Ancient Tamil kingdoms had important trade routes in the Mediterranean and even sent ambassadors to Roman courts. The Pandya, Chera, and Chola rulers rose and fell in conflict with each other but also allowed for art and literature to develop and flourish. Tamilakam in southern India and Sri Lanka has a rich history. Sangam (also called cankam) poems and writings are one of the oldest records of Tamil literature, legends, and language. The Sangam period began in the fourth century B.C.E. Sangam writings were supposedly created at the centers of learning in Madurai, part of Pandya territory. Some of the poems were also composed by women. Sangam writings were composed in the Tamil language and often featured poems written about royalty and love, with both men and women as primary characters. Writers and poets composed the earliest surviving Tamil literature during this period. The modern district of Kerala draws its name from the Chera Dynasty. The Chera were known for their jewel and spice trade, and their royal emblem was the bow. The first rulers were mentioned in Sangam literature in the first century C.E.В The city of Karur served as their capital. The Chera chieftains governed the southwestern coast of Tamilakam, reaching their height in the ninth century C.E. However, other religious groups such as Jainism, Islam, and Buddhism were also found in Tamil society. This temple was one of the tallest temples in medieval India at about 60 meters (197 feet), and it was dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva.Д®ventually, the Chola Dynasty was defeated by the neighboring Pandya Dynasty and the rule of the Cholas ended in 1279.В The Chola rulers, like the other Tamil groups, were mostly practitioners of Hinduism. To celebrate his victories and reign, he commissioned the Brihadisvarar Temple at Tanjore, completed in the early 11 th century C.E. He conquered the Maldive Islands and parts of Sri Lanka during the 10 th century C.E. While they existed in conflict with other neighboring tribes like the Pandyas and the Pallavas, eventually, King RajarajaВ (reigned 985вЂ“1014 C.E.) took the empire to its height. Chola rulers used the symbol of a tiger as their royal emblem. They first appeared in non-Tamil records in the third century B.C.E., in stelae inscriptions from the Mauryan King Ashoka the Great, who held territory to the north of Tamilakam. They were based in the Cauvery valley, in the cities of Tanjore (Thanjavur) and Uraiyur. After ruling southern India for centuries, infighting and Islamic invaders weakened the dynasty, which eventually ended around the 16 th century C.E.Д¬hola rulers held the eastern coast of southern India and Sri Lanka, becoming prominent in the 10 th through 13 th centuries C.E. The symbol of the Pandya Dynasty was the fish. There, scholars produced much of the unique Tamil literature from this period. The main city of the Pandyas was Madurai, where Tamil kings held three Sangam poetry academies. The Pandya rulers governed the most southern part of the Indian subcontinent and initially practiced Jainism, but later became Hindus, specifically Shaivas. and were said to have sent ambassadors to Roman emperors. They first appeared in Greek writings in the fourth century B.C.E. The Pandya are the earliest mentioned of the Tamil ruling chieftains. Many ancient Tamil were part of the Shaivism sect of Hinduism, worshiping Shiva as their main god. Shiva-known as the destroyer of the universe-is a Hindu god, one of the trio of the Hindu pantheon alongside Brahma and Vishnu. Tamilakam is an important historical region for early Hinduism, and Shiva worship was particularly prominent during the period of the Three Crowned Kings. Archaeological and written evidence suggests there were strong trade and economic links between Tamilakam and Mediterranean powers like Rome. Tamil is one of the oldest languages of the Indian subcontinent. The traditional homeland of the Tamil people is called Tamilakam, or Tamil Nadu. The Tamil people are a linguistic group with roots in modern south India and Sri Lanka, although many have emigrated out of this region. Despite this turmoil, they were crucial in advancing south Indian art, architecture, and literature. At the beginning of the common era, southern India and Sri Lanka were home to three Tamil dynastic chiefdoms or kingdoms, each ruled by kings, together called вЂњmuvendar.вЂќ The Pandya, Chera, and Chola dynasties ruled over the Tamil people during ancient and medieval India, fighting among themselves and other forces for dominance of the region. The Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam ruled and fought over the southern region of the Indian subcontinent for centuries.

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