Pandyas emerged during the 6th century. Madurai, Tirunelveli and some of the regions of southern Kerala were under the control of Pandyas. The first ruler of the Pandya Dynasty was Kulasekara, who founded Madurai.

Pandyas, in general, excelled in the fields of trade and learning, and there are evidences specifying their trade relationships and contracts with Greece and Rome. One of the distinguished kings among Pandyas was Nedunjezian, who defeated his powerful enemies at the battle of Talaiyalanganam.

Later, the Pandya Kingdom was conquered by Kafur in the 14th century, but within a short span of time, Vijayanagar Empire succeeded in absorbing it.

Updated on 7th June, 2005

