for students of BA II Sem BHU

1. Second Pandya empire
By
Prachi Virag Sontakke

2. प ांड्य वांश क इतिह स

3. Introduction
• Ancient pedigree
• Period of Pandya supremacy
• Area of rule: far south
• Area of influence: Sri Lanka
• Period marked by intense religious tussles: The rise of the Bhakti
movement
• Founder: Marvarman Sunderpandya I

4. Marvarman Sundarpandya I (c.1216-1238CE)
• Main enemy: Cholas
• 1219CE: Attacked & defeated Chola king Kulottunga III.
• Burned Uraiyur & Tanjore
• Received taxes and gifts from son of Kulottunga III, Rajraja III.
• Organised his coronation in Mamundicholapuram
• Did pooja in Chidambaram temple with his whole family.
• Took title शोण डुलबलगिय –रूललय (चोलों क र ज्य व पस करनेव ल )
• Chola king now ruling as samant of Pandyas.

5. MVSP & Cholas: Stage II
• Violation of terms of treaty by next Chola king Rajaraja III
• Cholas stopped paying taxes to Pandyas.
• Even attacked Pandyas: Battle between Chola & Pandyas.
• Cholas defeated again.
• Uraiyur-Tanjore burnt, Queens captured.
• Pandya king re coronated himself in Chola capital.
• Attack somewhere between 1223-1236CE.

6. MVSP & Hoyasals
• Hoyasal king Narsingh II friendly with Cholas.
• Intervened on behalf of Cholas & defeated Pandya king.
• Narsimha II returned back Chola king his kingdom.
• No acquisition of Chola areas = No territorial benefit for MVSV
• K.A.N.Shastri: Matrimonial alliance was sought between Pandyas and Hoyasals.

7. Others
• 1223CE: Subdued the revolt in Kongu.
• Inscriptions recovered from Tiruchilapalli, Tanjore, Madura,
Tirunekveli, Pudukottai.
• Constructed temples in his kingdom.
• Some copper coins of him are recovered.
• Titles: अतिशयप ांड्यदेव, कललयुिर म, शोण डुकोंडन

8. Succession after MVSP I
• Jatavarman Kulshekhar II: ruled for a small duration.
• 1238 CE: Marvarman Sundarpandya II
• Chola king Rajendra III defeated him & received abundant war
booty.
• Hoyasala king Someshwar shifted his allegiance to Pandyas:
supported Pandyas against Cholas.

9. Jatavarman Sundarpandya I (1251-1268CE)
• Greatest king of this dynasty
• Initiated imperialistic campaigns
• Defeated Cheras, Hoyasals, Cholas, Kaadav and Sri Lankan king within
6 years of his reign

10. JVSP & Cheras
• Contemporary Chera king = Udaymartand
• Jatavarman Sundarpandya defeated Cheras in Malabar
• Killed Chera king Udaymartand in ensuing battle
• Appointed his representative in Chera kingdom

11. JVSP & Kaadav
• King of Kaadav = कोप्पेरू
ूँ ज ांि
• Kaadav king sent gifts to JVSP to seek friendship
• JVSP refused the gifts by Kaadav king.
• Instead JSVP attacked & defeated him
• Kaadav king became a feudatory of JVSP
• JVSP took a precious necklace from Kaadav king and gifted it to Vishnu
temple at Srirangam
• Organized his coronation in Srirangam

12. JVSP & Hoyasals
• Contemporary Hoyasal king = Someshwar
• Evidence of two battles with Hoyasals.
• First battle : JVSP Defeated Someshwar in a battle fought
near Tirucharpalli
• Someshwar fled.
• Hoyasal commander of army was killed.
• Jatavarmansundar Pandya received many elephants.
• Second Battle: fought near Srirangam.
• JVSP defeated and killed Someshwar
• Successful in confining Hoysala control to the Mysore
Plateau only.

13. JSVP & Cholas
• Contemporary Chola king = Rajendra III
• Srirangam inscription: JVSP was “चोल प्र तिरूपी पववि क
े ललए वज्र”
• Subdued Rajendra III around 1258–1260 CE and made him pay tribute
• From 1258 CE till his life, Rajendra III Chola ruled as a feudatory of
Pandyas.

14. JVSP’s Digvijay: Taking of Chola territories
• 1252-54CE- Defeated Sri Lankan king and made him his feudatory.
• Banas: Defeated Banas & forced Bana king to flee.
• Telugu Chodas: Killed Telugu Choda king and took Kanchi. Returned his
kingdom back to his brother when latter surrendered.
• Kakatiya : Defeated Kakatiya king Ganapati in 1263CE. Won Nellore &
organised his coronation there. Later Ganapati reacquired Nellore.

15. JVSP & Sri Lanka
• 1252-54CE: Attacked Sri Lanka.
• Defeated Sri Lankan King
• Made him his feudatory.

16. Remarks
• Extended Pandya boundaries : Extent: North- Pennar river, south-Sri Lanka
• Inflicted a great loss on Cholas
• Great builder: Plated the shikhara of Chidambaram temple with gold
• Gave donation of 18 lakh gold coins to Srirangam temple
• Organised annual fairs and festivals in temples.
• Performed Vedic yajnas.
• Titles: मह र गिर , परमेश्वर, समस्ि िद ि र, क ूँचीपुरमकोंडन, हेम च्छ दनर (मांददरों को
स्वणव से आच्छ ददि करनेव ल , एल नडलैय न न (सभी क अगिपति), र पिन (सूयव की भ ूँति चमकने
व ल )।

20. Marvarman Kulshekhar I (c.1268-1312?CE)
• S/O JVSP
• Functioned as Yuvaraj during his father’s reign
• Inscription of 34th regnal year of MVKS: Faced some resistance upon
accession initially.
• Lost some areas to his brothers. But later took them back.
• Issued coins with bust of king on obverse and dual fish on reverse
• Titles: Konerimaykondam , Kollamkonda, Kulshekhar

21. MVKS & Sri Lanka
• Mahavamsha: Attacked Sri Lanka at time of drought
• Sri Lankan king = Bhuvanaikka Bahu I
• MVKS’s victorious campaign: Recovered lot of wealth
• Destroyed the city of Shubhagiri
• Carried away to the Pandya country the venerable Tooth
Relic from Shubhagiri
• By diplomacy, next Simhal king (S/O Bhuvanaikka Bahu) took
back Buddha’s tooth
• Sri Lanka remained under Pandya control till c. 1308-09 CE

22. MVKS & Cholas
• Contemporary Chola king = Rajendra III
• MVKS defeated Cholas.
• Hoyasala king Ramnath = Chola feudatory
• 1279CE: MVKS attacked and defeated Ramnath.
• Maravarman Kulasekara I, now virtually unchallenged, ruled over the Chola country
and southern Tamil speaking portions of Hoysala kingdom
• Acquired immense wealth from attack on Cholas and Hoyasals.
• Utilized the same to construct Praakaar of Tirunelveli temple

23. MVKS : Other victories
• Inscription of 12th regnal year of MVKS: Won -
1. मलयांन डु
2. कोंिु
3. शोण डु
4. िोडमांडलम
5. श्रीलांक
6. होयसल
7. चोलों पर वव य प्र प्ि की

25. Marco Polo’s account of MVKS’s reign
• 1239CE: Marco Polo visited Pandya country: Made following remarks
1. Pandya kingdom is the best among all in India.
2. 5 Pandya prince rule together & now Sundar Pandya is ruling
3. The King has a huge treasury and he wears precious gems and ornaments.
4. He ruled over a vast empire & was a benevolent & just king.
5. Here beautiful pearls are found.
6. Kayal on origin of river Tamraparni was a famous trading port.
7. Ships from Arab, Persian Gulf & other countries embarked here.
8. Trade of horses.
9. King offers numerous facilities to visiting traders.
10. Sati was practised in this kingdom
11. There were Deva dasis in temples.

26. Account of Wasaf
1. King of Pandyas led a lavish luxurious life
2. He had ruled for 40 years
3. During this long reign, his kingdom is not once attacked by enemy, not once
he has fallen ill.
4. His treasury is filled with gold coins.
5. He has 1200 crore gold coins besides numerous gems & jewels
6. Pandya kingdom provided decorative items to Persia, Iraq, Khursan, Turkey
and Europe

27. MVKS: Remarks
• Powerful ruler
• Assisted in administration by his 4 sons.
• Issued coins
• Built temples
• Promoted traders and trading activities.
• Trade relations with China: Sent ambassador to Chinese court

28. Succession
• MVKS had 4 sons
1. ट वमवन सुांदरप ांड्य II (१२७६)
2. म रवमवन ववक्रमप ांड्य (१२८३)
3. ट वमवन वीरप ांड्य II (१२९६)
4. ट वमवन सुांदरप ांड्य III (१३०३)
• Civil war during the later years of MVKS’s reign.
Assisted MVKS in administration

29. Succession fight
• 1302CE: The accession of the elder son, Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan III, as co-regent.
• The appointment of Sundarapandyan as a co-regent provoked the other son Vira
Pandyan.
• So he killed his father Maravarman Kulasekharan in 1310 CE.
• In the civil war that ensued, Vira Pandyan won and became firmly established in his
kingdom.
• The other son, JSVP III, fled to Delhi and took refuge under the protection of Alauddin
Khilji.

30. Hoyasal & Chera invasion in Pandya
kingdom
• Contemporary Hoyasal king = Ballal III
• Taking advantage of the political situation, Ballala III invaded the
Pandya territory.
• However, Ballala had to retreat to his capital, when Khalji general
Malik Kafur invaded his kingdom at the same time
• King of Kerala also attacked Pandyas and defeated Virpandya and
Sundar Pandya.

31. Fate of Pandya kingdom
• 1311CE: Malik Kafur arrived in Madurai.
• Found the city empty and Vira Pandyan fled.
• Amir Khusru: 512 elephants, 5,000 horses along with 500 mounds of jewel of
diamonds, pearls, emeralds and rubies taken by Malik Kafur.
• Madurai temple was desecrated and an enormous amount of wealth was looted.
• The wealth carried was later used in Delhi by Allauddin Khalji, who had then taken
over the throne, to wean away the notables in the court to his side against other
claimants.
• After Malik Kafur’s invasion, the Pandyan kingdom came to be divided among a
number of the main rulers in the Pandya’s family itself.
• In Madurai, a Muslim state subordinate to Delhi Sultan was established.
• 1335 CE: Muslim Governor of Madurai Jalaluddin Asan Shah threw off his
allegiance and declared himself independent & created Madurai sultanate

32. Aftermath
• After the departure of the Khaljis, Vira and Sundara Pandya resumed their conflict.
• Sundara Pandya was defeated, and sought help from the Khaljis again.
• With their help, he regained control of the South Arcot region by 1314.
• Subsequently, there were two more expeditions from the Sultanate in 1314 led by Khusro Khan and in 1323
by Ulugh Khan (Muhammad bin Tughluq).
• While the previous sultanate raids were content with plunder, the Tughluqs under Muhammad bin Tughluq
annexed the former Pandya dominions to the sultanate as the province of Malabar.
• The family quarrels & the Sultanate invasions shattered the Pandya empire beyond revival
• Pandyas were now confined to the old South Arcot region only.
• 1323CE: Jaffna kingdom declared its independence from the crumbling Pandya influence.

33. End
• Long history of Pandya revolts against Tughlaq Dynasty
• Vijayanagar, Kakaitya and Kerala kings also subdued Pandyas.
• Even after losing Madurai, Pandya dynasty managed to survive
till 17th cent CE
• 1649: Pandyas under Vijaynagar empire
• No info about Pandyas after this