The Pandyas
They were an ancient and illustrious dynasty who nurtured and promoted the Tamil language by establishing the Sangam assemblies. They also excelled in pearl trade and other forms of commerce. Even before the Sangam period, they had attained an advanced civilization, as proven by archaeological excavations at Adichanallur, Keeladi, Korkai, Vembakkottai, and other sites. The Pandyas had established their rule even before the last Sangam age and, despite some interruptions, continued to govern the Pandya kingdom until the 17th century CE.
In the history of Tamil Nadu—and perhaps even in world history—there is hardly another empire that ruled so long and continuously. Several challenges exist in documenting this history, such as: - Multiple kings ruling the Pandya country during the same period. - Several kings sharing the same name and title. - Insufficient evidence to clearly differentiate between rulers with similar names or different titles. Despite these difficulties, historians such as K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, epigraphists like T. V. Sadasiva Pandarathar, M. Rajasekara Thangamani, and K. V. Raman have managed to provide a relatively clear picture of Pandya history based on available evidence. Their work is commendable. However, can we consider these as the official and complete history of the Pandyas? The answer is debatable.
We firmly believe that Pandya history can be complete only when all inscriptions are combined. This vision led us to create our website, where we are compiling all inscriptions from across India. Our ultimate goal is to make the world recognize the Pandyas as one of the oldest civilizations, predating even the age of stone and soil. We envision establishing a dedicated Pandya Museum in Madurai and writing a comprehensive history of the Pandyas. The Pandyas were rulers who viewed nation and divinity as their two eyes. They loved their land and people deeply and valued spirituality even more. Following their legacy, our group does not stop with historical research alone but also engages in temple renovation projects. Thus, our mission is clear: to ensure that Pandya history reaches its full glory. This is the purpose of our journey called “In Search of the Pandyas”.
