This is a list of ethnically Tamil and predominantly Tamil speaking monarchs, who ruled in Southern India and parts of Sri Lanka and South East Asia. The ancient Tamil monarchy was largely hereditary and supported by numerous chieftains.
Tamil royal titles
- Tribhuvana Chakravarti/Chakravarti(Emperor)
- Perarasi/Mahadevi (Empress)
- Devar (King)
- Devi/kundhi (Queen)
- Ko, Arasan, Mannan, Aliyan or Araiyan (head of stamping)
- Arasi (Queen)
- Ilavarasi or Piratti (Princess)
- Ilam-Ko or Ilavarasan (Prince)
- Kuru-nila Mannan or Chittrarasan (Regional King)
- Chittrarasi (Regional Queen)
Three Crowned Kings
The three crowned kings known as Muvendar were the traditional three Tamil dynasties that ruled the Tamilakam since the Sangam era.
Pandyan dynasty (c. 600 BCE â 1620 CE)
Early Pandyans (c. 6th century BCE â 3rd century CE)
Imperial Pandyans (590âÂÂ920 CE)
Pandyans under Chola empire (920âÂÂ1216 CE)
- Sundara Pandyan I (920 CE)
- Veera Pandyan I
- Veera Pandyan II
- Amarabhujanga Tivrakopa
- Jatavarman Sundara Chola Pandyan
- Maravarman Vikrama Chola Pandyan
- Maravarman Parakrama Chola Pandyan
- Jatavarman Chola Pandya
- Seervallabha Manakulachala (1101âÂÂ1124)
- Maaravaramban Seervallaban (1132âÂÂ1161)
- Parakrama Pandyan I (1161âÂÂ1162 CE)
- Kulasekara Pandyan III
- Vira Pandyan III
- Jatavarman Srivallaban (1175âÂÂ1180 CE)
- Jatavarman Kulasekaran I (1190âÂÂ1216 CE)
Later Pandyans (1212âÂÂ1345 CE)
Tenkasi Pandyans (1422âÂÂ1620 CE)
During the 15th century, the Pandyans lost their traditional capital city Madurai to Delhi Sultanate, and were forced to move their capital to Tirunelveli in southern Tamilakam and existed there as vassals.
- Cataiyavarman Parakrama Pandyan (1422âÂÂ1463 CE)
- Cataiyavarman III Kulasekara Pandyan (1429âÂÂ1473 CE)
- Azhagan Perumal Parakrama Pandyan (1473âÂÂ1506 CE)
- Kulasekara Pandyan (1479âÂÂ1499 CE)
- Cataiyavarman Civallappa Pandyan (1534âÂÂ1543 CE)
- Parakrama Kulasekara Pandyan (1543âÂÂ1552 CE)
- Nelveli Maran (1552âÂÂ1564 CE)
- Cataiyavarman Adiveerama Pandyan (1564âÂÂ1604 CE)
- Varathunga Pandyan (1588âÂÂ1612 CE)
- Varakunarama Pandyan (1613âÂÂ1618 CE)
- Kollankondan ( Approx 1620 CE)
Mutharaiyar (raiyar)(600 and 850 CE)
Mutharaiyar dynasty is one of the royal dynasty in Tamil Nadu state of India. Mutharaiyars ruled Tanjore, Trichy and Pudukottai regions from 600 CE to 850 CE.
Admirable accounts of Mutharaiyar kings are found in the Tamil epics NÃÂlaá¹ÂiyÃÂr and Muthollaayiram
Kuvavan Maaran alias Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar I (650-680 CE)
Maaran Parameswaran alias Ilangovadiaraiyan (680 -705 CE)
Suvaran Maran alias Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II (705-745 CE)
Videlviduku Satan Maran(745 -770 CE)
Peradiarayan alias Marbiduku(770-791 CE)
Kuvavan Satan alias Videlviduku Mutharaiyar(791 -826 CE)
sandhan Pailiili(826 -851 CE)
Chola dynasty (c. 300 BCE â 1280 CE)
Legendary Chola rulers
Early Chola rulers (c. 300 BCE â 850 CE)
Imperial Chola Empire (850âÂÂ1279 CE)
Chera dynasty (c. 300 BCE â 1528 CE)
Early Chera kingdom (c. 3rd century BCE â 4th century CE)
From inscriptions
- Ko Athan Cheral Irumporai
- Perum Kadungo Irumporai
- Ilam Kadungo Irumporai
- Kadummi Pudha Chera
From inscribed coins
- Mak-kothai
- Kuttuvan Kothai
- Kollippurai/Kollippurai
- Kol Irumporai
- Sa Irumporai
Kongu Chera dynasty (c. 400âÂÂ844 CE)
- Ravi Kotha
- Kantan Ravi
- Vira Kotha
- Vira Narayana
- Vira Chola
- Vira Kerala
- Amara Bhujanga Deva
- Kerala Kesari Adhirajaraja Deva
Chera Perumal dynasty of Makotai (c. 844âÂÂ1124 CE)
- Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara (844âÂÂ870 CE)
- Kulasekhara Alvar/Kulasekhara Varma
- Rama Rajasekhara (870âÂÂ883 CE)
- Cheraman Perumal Nayanar
- Vijayaraga (883âÂÂ895 CE)
- Kotha Kotha Kerala Kesari (895âÂÂ905 CE)
- Kotha Ravi (905âÂÂ943 CE)
- Indu Kotha (943âÂÂ962 CE)
- Bhaskara Ravi Manukuladithya (962âÂÂ1021 CE)
- Ravi Kotha Rajasimha (1021âÂÂ1036 CE)
- Raja Raja (1036âÂÂ1089 CE)
- Ravi Rama Rajadithya (1036âÂÂ1089 CE)
- Adithyan Kotha Ranadithya (1036âÂÂ1089 CE)
- Rama Kulasekhara (1089âÂÂ1122 CE)
- Kotha Varma Marthandam (1122âÂÂ1124 CE)
Venadu Chera/Kulasekhara dynasty (c. 1124âÂÂ1528 CE)
- Vira Kerala Varma I (1124âÂÂ1145 CE)
- Kodai Kerala Varma (1145âÂÂ1150 CE)
- Vira Ravi Varma (1145âÂÂ1150 CE)
- Vira Kerala Varma II (1164âÂÂ1167 CE)
- Vira Aditya Varma (1167âÂÂ1173 CE)
- Vira Udaya Martanda Varma (1173âÂÂ1192 CE)
- Devadaram Vira Kerala Varma III (1192âÂÂ1195 CE)
- Vira Manikantha Rama Varma Tiruvadi (1195â ?)
- Vira Rama Kerala Varma Tiruvadi (1209âÂÂ1214 CE)
- Vira Ravi Kerala Varma Tiruvadi (1214âÂÂ1240 CE)
- Vira Padmanabha Martanda Varma Tiruvadi (1240âÂÂ1252 CE)
- Ravi Varma (1299âÂÂ1313 CE)
- Vira Udaya Martanda Varma (1313âÂÂ1333 CE)
- Aditya Varma Tiruvadi (1333âÂÂ1335 CE)
- Vira Rama Udaya Martanda Varma Tiruvadi (1335âÂÂ1342 CE)
- Vira Kerala Varma Tiruvadi (1342âÂÂ1363 CE)
- Vira Martanda Varma III (1363âÂÂ1366 CE)
- Vira Rama Martanda Varma (1366âÂÂ1382 CE)
- Vira Ravi Varma (1383âÂÂ1416 CE)
- Vira Ravi Ravi Varma (1416âÂÂ1417 CE)
- Vira Kerala Martanda Varma (1383 CE)
- Chera Udaya Martanda Varma (1383âÂÂ1444 CE)
- Vira Ravi Varma (1444âÂÂ1458 CE)
- Sankhara Sri Vira Rama Martanda Varma (1458âÂÂ1468 CE)
- Vira Kodai Sri Aditya Varma (1468âÂÂ1484 CE)
- Vira Ravi Ravi Varma (1484âÂÂ1503 CE)
- Martanda Varma, Kulasekhara Perumal (1503âÂÂ1504 CE)
- Vira Ravi Kerala Varma, Kulasekhara Perumal (1504âÂÂ1528 CE)
Pallava Feudatories (c. 275âÂÂ897 CE)
Early Pallavas
- Virakurcha (275âÂÂ300), founder of dynasty
- Simha Varman I, Provincial governor of Palnadu region of Andhra
- Siva Skanda Varman I (300âÂÂ325)
- Buddhavarman (325âÂÂ340)
- Vishnugopavarman (340âÂÂ350)
Middle Pallavas
- Kumaravisnu I (c. 345âÂÂ360)
- Skanda Varman II (c. 360âÂÂ380)
- Vira Varman (c. 380âÂÂ400)
- Skanda Varman III (c. 400âÂÂ436)
- Simha Varman I (c. 436âÂÂ477)
- Yuvamaharaja Vishnugopa, Brother of Simhavarman I, Provincial governor of Andhra
- Skanda Varman IV (c. 477âÂÂ490)
- Nandi Varman I (c. 490âÂÂ500)
- Kumaravisnu II (c. 500âÂÂ510)
- Buddha Varman (c. 510âÂÂ525)
- Kumaravisnu III (c. 525âÂÂ545)
Later Pallavas
Ay chieftains
Ay chieftains (early historic)
- Ay Andiran
- Ay Titiyan (the Podiyil Chelvan)
- Ay Atiyan
Medieval Ay kings
- Chadayan Karunanthan
- Karunanthadakkkan Srivallabha (r. 856âÂÂ884 CE)
- Vikramaditya Varaguna (r. 884âÂÂ911 CE)
Mushika Rulers
Early rulers
Medieval rulers
- Validhara Vikkirama Rama (c. 929 CE)
- Kantan Karivarman alias Iramakuta Muvar (c. 1020 CE)
- Mushikesvara Chemani/Jayamani (c. 1020 CE)
- Utaiya-varma alias Ramakuta Muvar (early 12th century CE)
Kadava Chieftains (c.1216-1279 CE)
Jaffna Chieftains (c. 1277âÂÂ1619 CE)
Rajahs of Ramnad (c. 1601âÂÂ1949 CE)
List of Sethupathi rulers
Chieftains With the Madurai Nayaks (c. 1601âÂÂ1677)
- Udaiyan Sethupathi (Sadaikkan) (1601âÂÂ1623)
- Koottan Sethupathi (1623âÂÂ1635)
- Dalavai Raghunatha Sethupathi (1635âÂÂ1645)
- Thirumalai Raghunatha Sethupathi (1646âÂÂ1676)
- Raja Suriya Sethupathi (1676)
- Aathana Raghunatha Sethupathi (1677)
Imperial rulers (c. 1678âÂÂ1795 CE)
- Raghunatha Kilavan Sethupathi (1678âÂÂ1710)
- Muthu Vairavanatha Sethupathi I (1710âÂÂ1712)
- Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi (1713âÂÂ1725)
- Sundaresvara Raghunatha Sethupathi (1725)
- Bavani Sangara Sethupathi (1725âÂÂ1727)
- Kumara Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi (1728âÂÂ1735)
- Sivakumara Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi (1735âÂÂ1747)
- Rakka Thevar Sethupathi (1748)
- Sella Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi (1749âÂÂ1762)
- Muthuramalinga Vijaya Ragunatha Sethupathi I (1762âÂÂ1772 or 1781âÂÂ1795)
Rulers of princely state under British Raj (c. 1795âÂÂ1949 CE)
As King
- Mangaleswari Nachiyar (1795âÂÂ1803)
As Zamindars
Rajahs of Pudukkottai (c. 1686âÂÂ1948 CE)
- Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman (1686âÂÂ1730), first ruler
- Vijaya Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman I (1730âÂÂ1769)
- Raya Raghunatha Tondaiman (1769âÂÂDecember 1789)
- Vijaya Raghunatha Tondaiman (December 1789âÂÂFebruary 1, 1807)
- Vijaya Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman II (February 1, 1807âÂÂJune 1825)
- Raghunatha Tondaiman (June 1825âÂÂJuly 13, 1839)
- Ramachandra Tondaiman (July 13, 1839 â April 15, 1886)
- Martanda Bhairava Tondaiman (April 15, 1886 â May 28, 1928)
- Rajagopala Tondaiman (October 28, 1928 â August 15, 1947), last ruler
Rajahs of Sivaganga (CE 1725âÂÂ1947 CE)
- Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Periyavudaya Thevar (1725âÂÂ1750), first ruler
- Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar (1750âÂÂ1780)
- Velu Nachiyar (1780âÂÂ1790)
- Vellacci (1790âÂÂ1793)
- Vangam Periya Udaya Thevar (1793âÂÂ1801), last ruler
Velir Rulers
Later chieftains
Vijaya Nagar Nayaka paalayakars
Nayaks, Nayakas or Nayakars were a Telugu-origin dynasty that established themselves after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire as sovereign rulers of Tamil territories and replaced the indigenous Tamil dynasties like Cholas and Pandyans.
Gingee palyam (1509âÂÂ1649 CE)
- Krishnappa Nayaka (1509âÂÂ1521), first ruler
- Chennappa Nayaka
- Gangama Nayaka
- Venkata Krishnappa Nayaka
- Venkata Rama Bhupaala Nayaka
- Thriyambamka Krishnappa Nayaka
- Varadappa Nayaka
- Ramalinga Nayani vaaru
- Venkata Perumal Naidu
- Periya Ramabhadra Naidu
- Ramakrishnappa Naidu (d. 1649), last ruler
Madurai palayam (1529âÂÂ1736 CE)
- Nagama Nayaka, first ruler
- Viswanatha Nayaka
- Vitthala Raja Nayaka (1546âÂÂ1558)
- Kumara Krishnappa Nayaka (1563âÂÂ1573)
- Muttu Krishnappa Nayaka (1602âÂÂ1609)
- Muttu Virappa Nayaka (1609âÂÂ1623)
- Tirumalai Nayaka (1623âÂÂ1659)
- Muttu Alakadri Nayaka (1659âÂÂ1662)
- Chokkanatha Nayaka (1662âÂÂ1682)
- Rangakrishna Muthu Virappa Nayaka (1682âÂÂ1689)
- Mangammal (1689âÂÂ1704)
- Vijaya Ranga Chokkanatha Nayaka (1704âÂÂ1731)
- Queen Meenakshi, and the End of the Nayakas (1731âÂÂ1736), last ruler
Thanjavur palayam (1532âÂÂ1673 CE)
Rajahs of Kandy (1739âÂÂ1815 CE)
Tamil Raiyars
See also
References