Pandyas

The rule of the territory of Pondicherry was usurped by the Pandyas from the Cholas in the thirteenth century. The Chola kings ruled the region of South India from the ninth century to the thirteenth century. The Pandyas had encountered the Cholas on several occasions and were finally able to supersede the dynasty and occupy the pivotal position in the rule of South India in the thirteenth century. The study of the kingdom of the Pandyas is important in the study of the medieval history of Pondicherry.

The Pandyas had been a pervasive power in the Deccan region of South India from the seventh century itself. The rule is said to have been founded by the king Kandungori. The early days of the rule of the Pandyas saw conflicts with the kingdom of the Pallavas. The Pandya king, Arikesri, defeated the Pallavas in a fierce battle in the eighth century. Forming an alliance with the Cholas, the Pandyas defeated the Pallavas. However, the Cholas asserted supremacy and assumed power over the region. The Pandyas gained supremacy in the south in the thirteenth century under the rule of Jalavarman Sundara Pandya. An internal strife broke between the princes of the Pandya Kingdom to gain power. The kingdom lacked the rule of a powerful monarch leading to the decline of the Pandya rule in the region. Utilizing the opportunity of the internal strife among the rulers, the Muslim rulers of the north plundered the regions of the south.

The Pandyas were absorbed into the domain of the Vijayanagar empire that assumed power in the 16th century. With the rise of the Vijayanagar empire, the rule of the Pandyas came to an end.