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The history of Tamil and\u00a0Tamil Nadu<\/a>\u00a0without Madurai<\/a> is impossible. One of India\u2019s greatest temples , Madurai Meenakshi Amman<\/a>, the exquisite interiors of Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, the historic tales of Gandhi Museum, the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal<\/a>, historic tales of Gandhi Museum, architectural excellence of Koodal Azhagar Temple, and one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan \u2013 Pazhamudir Solai are found in the \u201cPancha Sthala\u201d land of Madurai. But Madurai is not just its heritage buildings, its contribution to the temples of\u00a0Tamil Nadu<\/a>, and George Church; this ancient city is the last remaining mega-evidence of a glorious past of the oldest Kingdom in the world. The temple city is one of the oldest cities in India but is it the oldest city in India? How well was Madurai connected to the rest of the world?\u00a0Why is\u00a0Madurai so special?<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Keep your hot mug of coffee ready and dive into the world of discovery!\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The\u00a0search for knowledge\u00a0from the beginning of human origin has lead to a countless number of discoveries beneficial for human existence.\u00a0Homo Sapiens<\/strong>, the highly evolved human race has surpassed the limits of\u00a0Homo Erectus<\/strong>,\u00a0Neanderthals<\/strong>, and many other species to come up victorious. The advanced cognitive abilities of our species and the ability to coexist with each other have made us evolve into what we are today. Good or bad? Nature only has the answer. When the 5 million-odd population of the \u201cHunter<\/strong>\u00a0and Gatherer Society<\/strong>\u201d was exploring the vast boundaries of the earth, the\u00a0Agricultural Revolution\u00a0<\/strong>happened and wheat domesticated human beings. Again, good or bad? Nature only knows.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n But why is there a need to know about our\u00a0ancestor\u2019s past? What good it could bring? How only a\u00a0few people could understand the language of earth better<\/strong>\u00a0than others? How could a set of people bond with every other human being in the most natural way possible? The answers to these questions would not only reveal the values of human life but also describe its purpose and idea. While a million concepts are revolving around the universe about the\u00a0earliest explorers<\/strong>\u00a0of this planet, there existed one country, one great\u00a0democratic empire<\/strong>, one adorable kingdom, probably\u00a0the oldest in the world<\/strong>. It is believed to have\u00a0ruled\u00a0<\/strong>the lost continent of\u00a0Lemuria<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The Pandyan Kingdom<\/strong>! The oldest democratic kingdom in the world. Know the prowess, connections, and integrity of the Pandyan Kingdom to understand the eastern world. Finally, learn about the hotbed of Tamil Civilization, Madurai<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0City, the\u00a0oldest city\u00a0<\/strong>in India from various angles based on genuine proofs from scholars and explorers like\u00a0Megasthanese<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Lemuria\u00a0<\/strong>was the name given\u00a0coined\u00a0<\/strong>by the English geologist\u00a0Philip Sclater\u00a0<\/strong>(1864) in the article \u201cThe Mammals of Madagascar\u201d. The same land is mentioned as \u201cKumari<\/strong>\u00a0Kandam<\/strong>\u201d (The Virgin Continent) in the Eastern world. According to\u00a0geologists, McKenzie and Sclater,\u00a0Africa\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0South America\u00a0<\/strong>were\u00a0connected\u00a0<\/strong>about 2 million years ago. While\u00a0India<\/strong>, Africa, Arabia, South America, Antarctica, and Australia developed into\u00a0separate landmasses<\/strong>. This had happened to the natural phenomenon of the earth \u2013\u00a0Tectonic Plate Movements\u00a0<\/strong>(\u201cNavalam Theevu\u201d in the Tamil language). From the untouched land of Kumari south of present-day\u00a0Tamilagam<\/strong><\/a>, about\u00a015,000 years ago<\/strong>, some people moved to\u00a0Arabia\u00a0<\/strong>and became\u00a0Jews<\/strong>. While our inevitable neighbors moved to\u00a0Africa\u00a0<\/strong>and became\u00a0Sumerians<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The mention of 49 territories (\u201cEzhuthangu Nadu\u201d in Tamil) in the\u00a0Tamil epic,\u00a0Silapathikaram\u00a0<\/strong>consists of\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n These lands were lost to the ferocity of the sea. The wrath of the ocean over the Pandyan Kingdom in Tamil literary marvels like Silapathikaram and\u00a0Kalithogai\u00a0<\/strong>is a piece of solid\u00a0evidence<\/strong>. The famous Tamil prose, \u201cIraiyanar<\/strong>\u00a0Agaporul<\/strong>\u201d mentions a noteworthy fact. The rule of\u00a072 kings\u00a0<\/strong>of the\u00a0Pandyan Empire<\/strong>\u00a0of the territories of Lemuria (including the Kumari Kandam) from 30,000 B.C to 16,000 B.C. Although it is debatable, there are\u00a0concrete proofs\u00a0in Tamil literature about the\u00a0dominance of the Pandyan Kingdom close to 10,000 years<\/strong>\u00a0over the Lemuria Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n To spread and promote their love for\u00a0literature<\/strong>,\u00a0poetry<\/strong>, and\u00a0knowledge<\/strong>,\u00a0Pandyan Kings\u00a0set three\u00a0Tamil Sangams\u00a0<\/strong>within their emphatic rule of 11,000 years. The base for\u00a0preserving\u00a0<\/strong>the\u00a0Tamil\u00a0<\/strong>language.\u00a0Tamil Nadu<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>and its language\u2019s existence could have been denied like the Sanskrit Language if Pandyan Kings haven\u2019t taken this historic effort.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The First Tamil Sangam<\/strong>\u00a0was established near South Madurai, the Pandya\u2019s capital city. The chairperson was Sage Agastya. The Sangam lasted for\u00a04440 years\u00a0<\/strong>before losing it to the seas.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The\u00a0Second Tamil Sangam<\/strong>\u00a0was established in Kapadapuram after losing the majority of the land to the sea. The Sangam gave Tolkappiyam and lasted for\u00a03700 years<\/strong>\u00a0before another cataclysm devoured it.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The\u00a0Third Tamil Sangam\u00a0<\/strong>was established in Korkai, the capital of the Pandyas. This Sangam survived better than the other two and lived its legacy in the honorable holy land, Madurai. The Third Sangam lasted for\u00a01850 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Towards the\u00a0end\u00a0<\/strong>of the Mesozoic Era or the\u00a0Age of the Dinosaurs,<\/strong>\u00a0Lemuria broke into several heaps of lands. This makes it clear that Kumari Kandam existed and confirms the presence of the powerful Pandyan Kingdom.\u00a0History\u2019s first democratic kingdom\u00a0<\/strong>from where knowledge spread across the world.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Note<\/strong>: Ruby was mined from the \u201cMani Malai\u201d while Chinese laborers were brought to \u201cMeru Malai\u201d by\u00a0Pandyan Rulers\u00a0<\/strong>for digging gold. The appearance of the\u00a0Chinese workers\u00a0<\/strong>looked like a colony of ants and was known \u2013 The\u00a0Gold Mining Ants<\/strong>. The Pandyan Kingdom was not only connected to China and South Asia but with Europe too.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n The recent\u00a0Manalur excavation\u00a0<\/strong>near Madurai revealed the trade activities of\u00a0Madurai\u00a0<\/strong>and Ancient\u00a0Rome<\/strong>, as early as\u00a0300 BC<\/strong>.\u00a0Megasthanese<\/strong>, the famous Greek Voyager had mentioned the Pandyan Kingdom by two names \u2013 \u201cPandaie<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cMethora<\/strong>\u201d (nothing, but Madurai). Explorers like Ptolemy, Pliny, Plutarch, and manuscript documents like\u00a0Periplus of the Erythrean Sea\u00a0<\/strong>have clearly explained the\u00a0trade routes\u00a0<\/strong>of Madurai with Greek and Rome during the 1st and 2nd century. The\u00a0Greeks\u00a0<\/strong>had traveled\u00a0via Egypt\u00a0<\/strong>to reach the ancient\u00a0Tamil\u00a0Kingdom in\u00a0Madurai\u00a0<\/strong>for trade purposes, especially\u00a0pearls\u00a0<\/strong>from \u201cKorkai<\/strong>\u201d (now it is Thoothukudi) and ruby from surrounding provinces.\u00a0 The collective moniker of the past Greek and Roman traders is \u201cYavana<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n From places like Arabia, horses were brought while wine and copper were highly imported materials next to horses. The recent\u00a0Keezhadi excavation\u00a0<\/strong>has once again confirmed the\u00a0trade\u00a0<\/strong>links with the ancient\u00a0Roman\u00a0<\/strong>Empire. Greek geographer\u00a0Strabo\u00a0<\/strong>(64 BCE \u2013 24 CE) tells about the name of ambassador from the Pandyan Kingdom \u2013\u00a0Pandyan of the Dramira<\/strong>. Similarly, Roman Philosopher cum Naval Commander,\u00a0Pliny\u00a0<\/strong>the Elder (29 CE \u2013 79 CE) mentions about the trading links between Tamilagam and Rome.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Arikamedu\u00a0<\/strong>(near Pondicherry) excavations revealed the presence of ancient\u00a0Roman coins<\/strong>, jars,\u00a0porcelains<\/strong>, and cloth dyeing tubs along with their exquisite\u00a0pottery\u00a0<\/strong>works. These excavations and ongoing Keezhadi excavations have clearly shown the\u00a0friendly connection\u00a0<\/strong>of\u00a0Tamil Nadu<\/a><\/strong>, especially the archaic city,\u00a0Madurai\u00a0<\/strong>with great monarchs of the Roman Era like\u00a0Tiberius<\/strong>, Augustus\u00a0Caesar<\/strong>, and\u00a0Nero\u00a0<\/strong>belonging to the 1st and 2nd Century AD. The Roman merchants have stayed in the Pandyan Kingdom and served their army units too.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n Explorers like Ibn Batuta, Marco Polo, and Megasthanese have made noteworthy markings in their record about the prosperous nature of Madurai. The holy\u00a0nectar\u00a0<\/strong>of\u00a0Lord Shiva\u2019s tresses<\/strong>\u00a0is what gave the sacred city its name \u2013\u00a0Madurai<\/strong>. Note<\/strong>:\u00a0Writings\u00a0<\/strong>and carvings on pots by\u00a0Women\u00a0<\/strong>some\u00a02500 years\u00a0<\/strong>back, and\u00a0chess coins\u00a0<\/strong>made out of ivory found from\u00a0Keezhadi\u00a0<\/strong>Excavation are not just remnants of\u00a0Tamil language and its\u00a0civilized\u00a0<\/strong>people but reminders of the\u00a0greatest civilization\u00a0<\/strong>to have ever walked on this\u00a0planet<\/strong>. The good thing is\u00a0Tamil will be eternal\u00a0and will continue to surprise the world till doomsday.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n In the shape of a\u00a0coiling serpent<\/strong>, Madurai was built around the\u00a0Meenakshi Temple<\/a><\/strong>. The construction of this ancient city keeping the temple at its center and streets in concentric rectangles connects with the arrangement of the Cosmos. The whole city takes the structure of the\u00a0lotus\u00a0<\/strong>flower. Similarly,\u00a0Athens<\/strong>, an ancient city in\u00a0Greek Pantheon\u00a0<\/strong>was kept in the center. At an elevated surface, it was visible for everyone from any location around the city. In Madurai, the imposing towers of\u00a0Meenakshi Sundareswarar<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>were built so that everyone could glance at the holy place.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\nThe Pandyan Kingdom <\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
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The Pandyan Kingdom and their Love for Tamil<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
Atlantis and the Pandyan Kingdom<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
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Trade with Other Continents and Countries<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
The Golden Legacy of the Oldest City in India \u2013 Madurai<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
Meenakshi Temple and Greek Pantheon Link<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n