Chronology of Tamil history
Encyclopedia
Pre-historic period
- c. 30,000 BCE-PaleolithicPaleolithicThe Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
industries in north Tamil Nadu - c. 8000-3000 BCE-Pre-pottery microlithMicrolithA microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. It is produced from either a small blade or a larger blade-like piece of flint by abrupt or truncated retouching, which leaves a very typical piece of waste,...
ic industries - c. 3000-1000 BCE-NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and fine microlithic industries
Pre-Sangam period
- c. 1000-300 BCE-MegalithMegalithA megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
ic age - c. 600 BCE-Tamil-BrahmiTamil-BrahmiTamil-Brahmi, or Damili is an early phonetic script used to write Tamil characters. It is a variant of many Brahmi scripts used throughout South Asia, namely Ashokan Brahmi, Southern Brahmi, Bhattiprolu script and the Sri Lankan based Sinhala-Brahmi. It is known from surviving inscribed cave beds,...
prevalent as the Tamil script - c. 250 BCE-Asoka's inscription recording the four kingdoms (CheraChera dynastyChera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
, Cholas, Pandya and Satyaputra) of the ancient Tamil countryAncient Tamil countryThe Sangam period is the classical period in the history of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts of South India, spanning about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE... - c. 200 BCE-Elara, a Tamil prince and contemporary of Dutte Gamini, rules LankaLankaSri Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...
Sangam age
- c. 200 BCE-200 CE-Sangam age during which books of Sangam LiteratureSangam literatureSangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
are created - c. 150 BCE-KharavelaKharavelaKhārabēḷa was the third and greatest emperor of the Mahāmēghabāhana Dynasty of Kaḷinga . The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in a cave in the Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar, Orissa.During the reign of Khārabēḷa, the Chedi...
of KalingaKalinga (India)Kalinga was an early state in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa/Utkal , as well as the Andhra region of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a rich and fertile land that extended from the river Damodar/Ganges to Godavari and from Bay of Bengal to...
records his conquest of a federation of Tamil kings in his Hathigumpha inscriptionHathigumpha inscriptionThe Hathigumpha inscription , from Udayagiri, near Bhubaneshwar in Orissa, was written by Kharavela, the king of Kalinga in India, during the 2nd century BCE... - c. 130- Chera king Udayanjeral rules in the Chera country
- c. 175-195-Gajabahu IGajabahu IGajabahu I , also known as Gajabahuka Gamani was a Sinhalese king of Rajarata in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his religious benefactions, extensive involvement in south Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka...
of Lanka a contemporary of Chera SenguttuvanSenguttuvanKing Senguttuvan; also Chenguttawan, was the most famous and powerful Chera king who ruled in Ancient south India during the early centuries of the Common Era. He is famous for the legends surrounding Kannagi, the heroine of the legendary Tamil epic Silapathikaram...
and Karikala CholaKarikala CholaKarikala Chola or Karikala Chozhan was one of the great Tamil kings of Early Chola during the Sangam period. He was the son of Ilamcetcenni and ruled around 270 BC.... - c. 190- Chera Kadukko Ilanjeral Irumporai rules in the Chera country
- c. 200-Writing becomes widespread and vattezuttu evolved from the Tamil Brahmi becomes a mature script for writing Tamil
- c. 210- Pandya Neduncheliyan rules in MaduraiMaduraiMadurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
and defeats his enemies at the battle of Talaiyalanganam
Post-Sangam period
- c. 300-590-KalabhrasKalabhrasThe Kalabhras dynasty ruled over the entire Ancient Tamil country between the 3rd and the 6th century in an era of South Indian history called the Kalabhra interregnum. The Kalabhras displaced the kingdoms of the early Cholas, early Pandayan and Chera dynasties. Information about its origin and...
invade the Tamil country and displace the traditional rulers - c. 300-500-Post-Sangam period, Tamil epics such as Silappatikaram written
Pallava and Pandya
- c. 560-580-PallavaPallavaThe Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
SimhavishnuSimhavishnuSimhavishnu , also known as Avanisimha , son of Simhavarman III and one of the Pallava kings of India, was responsible for the revival of the Pallavan dynasty. He was the first Pallava monarch whose domain extended beyond Kanchipuram in the South...
overthrows the Kalabhras in Tondaimandalam - c. 560-590-Pandya KadungonKadungonKadungon was a Pandya king who revived the Pandya rule in South India in the 7th century CE. Along with the Pallava king Simhavishnu, he is credited with ending the Kalabhra rule, marking the beginning of a new era in the Tamil speaking region. Most historians, including R. C...
rules from Madurai and displaces the Kalabhras from the south - c. 590-630-Pallava Mahendravarman IMahendravarman IMahendravarman I was a Pallava king who ruled the Northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India in the early 7th century. He was the son of Simhavishnu, who defeated the Kalabhras and re-established the Pallava kingdom....
rules in KanchipuramKanchipuramKanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district... - c. 610-Saiva saint ThirunavukkarasarThirunavukkarasarTirunavukkarasar , , also known as Appar was a seventh century Saivite poet-saint of Tamil Nadu, one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars. He was an older contemporary of Sambandar...
(Appar) converts Mahendravarman from JainismJainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state... - c. 628-Chalukya Pulakesi IIPulakesi IIPulakesin II is the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty. In his reign the Chalukyas of Badami saw their kingdom extend over most of the Deccan.-Early life and accession:...
invades the Pallava kingdom and lays siege on Kanchipuram - c. 630-668 Pallava Narasimhavarman INarasimhavarman INarasimhavarman I was a Tamil king of the Pallava dynasty who ruled South India from 630–668 CE. He shared his father Mahendravarman I's love of art and completed the work started by Mahendravarman in Mahabalipuram....
(Mamalla) rules in Tondaimandalam - c. 642-Pallava Narasimhavarman I launches a counter invasion into the Chalukya country and sacks VatapiBadamiBadami , formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples...
. Pulakesi is killed in battle - c. 670-700 CE-Pandya Arikesari Parankusa Maravarman rules in Madurai
- c. 700-728-Pallava Rajasimha builds the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram and many of the shore temples in Mamallapuram
- c. 700-730-Pandya Ranadhira (Koccadayan) expands the Pandya kingdom into the Kongu country
- c. 731-Succession crisis in the Pallava kingdom. Council of ministers select Nandivarman II (Pallavamalla) (731-796) as the Pallava king
- c. 731-765-Pandya Maravarman Rajasimha aligns with the Chalukya Vikramaditya IIVikramaditya IIVikramaditya II was the son of King Vijayaditya and ascended the Badami Chalukya throne following the death of his father. This information comes from the Lakshmeshwar inscriptions in Kannada dated January 13 735...
and attacks the Pallava king Nandivarmam - c. 735-Chaluka Vikramaditya II invades the Pallava country and occupies the capital Kanchipuram
- c. 760-Pallava Nandivarman II invades and defeats the GangaGangasThe Western Ganga Dynasty was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India. They are known as Western Gangas to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over modern Orissa...
kingdom at the battle of Villande - c. 765-815-Pandya Parantaka Nedunjadaiyan (Varaguna Pandyan) rules in Madurai
- c. 767-Pandya forces defeat the Pallavas on the south banks of the Kaveri
- c. 800-830-Varagunan I becomes Pandya king and extends his empire up to TiruchirapalliTiruchirapalliTiruchirappalli ) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy , is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state...
by defeating the Pallava king Dandivarman - c. 830-862-Pandya Sirmara Srivallabha rules in Madurai
- c. 840-Srimara invades Lanka and captures the northern provinces of the Lanka king Sena I
- c. 848 -Rise of Vijayalaya CholaVijayalaya CholaVijayalaya was the Chola king of South India Thanjavur during c. 848 C.E. and re-established the Chola dynastic rule.-Dark age of Cholas:The ancient Chola kingdom once famous in Tamil literature and in the writings of Greek merchants and geographers faded in to darkness after c 300 C.E. Cholas...
in Tanjavur after defeating the MuttaraiyarMuthurajaMuthurajaMutharaiyar or Muthuraja are a community of landowners who ruled over Kaveri Delta Region before the Cholas. Mutharaiyar earlier were a line of kings and were for a long time feudatory to the Pallavas, ruling part of Tamil Nadu in Southern India...
rulers of kaveri delta - c. 846-869-Pallava Nadivarman III leads an invasion against the Pandya kingdom and defeats the Pandyas at the battle of Tellaru. Pallava kingdom extnds up to the river Vaigai
- c. 859-Pandya Srivallaba defeats the Pallavas at a battle at KumbakonamKumbakonamKumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
- c. 862-Sinhala forces under Sena II invade the Pandya country and sack Madurai. Srimara is killed in battle
Chola period
- c. 903 -Aditya CholaAditya IAditya I , the son of Vijayalaya, was the first great Chola king of South India who extended the Chola dominions by the conquest of the Pallavas.- Pallava Civil War :...
defeats the Pallava king Aparajita - c. 949 -Battle of Takkolam. RashtrakutaRashtrakutaThe Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...
Krishna III defeats the Chola army - c. 985 -Accession of Rajaraja Chola IRajaraja Chola IRaja Raja Chola I born Arunmozhi Thevar , popularly known as Raja Raja the Great, is one of the greatest emperors of the Tamil Chola Empire of India who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE...
- c. 1010 -Rajaraja completes the Brihadisvara Temple
- c. 1012 -Accession of Rajendra Chola IRajendra Chola IRajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola I and was one of the greatest rulers of Tamil Chola dynasty of India. He succeeded his father in 1014 CE as the Chola emperor...
- c. 1023 -Rajendra's expedition to the Ganges
- c. 1025 -Chola navies defeat the king of SrivijayaSrivijayaSrivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...
- c. 1041 -Rajendra invades Lanka
- c. 1054 -Rajadhiraja Chola dies in the battle of KoppamKoppam-Demographics: India census, Koppam had a population of 26277 with 12599 males and 13678 females....
against Western ChalukyasWestern ChalukyasThe Western Chalukya Empire ruled most of the western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This dynasty is sometimes called the Kalyani Chalukya after its regal capital at Kalyani, today's Basavakalyan in Karnataka and alternatively the Later Chalukya from its theoretical... - c. 1070 -Accession of Kulothunga Chola IKulothunga Chola IKō Rājakēsarivarman Abaya Kulōthunga Chōla was one of the greatest kings of the Chola Empire. He was one of the sovereigns who bore the title Kulottunga, literally meaning the exalter of his race.-Early life:...
- c. 1118 -Vikrama CholaVikrama CholaKōpparakēsarivarman Vikrama Chola was a 12th century king of the Chola empire. He succeeded his father Kulothunga Chola I to the throne in 1120 C.E. A insscription of his from Sidlaghatta in Karnataka mentions the Saka date 1042...
- c. 1133 -Kulothunga Chola IIKulothunga Chola IIKulothunga Chola II was a 12th century king of the Chola Dynasty of the Tamil people of South India. He succeeded his father Vikrama Chola to the throne in 1135 CE. Vikrama Chola made Kulothunga his heir apparent and coregent in 1133 CE, so the inscriptions of Kulothunga II count his reign from...
- c. 1146 -Rajaraja Chola IIRajaraja Chola IIRajaraja Chola II succeeded his father Kulothunga Chola II to the Chola throne in 1150 C.E. He was made his heir apparent and coregent in 1146 C.E and so the inscriptions of Rajaraja II count his reign from 1146 C.E...
- c. 1163 -Rajadhiraja Chola IIRajadhiraja Chola IIRajadhiraja Chola II reigned as the Chola king succeeding Rajaraja Chola II. According to historian N. Sethuraman, Rajadhiraja was not the direct descendant of Rajaraja Chola II but was a son of his sister...
- c. 1178 -Kulothunga Chola IIIKulothunga Chola IIIKulothunga Chola III was the ruler of the Chola empire from 1178 to 1218 AD, after succeeding Rajadhiraja Chola II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Pandyas of Madurai, Cheras of Venad, Hoysalas of Mysore, the Sinhala...
- c. 1216 -Rajaraja Chola IIIRajaraja Chola IIIRajaraja Chola III succeeded Kulothunga Chola III on the Chola throne in July 1216 CE. Rajaraja came to the throne of a kingdom much reduced in size as well as influence...
- c. 1246 -Rajendra Chola IIIRajendra Chola IIIRajendra Chola III was the son of Rajaraja Chola III who came to the Chola throne in 1246 CE. Although his father Rajaraja III was still alive, Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration...
Sambuvarayar kings
Chola to Pandya transition
- c. 1190-1260 - Bana Dynasty rule MagadaiMagadaiMagadai or Magadai Mandalam was a Tamil dynasty that flourished during the 13th and 14th centuries near the modern-day Aragalur. Aragalurudaiya Ponparappinan Rajarajadevan, alias Magadesan, was the Bana chief who ruled this region around 1197...
mandalam with family title of 'ponparappinan' and headquarter at AragalurAragalurAragalur is a village in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is about 6 km from Thalaivasal and 70 km from Salem.-Etymology:... - c. 1216 - KadavaKadavaKadava was the name of a Tamil ruling dynasty who ruled parts of the Tamil country during the thirteenth and the fourteenth century CE. Kadavas were related to the Pallava dynasty and ruled from Kudalur near Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.The Kadava kingdom was at the height of their power briefly...
Dynasty
Pandiya revival and Muslim rule
- 1251 -Accession of Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I
- 1279 -End of the Chola dynasty with the death of Rajendra Chola IIIRajendra Chola IIIRajendra Chola III was the son of Rajaraja Chola III who came to the Chola throne in 1246 CE. Although his father Rajaraja III was still alive, Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration...
- 1268-1310 - Maravarman Kulasekhara Pandiyan rules in Madurai
- 1308 -Malik KafurMalik KafurMalik Kafur, General , or Chand Ram as his name was originally, was a slave who became a head general in the army of Alauddin Khilji, ruler of the Delhi sultanate from 1296 to 1316 AD. He was originally seized by Alauddin's army after the army conquered the city of Khambhat...
a general of Allaudin Khilji invades Devagiri en route to Tamil Nadu - 1310 -Sundara Pandian, son of Kulasekara Pandiyan, kills his father and becomes king. In the ensuing civil war he is defeated by his brother Vira Pandiyan.
- 1311 -Malik Kafur, invades Pandiya country and attacks Madurai
- 1327-1370 Madurai under the rule of Madurai Sultanate
Vijayanagar and Nayak period
- 1370 - BukkaBukkaBukka was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty. Bukka patronised Telugu poet Nachana Soma....
, the VijayanagaraVijayanagara EmpireThe Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
ruler and his son Kumara Kamapna capture the entire Tamil country - 1522 -Portuguese land on the Coromandal coast
- 1535 -Achyuta Raya of Vijayanagara appoints Sevappa Nayak, who established the Nayak dynasty at Tanjavur
- 1535-1590 -Sevappa Nayak rules as the first independent Nayak ruler in Tanjavur
- 1600-1645 -Ragunatha Nayak, the greatest of the Tanjavur Nayaks
- 1609 -the Dutch establish a settlement in Pulicat
- 1623-1659 -Tirumalai Nayak rules in Madurai
- 1639 British East India CompanyBritish East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
purchases Chennapatinam and establishes Fort St. George - c. 1652 -Tanjavur and Jingi fall to the Bijapur Sultan
- 1656 -Mysore army invades Salem against the Madurai Nayak Tirumalai
- 1675 -Maratha army from Bijapur marches into Tanjavur, Ekoji declares himself king
- 1692 Nawab of Arcot established by Nawab Zulfiqar Ali KhanZulfiqar Ali KhanAir Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan , NI was a four-star rank general and air officer in the Pakistan Air Force who served as a 9th Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force from April 1974 to July 1978...
, a viceroy of the Moghul Emperor - 1746 La BourdonnaisBertrand-François Mahé de La BourdonnaisBertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais was a French naval officer and administrator, in the service of the French East India Company.-Biography:...
of the French East India company attacks and takes Fort St. George
East India Company
- 1749 British regain Fort St. George through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle arising out of the War of the Austrian SuccessionWar of the Austrian SuccessionThe War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
- 1751 Robert Clive attacks Arcot and takes it with only 500 men
- 1756 The British and the French sign the first Carnatic treaty. Mahommed Ali Walajah was recognized as Nawab of the CarnaticNawab of the CarnaticNawabs of the Carnatic , ruled the Carnatic region of South India between about 1690 and 1801. They initially had their capital at Arcot,vellore city...
- 1759 French under Thomas Arthur, Comte de LallyThomas Arthur, comte de LallyThomas Arthur, comte de Lally, baron de Tollendal was a French General of Irish Jacobite ancestry. He commanded French forces in India during the Seven Years War. After a failed attempt to capture Madras he lost the Battle of Wandiwash to British forces under Eyre Coote and then was forced to...
, attack Madras - 1760 Battle of Vandavasi between the British and the French. Birth of Veerapandya Kattabomman
- 1767 Hyder AliHyder AliHyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
, Sultan of Mysore attacks Madras, but defeated by the British at the Battle of Chengam - 1773 -British Government passes the Regulating Act. The administration of Madras comes under British Government review
- 1777-1832 - Serfoji IISerfoji IISerfoji II was the last ruler of the Maratha principality of Tanjore to exercise absolute sovereignty over his dominions. His descendants, however, have managed to thrive as titular Maharajahs of Thanjavur to the present day...
rules in Tanjavur - 1799 -Serfoji cedes the Tanjavur kingdom to the British. Kattabomman executed by British
- 1803 -Bentinck appointed governor of Madras
- 1800-1805 Poligar Wars
- 1806 -Vellore MutinyVellore MutinyThe Vellore Mutiny on 10 July 1806 was the first instance of a large-scale and violent mutiny by Indian sepoys against the British East India Company, predating the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by half a century...
East India Company's Indian soldiers in VelloreVelloreVellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
mutiny against governor Bentinck in Vellore fortVellore FortVellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in Vellore city near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The Fort was at one point of time the headquarters of the Vijayanagara Empire...
. 114 British officers killed and 19 mutineers executed.
British Rule
- 1892 -British Government passes the Indian Councils Act
- 1909 -'Minto-Morley Reforms'. Madras Legistlative Council formed
- 1921 -First regional elections held in Madras. Justice party forms government
- 1927 -Madras Congress passes a resolution for 'Full Independence'
- 1928 -Simon CommissionSimon CommissionThe Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in Britain's most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon...
visits Madras. mass protests results in several deaths - 1937 -Congress party under C. RajagopalachariC. RajagopalachariChakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
wins provincial elections and forms government in Madras - 1938 -Thanthai Periyar [EVR] organises a separatist agitation demanding Dravidanadu consisting of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala
- 1941 -Indian Muslim League holds its congress in Madras. Muhammad Ali JinnahMuhammad Ali JinnahMuhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
delivers keynote speech - 1944 -Periyar EVR and C. N. AnnaduraiC. N. AnnaduraiConjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai , popularly called Anna , or Arignar Anna was a former Chief Minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
organises Dravidar KazhagamDravidar KazhagamDravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
Post independence period
- 1947 -Madras PresidencyMadras PresidencyThe Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
, comprising Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and parts of Andhra PradeshAndhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
established - 1953 -Madras state comes into being along linguistic lines
- 1965 -Widespread agitationsAnti-Hindi agitationsThe Anti-Hindi agitations of Tamil Nadu are a series of agitations that happened in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu during both pre- and post-Independence periods...
in response to the Federal Government's directive of HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
being the National Language - 1969 -Madras state is renamed as Tamil Nadu (Land of the Tamils)