5 Fascinating Stories from the Nayaka Kingdom of Tamil Nadu
A Betel-bearer who became the First Nayaka King
“What’s so special about the Nayaka Kings? They cannot match the power of the Cholas or the Pandyas, and more importantly, they are not of Tamil descent!”
I could almost hear what you thought. Their roots aside, remember — the Nayakas added many more beautiful hues to the vast canvas of Tamilakam’s 3000+ years of history! Each King from the Nayaka line, governed well, engaged in wars, built extensive temples, and above all — each of them had a fascinating story of their own!
The Background
Before we get to each of these stories, who are the Nayakas, first of all? Where did they come from? With the rise of the Vijayanagara Empire, in 1370, the Madurai Sultanate was conquered, and Tamilakam came under the rule of Vijayanagara emperors.
Later, in the 1500’s, Tamilakam was divided into three portions:
- Madurai Nayakas
- Thanjavur Nayakas
- Gingee Nayakas
The chief military officers of the Vijayanagara army were appointed as Nayak governors to rule each of these portions on the Emperor’s behalf and pay tribute. Now that we know the background, let’s look at the…
