His mother, Ammangaidevi, was a Chola princess and the daughter of emperor Rajendra Chola I. His father was king Rajaraja Narendra of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty who was the nephew of Rajendra and maternal grandson of Rajaraja Chola I. According to historian Sailendra Nath Sen, his accession marked the beginning of a new era and ushered in a period of internal peace and benevolent administration. He was succeeded by his son Vikrama Chola

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pudukkottai</span> Municipal corporation and administrative head quarters of Pudukkottai district

Pudukkottai City is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the oldest and Heritage city in India which contains a lot of histories. The city is also called as Thondaiman Pudukkottai. Pudukottai Municipal Corporation is located on the banks of the Vellar River. It has been ruled, at different times, by the Mutharaiyar dynasty, Cholas, Early Pandyas, Thondaimans, and the British. It is situated about 372 kilometres (231 mi) southwest of the state capital Chennai,50 kilometres (31 mi) southeast of Tiruchirappalli, 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of Thanjavur ,108 kilometres (67 mi) northeast of Madurai,116 kilometres (72 mi) East of Dindigul and 78 kilometres (48 mi) Northeast of Sivaganga. Tamil Nadu's first woman Asian Games competitor, Santhi Soundarajan, is from Pudukkottai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajadhiraja I</span> Chola Emperor from 1044–1052

Rajadhiraja Chola I was a Chola emperor, as the successor of his father, Rajendra I. He was the only Chola emperor who was killed while leading his army in war, and although he had a short reign, he helped his father conquer several territories as well as to maintain the Chola authority over most of Sri Lanka, Eastern Chalukya and Kalinga, among others. He also established imperial relations with overseas allies despite a series of revolts in the territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chola dynasty</span> Tamil dynasty of South India

The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty originating from southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE during the reign of Ashoka of the Maurya empire. The Chola empire was at its peak and achieved imperialism under the Medieval Cholas in the mid-9th century CE. As one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam, along with the Chera and Pandya, the dynasty continued to govern over varying territories until the 13th century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chola Empire</span> Medieval Indian empire (848–1279)

The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence in southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tamil Nadu</span>

The region of Tamil Nadu in the southeast of modern India, shows evidence of having had continuous human habitation from 15,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE. Throughout its history, spanning the early Upper Paleolithic age to modern times, this region has coexisted with various external cultures.

Aranthangi is a town in Pudukkottai district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. As of 2011, it had a population of 40,814.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dravidian architecture</span> Architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture

Dravidian architecture, or the Southern Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from Southern India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pudukkottai State</span> Monarchy in India (1680–1948)

Pudukkottai was a kingdom and later a princely state in British India, which existed from 1680 until 1948.

Sriman Hiranyagarbha Ravikula Raja Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Raja Raghunatha Deva Kilavan Setupati was the first king of Ramnad Kingdom which is also known "Maravar Kingdom". He ruled from 1673 to 1708 and oversaw the growth of the feudal chieftainship of Ramnad into a powerful "Ramnad Kingdom" which is known as "Maravar Kingdom". He rescued the Nayak of Madurai from the tyranny of Rustam Khan and also successfully campaigned against the King of Thanjavur, who later ceded all his territories. It is recorded in the Sethupati copper plates that he belonged to the Surya kulam and Kashyap gothram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thondaman dynasty</span> Traditional dynasty in India

The Thondaimans are chieftains who ruled the region in and around Pudukottai from the 17th to 20th century. The Pudukkottai Thondaiman dynasty was founded by Raghunatha Thondaiman, the brother-in-law of the then Raja of Ramnad, RaghunathaKilavan Setupati. The Pudukottai Samasthanam was under Thondaiman dynasty for one year even after Indian Independence. The Thondaiman dynasty had a special Valari regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajagopala Tondaiman</span> Raja of Pudukkottai

Raja Sri Brahdamba Dasa Raja Sri Rajagopala Tondaiman Bahadur was the ninth and last ruler of the princely state of Pudukkottai.

Raghunatha is a given name. Notable people with the name include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karunakara Tondaiman</span>

Karunakara Tondaiman was a general of Chola Emperor Kulottunga I. He is renowned for leading the Chola invasion of Kalinga during the reign of Kulottunga I and is the hero of Jayamkondar's poem Kalinkkattuparani In the Parani poem he is referred to as the lord of Vandai. while in the Draksharamam inscription of Kulottunga I, he is called as Vanduvaraja and Pallavaraja. He also served as a minister under Kulothunga Chola's son and successor, Vikrama Chola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kokarneswarar Temple, Thirukokarnam</span>

The Kokarneswarar Temple is situated in town of Thirukokarnam located 5 kilometres from the town of Pudukkottai in the Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Kokarneswarar considered to be a form of the Hindu God Shiva. His consort Brihadambal is the family deity of the Thondaiman kings which ruled the princely Pudukkottai state. The Pallava-era rock-cut temple was constructed by the Pallava king Mahendravarman I sometime around the middle of the 7th century CE. Later additions were made in the early 2nd millennium by the Chola and Pandya dynasties.

Raja Sri Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman (1641–1730) was the ruler of the Pudukkottai kingdom from 1686 to 1730. A feudatory chieftain of the Sethupathi of Ramnad, in 1686, Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman was recognised as the independent ruler of Pudukkottai by the Sethupathi for the services he had rendered him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tondaimandalam</span> Historical region in India

Tondaimandalam, also known as Tondai Nadu, is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu and southernmost part of Andhra Pradesh. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the legendary kingdom of Athondai Chakravarti. The boundaries of Tondaimandalam are ambiguous – between the river basins of Penna River and Ponnaiyar River. During the reign of Rajaraja I, this region was called as Jayankonda Cholamandalam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamil dynasties</span> Ancient kingdoms in South Asia

Tamil dynasties are the kingdoms who ruled over present day Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha. These include the Pallavas, the Pandyas, the Cholas and the Cheras.

Manimangalam is a small town located in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu state in Southern India, famous for its ancient temples and inscriptions documenting the history of the ancient Tamil kings

References