Nayaks of Madurai: Map & History
The Madurai Nayaks were a Telugu-speaking dynasty of Kamma origin that ruled large parts of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, between the 16th and 18th centuries, with Madurai as their capital.
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The Madurai Nayaks were a Telugu-speaking dynasty of Kamma origin that ruled large parts of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, between the 16th and 18th centuries, with Madurai as their capital. It was founded by Nagama Nayak's son Viswanatha Nayak around 1529 as a viceroyalty under the Vijayanagara Empire. Their tenure that lasted till 1736, was characterised by administrative reorganisation through the palaiyakkarar system, temple reconstruction, and the development of distinct architectural forms such as large pillared madapas and palace complexes.
Modern Countries Once Part of Nayaks of Madurai
At its mapped extent, Nayaks of Madurai covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Nayaks of Madurai's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Nayaks of Madurai in Depth
History
The Dalavay Agraharam Plates of Venkata I record that Virappa Nayaka, grandson of Madurai dynasty's founder Viswanatha Nayaka, held the title ''Lord of Ayyavalipura'' (Aihole). Inscriptions from Kolhapur and Miraj designate the Gavares as the lords of Ayyavalipura, while the merchant Balijas in the Tamil speaking region were historically known as Valanjiyars. The members of the guild were termed Vira Balanjas in Telugu, Vira Banajigas in Kannada, and Vira Valanjiyar in Tamil, all translating to "Valiant Mechants". These merchants acted as protectors of Vira Balanja Dharma with their historical capital based at Ayyavole (Aihole) in Bijapur district of Karnataka.
Culture
Telugu and Tamil were the principal languages of the kingdom. While Tamil was spoken by the majority of the population, migratory Telugu merchant and peasant communities settled throughout the districts. The royal court used Telugu for internal administration and literary patronage, while official proclamations and temple endowments were recorded in both Tamil and Telugu.
The Nayakas patronized literary compositions in Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit. Telugu prose writing developed substantially alongside classic poetic forms (kavyas). In Tamil, the earliest extant Islamic work, the Ayira Masala (a translation of the Persian Book of One Thousand Questions by Vaṇṇapparimaḷappulavar), was formally presented at the Madurai court in 1572.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Madurai Nayak dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nayaks of Madurai: Key Facts
Preceded by
Facts from Wikidata Q1530838 (CC0).
Nayaks of Madurai Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Nayaks of Madurai appears, with the other states of the time.
Nayaks of Madurai Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 48,190 km² in 1736 CE.
Nayaks of Madurai: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Nayaks of Madurai exist?
Nayaks of Madurai is dated to 1529 CE – 1737 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
What was the capital of Nayaks of Madurai?
The capital of Nayaks of Madurai was ubli, Madurai, (1529–1616).
How large was Nayaks of Madurai at its peak?
At its peak in 1736 Nayaks of Madurai covered about 48,190 km².
How did the map of Nayaks of Madurai change over time?
Nayaks of Madurai appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1600 CE to 1700 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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