Tour Reservation Form
Please enter useful details into the form so we can work on your itinerary.Feel free to add any notes and ideas into the notes field.
Tamil
Nadu, the cradle of Dravidian culture, has a very rich history
dating back to thousands of years. Some anthropologists and
historians believe that human activity in this region began
as early as 300, 000 years ago. It is also suggested that the
first Dravidians were part of the early Indus Valley Civilization
and had to migrate southwards to escape aggressive Aryan advancements
around 1500 BC. However, the recorded history of South India,
including Tamil Nadu, is available only from the 4th century
BC onwards.
The early history of Tamil Nadu, between the periods of 1st
- 9th century AD, had been dominated by the Cheras, Cholas,
Pallavas and Pandyas rulers. All these dynasties engaged in
continual skirmishes; but their steady patronage of arts served
the expansion of Dravidian culture. It is also considered the
golden period of Tamil literature famously known as " the Sangam
Age", which lasted till the end of 3rd century AD. The Sangam
literature provides a deep insight into the cultural, social
and economic conditions of that period.
The early Cholas ruled Tamil Nadu between 1st and 4th centuries
AD. The Cholas ruled the present Tanjore and Tiruchirapalli
(Trichy) region and were known for their excellent military
expertise. At the peak of their glory, the Chola kings expanded
their influence as far as Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in the south and
hundreds of kilometers across the northern region. The Cholas
were great lovers and patrons of art and architectures in Tamil
Nadu. The Brahadeeswara Temple of Tanjore (an UNESCO's World
Heritage Site) is a classical example of the magnificent architecture
of the Chola kingdom.
During the second half of the 4th century AD, Pallavas emerged
into prominence and dominated the region for next 400 years.
They ruled the most of the present day northeastern Tamil Nadu,
with Kanchipuram emerging as the most important center of their
political and cultural activities. During Pallavas, the Dravidian
architecture reached its epitome. Popularly referred as "the
temple builders," the Pallavas constructed a large number of
temples including amazing temples of Mahabalipuram, Kailasanathar
Temple at Kanchipuram and the Kapaleswarar Temple at Chennai.
In the 6th century AD they defeated the Cholas and their authority
reached as far as Sri Lanka. But, the internal feud led a gradual
decline of the Pallava dynasty and they lost their supremacy
by the end of the 9th century AD, when Aditya Chola defeated
them.
The Chola Empire extended its boundaries up to Orissa and parts
of West Bengal in the north and to Ceylon in the south by defeating
the Pandyas. By the end of 11th century AD, Chalukyas- another
famous dynasty of south India- rose into prominence together
with the Cholas, but couldn't stand the mighty Chola kingdom
for long time. Eventually, Cholas became prominent and ruled
Tamil Nadu till the end of the 13th century AD. As Cholas declined,
the Pandyas once again emerged into prominence, but soon they
were subdued by Muslim invasion from the north, in the beginning
of the 14th century AD. The invasion completely destroyed the
Chola and Pandya supremacy in the region and led to the establishment
of the famous Bahmani Kingdom.
The supremacy of the Bahmani Kingdom in the south was not without
challenges as the Vijayanagar Empire emerged as an alternative
power and posed a major challenge to Muslim advancement to the
south. But, the 1564 battle of Talikota led to the victory of
the Muslims and the formidable Vijayanagar Empire came to an
end. The Muslims divided the empire into many small kingdoms
and was given to the Nayaks to rule. The Nayaks of Madurai and
Tanjore were most prominent of them all. The reconstructed some
of the oldest temples in the region. The Nayaks were subdued
once the Europeans entered into fray for supremacy in the region,
with later emerging as victorious.
The East India Company established its factory in Chennai in
1640, which emerged as the most important trading post for the
company. Under the British colonial rule, most of the south
India was integrated into the region called Madras Presidency.
But the British supremacy in the south was not without challenges.
The French and Dutch also entered into the fray for supremacy
in the region. The British had to fight a number of battles
with them, notably the French at Wandiwash in 1760, and the
Dutch at Tharangambadi, which led to complete surrender of the
Dutch, and reduced the French dominations in India to Pondicherry.
Tamil Nadu played a significant role in India's freedom struggle.
After India's independence in 1947, Madras Presidency became
Madras State in 1953. In 1956, under the states Reorganization
Act, the Kannada-speaking areas were transferred to Mysore (now
Karnataka), and the Malayalam areas to Kerala on linguistic
lines. In 1968, the name of the state was changed from Madras
to Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu
