Thondaiman
Encyclopedia
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Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
| Family name | Thondaiman |
| Capital | Tondai Nadu Tondai Nadu Tondai Nadu is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the traditional Pallava kingdom... (Thondaimandalam) |
The Thodaimans were Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
rulers of ancient Tondai Nadu
Tondai Nadu
Tondai Nadu is a historical region located in the northernmost part of Tamil Nadu. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the traditional Pallava kingdom...
division of Tamilakkam
Ancient Tamil country
The 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...
. They ruled with Pallava dynasty, which controlled Northern Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil 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 Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra 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...
, with their capital at Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, 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...
. There are hundreds of records and edicts pertaining to the Tondaiman rulers.
Reference in Sangam literature
The ruler Thondaiman Ilandirayan was mentioned in Purananuru in one of the poem written by AvvaiyarAvvaiyar
The Avvaiyars "respectable women" was the title of more than one poet who was active during different periods of Tamil literature. The Avvaiyar were some of the most famous and important female poets of the Tamil canon. Abithana Chintamani states that there were three female poets titled...
as a king confronting Adiamar and the battle was avoided by tactics of Avvaiyaar.
During Chola Empire
Kalingathuparani was written by Jayamkondar in praise of Karunagara Thondaiman for the victory over 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...
(present day Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
). He was the Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
prince working under Kulothunga Chola I
Kulothunga Chola I
Kō 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:...
as a Thalaphathy. Karunagara Thondaiman is also stated as Vandai arasan.
Poet Kambar wrote "Silaiezhupathy" about Karunagara Thondaiman.Silaiyelupathu
Aranthangi Thondaimans
Aranthangi Thondaimans who were ruling AranthangiAranthangi
Aranthangi is a town and a municipality in Pudukkottai district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Demographics: India census, Aranthangi had a population of 34,266. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Aranthangi has an average literacy rate of 50%, lower than the national...
from the 15th to 18th century, as feudal chiefs under the Pandyas and Vijayanagar
Vijayanagara Empire
The 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...
rulers. There are references to the Aranthangi Thondaimans in the inscriptions in the temples in Avudayarkovil, Alappiranathan, Pillaivayal, Aranthangi
Aranthangi
Aranthangi is a town and a municipality in Pudukkottai district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Demographics: India census, Aranthangi had a population of 34,266. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Aranthangi has an average literacy rate of 50%, lower than the national...
, Kovilur
Kovilur
Kovilur may refer to places in India:* Kovilur, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu* Kovilur, Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu* Kovilur, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu...
, Paramandur, Palankarai, Piranmalai, Thiruvarankulam and Kurumbur
Kurumbur
Kurumbur is a village in theAranthangirevenue block of Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu, India.- Demographics :As per the 2001 census, Kurumbur had a total population of...
. Similarly the Aranthangi Thondaimans were an independent line of chieftains, ruling from Aranthangi, and their reign flourished even about 200 years before the rule of the Thondaimans of Pudukottai
Pudukkottai District
Pudukkottai District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Pudukkottai is the district headquarters...
, which started in about 1640.
Aranthangi Thondaimans were the chief patrons of the Avudayarkovil temple, and had liberally donated to the maintenance of the temple, as indicated by copper plates in the possession of the Tiruvavaduthurai Adheenam. They had gifted land to Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur is a town and a municipality in Tiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruvarur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvarur district. Tiruvarur is one of the oldest towns which has been popular as cultural head quarters for many centuries...
, Rameswaram, Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, 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...
and also Benares temples. About 25 copper plates grants of Aranthangi Thondaimans have been recorded so far, and 16 of them are in the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam
Tiruvavaduturai
Thiruvavaduthurai is a town well known for its adheenam. It is one of the five most prominent shaiva aadheenams in South India. It is headed by a pontiff. at here the Thirumular writes "thirumanthiram"....
.
Thondaiman dynasty of Pudukkottai
Kallar (caste)
Kallar are a community found in the central and south-eastern parts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kallar means thiefs. The Kallar, along with the Maravar and Akamudayar, constitute the Mukkulathor confederacy, a united social caste on the basis of parallel professions, though their locations...
ruler of Pudukkottai. Raghunatha Kilavan Setupati of Ramnad (1673-1708 A.D.) married Kathali Nachiar the sister of Thondaiman, he appointed his brother-in-law Raghunatha Thondaiman as a chief of the district of Pudukottai. Raghunatha Thondaiman (son of Avudai Raghunatha Thondaiman) was earlier ruling Thirumayam. In appreciation of Raghunatha Tondaman's services, Raghunatha Kilavan Setupati has given Pudukkottai as an honour for his services.
In later centuries, the Thondaiman rulers, while nominally feudatories of the Ramnad state, often pursued an independent foreign policy, a trend common in all parts of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
at that time. After the death of Raghunatha Kilavan Setupati; he become ruler of Pudukottai. After becoming the ruler of Pudukottai, Raghunatha Thondaiman fought against the Nayaks of Tanjore in support of the Nayaks of Madurai and conquered Thirukkattupalli a very important place. Then there was a direct clash between Thondaimans of Pudukottai and the Nayaks rulers of Tanjore. Thondaiman conquered the west of Thirukkattupalli.
The next ruler Raja Vijaya Reghunatha Raya Thondaiman he helped Nawab of Arcot against Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder 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...
the ruler of Mysore Kingdom. He was also loyal towards the British Government. After some time, when Hyder Ali’s army tried to enter into Pudukkottai, the Thondaiman’s army successfully defeated them and drove Hyder’s army away. Thondaiman captured Kilanilai and Aranthangi. He helped the British Government against Tipu Sultan.
Pudukkotai finally came under formal British protection. This was arguably unavoidable, since the Thondaimans were much menaced in that period by a resurgent Mysore ruled by Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder 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...
and Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
. Tipu Sultan had sought to leverage the power of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
against his British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
adversaries, and Pudukkotai, in common with its neighbours such as Thanjavur and Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, found it expedient to ally with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Raja Rajagopala Thondaiman (1928–1948) the last and ninth in the line of Thondaiman rulers, was selected by the British Government and was crowned when he was six years old. After Indian independence in 1947, the Pudukkottai Princely State was amalgamated with Indian Union on 04/03/1948 and became a division in Tiruchirappalli district. The long history of the Thondaimans rule came to an end. Some settlements of this dynasty has still found near Tanjaore. In early 1700, the Cholas had built a temple in the Madivala village, which now falls within the Bangalore city limits. This temple is still visited by Kathiravan who belongs to this dynasty.