Ay kingdom

Ay kingdom
Early Sangam age–c. 12th century →   →   →
Capital	Aykudi, Podiyil Malai (near Shenkottah) Vizhinjam
Language(s)	Tamil
Religion	Ancient Dravidian Hinduism
Government	Monarchy
History
- Established	Early Sangam age
- Disestablished	c. 12th century

Ay dynasty (Aioi dynasty) ruled parts of southern India from the early Sangam age to the 10th century AD. At their zenith, the dynasty ruled an area extended from Tiruvalla in the north to Nagercoil in the south including the naturally rich Western Ghats in the east. ^[1]. The Ay kings claimed descent from Yadavas or Ayar^[2]

Ays were a prominent political power in the region before the Cheras established themselves. Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century AD) founds the Ay kingdom extending from River Baris (Pamba) to Kanyakumari. The former south Travancore (Nanjanad) was also included in the Ay kingdom. According to Purananuru, the capital was at Aykudi, Podiyil Malai (near Shenkottai) and later they established administrative capital at Vizhinjam. Elephant was the royal emblem of the Ay rulers. After 10th century, the state of Venad overpowered the Ays in southern Kerala and south-western Tamil Nadu.^[1]

Origin

The Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy refers to the region from River Baris (River Pampa) which discharges into the sea at Thottapilly near Purakkadu to the north of present Kanyakumari district as Aioi (Ay). Original home of these kings was at Aykudi near Palani and were a tribe known as Veliyan. The queen of the first King of Chera dynasty was Veliyan Nallini, obviously from this tribe. Veliyan Chieftain was the principal Military General of the First Chera Kingdom. He annexed the Pandyan Trade Center located 22 km east of Thottapilly. This Trade center was called Nelcynda by the Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder and the unknown author of 'Periplus Maris Erithrae'. Ptolemy called it Nelkunda in his 'Geographia'. With the annexation of this trade center the Veliyan Chieftain was conferred the title "Ay" by the Chera King and the lands south of River Pampa to the boundary of the chiefdom of Nanjil Valluvan (Thovala and Agasteeswaram in Kanyakumari District) was given to him as reward.

They established another Aykudi near Kuttalam in Tamil Nadu and ruled from there. Ay rulers were one of the 18 independent rulers called Vel in South India. They later established their administrative capital at Vizhinjam. The last Ay ruler Vikramadithya Varagunan transferred most of his remaining kingdom to a prince Veerakotha of Kulashekhara or second Chera dynasty in the 10th century by a cooper plate edict called 'Paliam Chepped'. Later these lands were invaded by the Cholas. They were chased away by the last king of the Kulashekhara Dynasty, Rama Varma Kulashekhara. The rulers of present Travancore royal family were also called Cheruay Moopan meaning the chieftain of the small Ay.

Part of a series on the
History of Kerala
Megalithic culture
Maritime contacts
Sangam Age
Cheras, Ays and Ezhil Malai
Confluence of religions
Later Cheras
Venadu
Calicut, Kolattunadu and Cochin
Minor pricipalities
Portuguese period
Dutch period
Rise of Travancore
Mysorean interlude
British Period
Communism in Kerala
Unification of Kerala
Geography    Economies
Architectures    Forts
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A. Sreedhara Menon wrote "The origin of the Ays is still shrouded in mystery. Though some records such as the Paliyam Copper Plates of Vikramaditya Varaguna points towards an origin from Yadavas"^[3], its generally agreed that the Ays were a native clan in South India.^[1]

Part of a series on the
History of Kerala
Megalithic culture
Maritime contacts
Sangam Age
Cheras, Ays and Ezhil Malai
Confluence of religions
Later Cheras
Venadu
Calicut, Kolattunadu and Cochin
Minor pricipalities
Portuguese period
Dutch period
Rise of Travancore
Mysorean interlude
British Period
Communism in Kerala
Unification of Kerala
Geography    Economies
Architectures    Forts
This box: view talk edit

Sangam age

Among the Ay rulers of the Sangam Age, Ay Antiran, Titiyan and Atiyan are the most outstanding. Ay Antirin is mentioned in the Purananuru as the lord of Podiyil Malaya in southern Western Ghats. He is said have defeated the Kongu rulers and pursued them to the Arabian sea. He was an elder contemporary of the Chera royal Antuvan Cheral. It is a possibility that during the time of Antiran the Ays were more powerful than the Cheras. He practiced polygamy and all his wives committed ritual suicide on his death.^[1]

The next important Ay ruler was Titiyan. He was contemporary of Pandya ruler Bhutapandya, poet Kapilar and Parnar. An understanding seems have been reached between the Pandyas and Ays during this period. Atiyan was another important ruler of the Ays during the Sangam Age. Under Atiyan, the Ay state began to disintegrate. The Pandya ruler Pasumpun Azhakia Pandya invaded the Ay kingdom and subjugated Atiyan. The successors of Atiyan are known to have fought against the Pandya supremacy. An Ay ruler took part in the famous battle of Talai-yalankanam, in which the Pandya king Nedum Chezhiyan defeated several of his enemies. Later the Ays recovered from the Pandya yoke.^[1]

Post-Sangam age

As other royal families in South India, the immediate post Sangam Age was a dark period in the history of the Ays. Later Ays functioned as buffer state between the powerful Pandyas and the Cheras for long time. After the decline of the Chera power the Pandyas and Cholas led multiple attacks to the Ay territories. Pandyas made successive raids to the Nanjanad area in the Ay kingdom. The Pandya ruler Jayantavarman (7th century) defeated the Ay king, and successor Arikesari Maravarman won a battle at Sennilam, attacked Kottar and captured the Ay ruler alive. During the time of the Kocchadayan Ranadhira (8th century) the Ays accepted the Pandya supremacy. Kocchadayan Ranadhira is known to have defeated the Ay ruler in the Battle of Maruthur.^[1]

In the last half of the 8th century, the Ay state was ruled by Sadayan (till 788) and his Karunandan (788-857). During this time the Pandyas under Jatilavarman Parantaka invaded and defeated the Ays multiple times. According to the Kazhugumalai inscription, he led a successful expedition against Karunadan and destroyed Fort Ariviyur. He also annexed the then Ay capital Vizhinjam. But, the Ay ruler fought vigorously for more than ten years in the outskirts of Vizhinjam. The Cheras helped them against the Pandyas.^[1]

However, in the 9th century, the Ay Kingdom came to be ruled by two illustrious rulers Karunandadakkan and his son Vikramaditya Varaguna. Karunandadakkan (857-885 AD) ruled with his capital at Vizhinjam. He is perhaps the founder of the famous Kandalur Salai. He addressed himself to the arts of peace and took much interest in the promotion of education and learning. Vikramaditya Varaguna (885-925) succeeded Karunandadakkan. He helped Pandyas in their fight against the newly arose political power in south India, the Cholas. After the death of Vikramaditya Varaguna the glory of the Ays departed and lost their territories to nieghbouring powers such as the Cheras. By the 10th century, Kandalur and Vizhinjam became Chera strongholds. A branch of the Ay family, which had been controlling the temple of Sri Padmanabha, later merged with the ruling house of Venad (c. 1100 AD). ^[1]

See also

• History of Kerala

References