RULERS OF TIRUNELVELI

Tirunelveli is one of the oldest Territorial Dominion in the state of Tamilnadu. It has a very rich historical background that goes up to 3,000 years. Tirunelveli is one of the region  which has a rich culture, tradition and historical sites,  temples which attracts tourism  all over the year.  It is a city that lies on the banks of river Thamirabarani. Tirunelveli is the second headquarters of Pandya dynasty. Pandya dynasty was one of the three illustrious Tamil dynasties. The other two dynasty  are Cheras and Cholas. Tirunelveli is believed to be ruled at different time by early Pandya, cheras, the mediaeval Chola and later Cholas, and later pandyas. Tirunelveli remained under the control of the Chola until the early 13th century, 2nd Pandiyan Empire was established with Madurai as its capital. Almost every Temple has reference to the Pandya dynasty inscriptions on the walls of temples or depiction of pandya symbol on the coins.

Tirunelveli had different names in different times based on the rulers. The district was call tenpadiyanadu during pandiyans. The Chola dynasty name it as Mudikonda Chola Mandalam. Madurai Naik call it as Tirunelveli Seemai. The Pandya dynasty in the region States to several centuries before the Christian Era from inscriptions by Ashoka (304 to 233 BCE) and mention in the mahavamsa the brihat Samhita and the writings of megasthenes (350-290 CE) the province came under the Chola ruler Rajendra Chola 1 in 1064 CE but there has been a confusion whether conquered the region or it was given voluntarily. Tirunelveli region remained under the control of Cholas until 13th century.  The Nellaiappar Temple is one of the popular work of Pandyas in tirunelveli. It was a royal shrine of Pandyas in 13th and 14th Century. City also benefited from the dams and canals build with royal patronage at that time.

After the death of Kulasekara Pandiya, Tirunelveli region came under the rule of Vijayanagara rulers and maravar chieftians, they are also called as palayakars or poligars during 16th Centuary. Tirunelveli was a subsidiary capital of Madurai Nayak. Under Vishvantha Nayak, the city was rebuilt in 1560. Then After a century, Nayak rule ended in 1736 and the region was captured by Chanda Sahib, Arcot Nawab and Mohammad Yusaf Khan in mid Century.

An Archaeological survey in tirunelveli that shows a temple built during pandya dynasty

You can hear the saptha swarangal (the seven basic notes) come like a wave as it were from the stone pieces.

The region was popularly identified as Nellai Cheemai (cheemai meaning - developed foreign town). After the Polygar Wars which witnessed the unfortunate defeat of Veerapandiya Kattabomman (dauntless 18th century polygar), Tirunelveli was acquired from the Nawabs of the Carnatic by the British and the Britishers named it as Tinnevelly.