129-595: Raghunatha Nayak was the most powerful king of the Thanjavur Nayak Dynasty. He was the third ruler of Thanjavur , southern India, from the Nayak dynasty . He belongs to Balija caste. He ruled from 1600 to 1634 and is noted for the attainments of Thanjavur in literature, art, and Carnatic music . Raghunatha Nayak was the eldest son of Achuthappa Nayak and was born after intense penance by his father. The Raghunathabhyudayam and Sahityanatyakara give
258-459: A Telugu dynasty who ruled most of modern-day Tamil Nadu , India, with Madurai as their capital. The Madurai Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh . The Nayak reign which lasted for over two centuries from around 1529 to 1736 was noted for its achievements in arts, cultural and administrative reforms, revitalization of temples previously ransacked by
387-604: A UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is replicated in the Gangaikonda Cholesvarar Temple constructed by Raja Raja's son Rajendra Chola I (1012–44). King Raja Raja Chola memorial to have a complete makeover soon in Thanjavur. The Thanjavur Maratha palace was the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled over the Thanjavur region from 1674 to 1855. It was originally constructed by
516-401: A portmanteau of "thanjam puguntha oor" ( Tamil : தஞ்சம் புகுந்த ஊர் ) which means "the town where refugees entered", referring to the town's history of providing hospitality to newcomers. According to another local legend, the name "Thanjavur" originated from "Tanjan," an Asura (demon) who was slain on the site. In Hindu mythology , Tanjan requested the establishment of a beautiful city at
645-489: A Municipal corporation. Thanjavur City Corporation is likely to have an area of 110.27 km (42.58 sq mi) of area, with a population of 3,20,828 and an income of ₹ 411.8 million (US$ 4.9 million). The villages Pudupattinam, Nanjikottai , Neelagiri, Melaveli, Pillaiyarpatti, Ramanathapuram, Pallieri, Vilar and Inathukanpatti are likely to be added to the municipal corporation limits. Thanjavur became City Corporation on 10 April 2014. Thanjavur comes under
774-679: A council held by Achuthappa Nayak in which Raghunatha, Govinda Dikshita and the exiled king of Jaffna Ethirimana Cinkam participated. The whole campaign against Jaggaraya and the Solaga was the outcome of this conference. The Battle of Toppur was dated 12 December 1616 based on the Raghunathabyudayam , which states that Raghunatha was camping at Pazhamaneri in August 1616. Portuguese chroniclers dated Raghunatha's victories in Jaffna to
903-492: A crushing defeat for Jagga Raya's forces, and he was killed. Muttu Virappa was forced to pay a huge tribute to the Centre. He then shifted his capital to Tiruchirappalli later that year so that he could more easily launch an invasion of Thanjavur if he wanted to, but this failed. However, his appeasement of his Pandyan vassals meant they were loyal when Mysore invaded Dindigul in 1620 and was repelled. He died in 1623. Muttu Virappa
1032-610: A detailed account of his childhood. As a boy, Raghunatha learned the shastras , the art of warfare and administration. He had multiple queens, chiefly Kalavati referred to in the Raghunathabhyudayam as Pattampurani. Ramabhadramba , who wrote a history of the Thanjavur Nayak dynasty, was one of his concubines. In his early days, Raghunatha won acclaim fighting the Golconda Sultanate . He ascended
1161-481: A focal point for food grains transported from the adjoining areas of the Cauvery Delta . Organic farming is gradually becoming known to the farmers of Thanjavur. To maximise agricultural produce, organic farming is being implemented. Though agriculture is the main economic activity, only 7% of the population is involved in it. There is a lot of agricultural related trading that forms the key economic activity in
1290-475: A fortress and station a small garrison wherever they might want. During this time, the Vijayanagara empire was falling fast and so Tirumala Nayaka cancelled tribute payment altogether. However, when Sriranga III took power, he viewed this as an act of rebellion and assembled a large army to subdue his vassal. Tirumala allied with Thanjavur and Gingee, but Thanjavur defected to the emperor. Madurai then made
1419-574: A new alliance with the Golconda Sultanate, who laid siege to Vellore and defeated Sriranga III. When he then appealed to his Nayakas for an alliance, all rejected him and Vijayanagara fell altogether. Goldonda, which conquered Vellore around 1646, laid siege to Gingee along with the Bijapur Sultanate. Tirumala Nayaka's armies arrived too late to save the fortress. In 1655, Mysore launched another invasion of Madurai when Tirumala
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#17327869677331548-752: A number of Yakshaganas and was a good veena player. Kshetrayya , the composer from Muvva , visited Thanjavur and composed padas during his reign. Raghunatha also renovated a number of Vaishnavite temples. He constructed the Ramaswamy Temple in Kumbakonam , the popular Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur and the gopura of the Adi Kumbeswarar Temple in Kumbakonam. He expanded the Uppiliappan Temple and
1677-557: A people's park by the Tanjore municipality in 1871–72. It has a collection of plants, animals and birds and serves as a zoo for children within the city. Schwartz Church, a historic monument located in the palace garden, was built in 1779 by Serfoji II as a token of affection for Rev. C.V. Schwartz of the Danish Mission. There are five museums in the city, namely: Archeological Museum, Tamil University Museum located with
1806-422: A period of relative stability. His relations with his nominal Vijayanagara overlords varied by their strength, but were generally cordial. After his death in 1595, power passed to his eldest son Krishnappa Nayaka II. During this time he led an occupation of Travancore and recognized Venkatapati Raya as emperor of VIjayanagar. During his reign, Ariyanatha Mudaliar died, and he himself died in 1601. After his death
1935-711: A settlement at Tegnapatnam in 1610. South Indian rulers patronized and supported the Dutch to neutralize the belligerent Portuguese. Ove Gjedde of the Danish East India Company founded the settlement of Tranquebar on 19 November 1620. Following a visit to Raghunatha's court, the English captain John Johnson and Brockedon, the President of the English settlements, tried to convince the directors of
2064-470: A significant amount of autonomy from the centre and held powers of law enforcement and judicial administration. In return, they would give one-third of the palaiyam 's revenue to the Nayaka and another third for the upkeep of an army. Often, however, the polygars were completely outside central control and would raid and pillage nearby territory. The main languages of Nayaka rule were Telugu and Tamil. Tamil
2193-650: A single bus terminus located at the heart of the city. An integrated bus terminus, called New Bus stand was constructed in 1997 near Raja Serfoji College to handle the passenger traffic. Thanjavur has a well-maintained sub-urban public transport system. Government and private buses operate frequently between the two bus termini and other towns and villages like Vallam , Budalur , Mohamed Bunder, Nadukkavery , Pillaiyarpatti , Vallam Pudursethi , Sengipatti , Ammapettai , Mariamman Kovil , Thiruvaiyaru and Kuruvadipatti . The railway line connecting Tiruchirappalli Junction railway station to Chennai Egmore via Thanjavur ,
2322-484: A special branch that operates at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP). Thanjavur has a total of four Universities, namely the Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science & Technology , PRIST University , SASTRA University and Tamil University . The Tamil University is a state run institute, started during 1981 and obtained its statutory recognition from
2451-465: A succession crisis arose and Krishnappa Nayaka II's youngest brother, Kasturi Rangappa, seized the throne but was assassinated a week later. Muttu Krishnappa Nayaka, the son of Krishnappa Nayaka II's second brother, became ruler. His rule was mainly focused on the organization of the southern coast, mainly inhabited by the Paravars . The community was excellent at fishing and pearl diving, which made them
2580-527: A succession crisis in the Vijayanagara empire developed and civil war broke out between him and Rama Deva Raya, Sriranga II's son, who had escaped. Madurai, Gingee and the Portuguese supported the side of Jagga Raya while Raghunatha Nayaka of Thanjavur and Yachama Nayaka of Kalahasti were among those supporting Rama Deva Raya. In the Battle of Toppur in 1616, the generalship of Raghunatha and Yachama led to
2709-432: A troubled province due to its distance from Vijayanagara and had been only been fully subjugated in the early 16th century under Veera Narasimha. The first Nayaka, Nangama, was a popular and able general of Krishnadevaraya . Krishnadevaraya sent Nangama Nayaka with a large army to bring Pandya Nadu back under imperial control. Although he was an able administrator he was a hard ruler and rejected any claims of authority from
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#17327869677332838-420: A valuable revenue source, but the region had generally been neglected by previous Nayakas. The region gradually became lawless and fell under Portuguese control. However, when the Portuguese asserted the coast was now theirs and began to collect taxes, Muttu Krishnappa started sending officers called Sethupathis to modern Ramanathapuram, where their duties were to protect pilgrims going to Rameswaram and to compel
2967-724: Is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples , which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments , are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these, the Brihadeeswara Temple , built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I , is located in
3096-429: Is a doll made from clay, wood or plastic. The sarees produced in the villages surrounding Thanjavur are sold in Thanjavur and neighbouring towns. Increasing production costs and competition from large-scale producers have reduced the number of people involved in the production. The city produces bell metal craft like Thanjavur metal plates, bronze images bowls, napkins and powder boxes made of copper and bronze. The city
3225-591: Is a major manufacturer of pith works consisting of models of Hindu idols, mosques, garlands and other bird figurines. Manufacture of musical instruments like veena , tambura , violin , mrithamgam , thavil and kanjira is another economic activity in the city. All major nationalised banks such as State Bank of India , Indian Bank , Central Bank of India , Punjab National Bank , Indian Overseas Bank and private banks like ICICI Bank , City Union Bank have their branches in Thanjavur. All these banks have their automated teller machines located in various parts of
3354-578: Is a part of Trichy Electricity Distribution Circle. Water supply is provided by the Thanjavur Corporation from the Vadavar Canal, supplied through overhead tanks located in various parts of the city. During the 2000–01 period, a total of 31 million litres of water was supplied every day for households in the city. About 110 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from Thanjavur every day by door-to-door collection and subsequently
3483-660: Is a translation by Vaṇṇapparimaḷappulavar of the Persian Book of One Thousand Questions that was presented at the Madurai court in 1572. The Nayakas were some of the most prolific architects in South India. Much of their work was expansions and additions to existing Vijayanagara or pre-Vijayanagara structures. By far their greatest work was the Meenakshi- Sundaraswarar complex in Madurai, which
3612-477: Is administered by a municipal corporation covering an area of 36.31 km (14.02 sq mi) and had a population of 222,943. Roadways are the major means of transportation, while the city also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport , located 59.6 km (37.0 mi) away from the city. The nearest seaport is Karaikal , which is 94 km (58 mi) away from Thanjavur. The city first rose to prominence during
3741-809: Is connected by rail with most important cities and towns in India. There are daily express trains to Chennai , Mysuru , Ernakulam , Thrissur , Palakkad , Coimbatore , Erode , Tiruppur , Tiruchirapalli , Salem , Karur , Madurai , Tirunelveli , Rameswaram , Tiruchendur , Cuddalore , Dharmapuri , Viluppuram , Chengalpattu , Mannargudi , Bengaluru , Dindigul , Pudukkottai , Karaikudi , Sivagangai , Manamadurai and weekly trains to Pondicherry , Nagercoil , Kanyakumari , Tirupati , Nellore , Itarsi , Visakhapatnam , Hubli , Vasco da Gama, Goa , Vijayawada , Chandrapur , Nagpur , Jabalpur , Satna , Katni , Allahabad , Varanasi , Jaunpur , Ayodhya , and Bhubaneswar . There are frequent passenger trains from
3870-524: Is connected with Nagapattinam , Thiruvarur , Chennai , Coimbatore , Erode , Karur , Tirupur , Vellore , Perambalur , Ariyalur , Mysuru , Salem , Cuddalore , Viluppuram , Tiruchirappalli , Madurai , Kumbakonam , Mayiladuthurai , Karaikal , Mannargudi , Thiruthuraipoondi , Vedaranyam , Pattukkottai , Dindigul , Oddanchatram , Palani , Pudukkottai , Karaikudi , Tirunelveli , Bengaluru , Ernakulam , Nagercoil , Tirupathi , Trivandrum and Ooty through regular bus services. Thanjavur had
3999-558: Is known for its four towering gopurams up to 50 metres in height. The original structure that stood there during Pandyan times was neglected during the Madurai Sultanate and fell into ruin, and the Vijayanagara rulers had begun to rebuild it. However the Nayakas made the most extensive contributions to the temple complex. Each of the additions to the temple was done by different rulers in different stages, and almost all rulers of
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4128-543: Is located inside the palace – it has a large collection of stone and bronze images from the ninth to 12th centuries. Most of the idols present in the gallery were collected from various temples in the Thanjavur district. The Sivaganga Park is situated to the east of the Brihadeeswarar Temple and encompasses the Sivaganga Tank believed to have been built by the king Raja Raja Chola. It was created as
4257-532: Is one of the oldest medical colleges in Tamil Nadu. The Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC), which later became the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology in 2017, is a hub for food processing research. The Saraswati Mahal Library which dates back to the end of the 16th century and the Central Library, managed by the district administration are the two most prominent libraries in
4386-516: Is situated in the Cauvery delta , at a distance of 340 km (210 mi) south-west of Chennai and 56 km (35 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli . While the plains immediately adjoining the Cauvery river have been under cultivation from time immemorial, most of Thanjavur city and the surrounding areas lie in the "New Delta" – a dry, barren upland tract which was brought under irrigation during
4515-527: Is the Brihadeeswarar Temple , whose construction, the historian Percy Brown described as "a landmark in the evolution of building art in South India". Built in the 11th century by the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014), the temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva . The walls of the sanctum are covered with wall paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods. The temple was designated
4644-478: Is the widely spoken language, with the standard dialect being Central Tamil dialect . Telugu , Thanjavur Marathi and Saurashtra are other languages spoken in the city. Thanjavur is the cultural and political center of the Thanjavur Marathi people. While Hindus form the majority, the city also has a substantial population of Muslims and Christians . Roman Catholics in Thanjavur are affiliated to
4773-678: The Delhi Sultans , and the inauguration of a unique architectural style. The dynasty consisted of 13 rulers, of whom nine were kings, two were queens, and two were joint-kings. The most notable among them were king Tirumala Nayaka and queen Rani Mangammal . Foreign trade was conducted mainly with the Dutch and the Portuguese , as the British and the French had not yet made inroads into
4902-584: The East India Company to send a mission to Thanjavur. Johnson wrote home: ... the Great Naik demands of men what the reason is that the English do not desire to trade in his land as well as Portugal, saying they shall have the pepper and anything the land doth afford and likewise buy the commodities that they do bring with them as tin, lead, iron and red cloth is well sold. Little does our nation know how they are expected all this land, and thus
5031-540: The Indian National Congress for Seven terms during 1951–56, 1957–62, 1962–1967, 1980–84, 1984–1989, 1989–91 and 1991–96, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for Seven terms during 1967–71, 1971–77, 1996–98, 1998–99, 1999–04, 2004–09 and 2009–present and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for one term during 1977–80. R. Venkataraman , who served as the President of India from 1987 to 1992,
5160-513: The Kandy Nayaks . They ruled till 1815 with Kandy as their capital and were also the last ruling dynasty of Sri Lanka. The Kings of Kandy had from an early time sought marriages with Madurai and many of the queens were from Madurai. The Kandy Nayaks received military support from the Nayaks of Madurai in fighting off the Portuguese. And in the 17th and 18th centuries, marital alliances between
5289-526: The Kollidam before turning his attention to the Portuguese and attacking Jaffna . After his victory over the Portuguese, Ramabhadramba claims, Raghunatha returned to the Indian mainland, where he pursued Jaggaraya to Toppur and defeated him. He later constructed a pillar of victory and took possession of Bhuvanagiri near Chidambaram . According to Yagnanarayana Dikshita, the campaign had been preceded by
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5418-508: The Main Line is a historical line established by South Indian Railway Company in 1879. The Great Southern of India Railway Company (GSIR) operated a broad gauge rail service between Nagapattinam and Tiruchirapalli via Thanjavur between 1861 and 1875. During 1875 it was converted to a meter gauge line (MG line). Modern day Thanjavur railway junction has three rail heads leading to Tiruchirapalli , Kumbakonam and Thiruvarur . Thanjavur
5547-526: The Nawab of Arcot sent an expedition south to demand tribute and fealty from the kingdoms there, and in desperation, Meenakshi gave tribute to the Nawab's son-in-law, Chanda Sahib , to form an alliance. Bangaru Tirumalai retreated to the far south, in Madurai, and organized a large force of disgruntled polygars in 1736. Although they took Dindigul, Meenakshi and Chanda Sahib organized an army to attack Tirumalai. At
5676-651: The Pandyas were under attack from the Cholas and appealed to Krishnadevaraya for help. He then sent Nangama Nayaka to restore the Pandyas to their rightful throne. Nangama defeated the Cholas , but instead claimed the throne for himself and deposed the Pandyan king. So Krishnadevaraya sent Nangama's son Viswanatha Nayaka to defeat him, which he did. Thus he was made nayaka of the region. However, this story does not have epigraphic evidence to support it. Viswanatha Nayaka
5805-570: The Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi . The car festivals of Thiruvaiyaru and Pasupatikoil were conducted on a lavish scale. During the time of Raghunatha the structure of the veena also evolved and he invented the raga Jayantasena and the tala Ramananda. He also composed a number of kavyas in Telugu, important ones being Parijatapaharanamu , Valmikicharitram , Rukminiparinaya Yakshaganam and Ramayanam . He wrote
5934-712: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tanjore and Protestants are affiliated to the Trichy–Tanjore Diocese of the Church of South India . The workforce is predominantly involved in service industry involving trade and commerce. With the expansion of the city area, the opportunities for agriculture is limited and only 7% of the population is involved in it. The National Highways NH 83 and NH 36 pass through Thanjavur and NH 136 and NH 67 connect Thanjavur respectively with Perambalur and Thiruvurur . The city
6063-709: The Thanjavur State Assembly Constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. From the 1977 elections, the assembly seat was won by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) six times during the 1977, 1980, 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2006 elections, the Indian National Congress party once during the 1984 elections and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) twice during
6192-665: The pudu mandapa directly adjoining the complex. Other important works included the Azhagar kovil and Tiruparankundram Murugan Kovil in the outskirts of Madurai, as well as the expansion of the Ranganathaswamy temple complex in Srirangam . In the case of the Ranganathaswamy temple, the Nayakas expanded the original shrine to be seven concentric enclosures, each topped with towering gopurams . However this project
6321-435: The rayasam , chief of the bureaucracy. The kingdom was divided into provinces and local areas, each with its own governor and bureaucracy. The most basic unit was the village. Revenue would be earned through taxes on land. The Nayakas also had a parallel system of administration. They divided their territory into 72 palayams , each of which was ruled by a palaiyakkarar , better known as polygar . These warrior-chiefs had
6450-720: The 1991 and 2011 elections. M. Karunanidhi , who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a record five terms, was elected from the Thanjavur assembly constituency in the 1962 elections. Thanjavur is also a part of the Thanjavur Lok Sabha constituency and elects a member to the Lok Sabha , the lower house of the Parliament of India , once every five years. The Lok Sabha seat has been held by
6579-551: The Aryachakravarti dynasty from being overthrown, he kept up the pressure against the Portuguese by supporting rebellions. The Karaiyars —a class of fishermen along the Gulf of Mannar —made six attempts between 1620 and 1621 to overthrow Portuguese rule. Raghunatha, himself, sent five armies between 1619 and 1621 to conquer Jaffna, but they failed. Raghunatha patronized Carnatic music in his kingdom. The Nayak himself composed
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#17327869677336708-583: The Chola Empire began to decline in the 13th century, the Pandyas from the south invaded and captured Thanjavur twice, first between 1218–19 and again in 1230. During the second invasion, the Chola king Rajaraja III (1216–56) was exiled and he sought the help of the Hoysala king Vira Narasimha II (1220–35) to regain Thanjavur. Thanjavur was eventually annexed along with the rest of the Chola kingdom by
6837-539: The Computer Wing. All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 52 members, one each from the 52 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson assisted by a deputy chairperson. On 10 April 2013, the state government announced in the Assembly that Thanjavur municipality will be upgraded to
6966-499: The Danes do trade under the name of the English and are marvelous well used. Johnson's proposal was approved; a mission landed at Karaikal on 23 May 1624 and proceeded inland to Thanjavur to seek an audience with the king, reaching the capital in June. Raghunatha received the visitors warmly and granted them permits to trade freely in Karaikal. However, Raghunatha later withdrew his concessions and demanded an annual rent of 7,000 riyals. This volte-face has been attributed to pressure from
7095-416: The Diocese of Thanjavur, is one of the oldest schools in Thanjavur district. Christian Missionaries played a prominent role in promoting English education in Thanjavur. Kalyanasundaram Higher Secondary School, established in 1891, is one of the oldest schools in the city. Electricity supply to Thanjavur is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city along with its suburbs
7224-583: The Goodagopuram. Punnainallur Mariamman temple is about 7 km from Brihadeeswara temple. This temple was built by the first Maratha king of Thanjavur Venkoji in the year 1680. The Saraswathi Mahal Library , established around 1700 and located in the premises of the palace, contains over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper. Over eighty per cent of its manuscripts are in Sanskrit and many of them are on palm leaves. The Tamil works include treatises on medicine, and commentaries on Sangam literature . The Rajaraja Chola art gallery
7353-424: The Kandyan kings and Nayak princesses had become a matter of policy. The Madurai Nayakas followed a decentralized governance style. The king was supreme ruler, but his main advisor was the dalavai , who controlled both civil and military matters. The three most effective dalavais were Ariyanatha Mudaliar , Ramappayya and Narasappayya. The next most important figure was the pradhani or finance minister, and then
7482-529: The Karnata Kotikam Kings mentions the founder of the dynasty, Viswanatha Nayak , as belonging to the Garikepati family of the Balija caste. Dewan Bahadur Ramabadra Naidu , Zamindar of Vadagarai was a descendant of the famous warrior and diplomat Ramabhadra Nayak, who had held the post of Military Chief and Collector of Revenue under his close relative Viswanatha Nayak , the ruler of Madurai country. He belonged to Balija caste. According to Srivamsa Prakashika , an 18th century Telugu writing mentions
7611-415: The Pandya king Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I (1268–1308) in 1279 and the Chola kings were forced to accept the suzerainty of the Pandyas. The Pandyas ruled Thanjavur from 1279 to 1311 when their kingdom was raided by the forces of Malik Kafur (1296–1306) and later annexed by the Delhi Sultanate . The Sultanate extended its authority directly over the conquered regions from 1311 to 1335 and then through
7740-404: The Portuguese and Muslim mercenaries, Solaga put up strong resistance but was finally defeated by Raghunatha's artillery. He was captured and imprisoned along with his family. Following the victory over Solaga, Raghunatha attacked Jaffna. Enthiramana helped the re-founded Kandyan Kingdom King Vimaladharmasuriya I (1593–1604) and King Senarat (1604–1635) to secure help from South India to resist
7869-662: The Portuguese and the Danes. Nevertheless, Johnson rejected the Nayak's offer and returned to England, where his activities were severely censured. The English also tried to get Pondicherry from the Gingee Nayaks and failed. Raghunatha's empire extended far beyond the confines of Thanjavur district. His inscriptions have been found in Thirukkoshtiyur in Ramanathapuram district , Lalgudi in Tiruchirappalli district , Govindavadi in Kanchipuram district , and Nedugunram and Narattampoondi in Vellore district . Thanjavur Thanjavur ( Tamil: [t̪aɲdʑaːʋuːɾ] ), also known as Thanjai , previously known as Tanjore ,
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#17327869677337998-473: The Portuguese from Jaffna. Cankili II of the Aryachakravarti Dynasty was placed on the throne. However, Cankili II ruled for barely two years before being overthrown and killed in 1619. On his return to India, Raghunatha Nayak personally led an army against Jaggaraya, who had usurped the throne of Vijayanagar after killing Sriranga II. Jaggaraya was assisted by the Madurai Nayak Dynasty and Nayaks of Gingee . Yagnanarayana Dikshita mentions that Jaggaraya had
8127-453: The Portuguese to respect Nayaka authority in the region. Muttu Krishnappa Nayak is credited with the founding of Sethupathi dynasty in Ramnad. He was succeeded by his son Muttu Virappa Nayaka in 1609, who desired greater independence from his Vijayanagara overlords and thus stopped paying tribute regularly. After the death of Venkatapati Raya in 1614, a nobleman Gobburi Jagga Raya murdered his successor Sriranga II and his family. This fomented
8256-455: The Portuguese. Like Bhuvanekabahu VII of Kotte Kingdom , through a mixture of native cunning and the ability to perform a delicate balancing act, the Jaffna king secured a surprising degree of room for maneuver. While according to Nayak chronicles, Raghunatha himself led the expedition, according to Portuguese records, the campaign was led by one Khem Nayak , a general in service of Raghunatha. The Thanjavur Nayak forces were victorious in evicting
8385-476: The Sanskrit plays Sangita Sudha and Bharatha Sudha . The Telugu poets Ramabhadramba , Madhuravani , Chemakura Venkataraju and Krishnadhwari were active during his reign. Raghunatha was also an expert sword-fighter and horse rider. Raghunatha's biographies note his generosity towards Brahmins . Raghunatha constructed several agraharas and gave costly gifts to poor Brahmins and the disabled. A 1604 inscription from Narattampoondi records Raghunatha's gift of
8514-444: The Tamil University premises, the Saraswathi Mahal Library Museum located inside the Saraswathi Mahal, Nayak Durbar Hall Art Museum and Rajaraja Chola Museum. Raja Rajan Manimandapam is one of the tourist attractions in Thanjavur, built during the Thanjavur Tamil Conference in 1991. "Sangeetha Mahal" has a permanent handicrafts exhibition centre. Thanjavur is the cradle for many of the arts and crafts in South India. Carnatic music
8643-549: The Thanjavur Telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service. The Regional Passport office, Trichy, operates a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Thanjavur, which PSK covers the Nagappattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Ariyalur revenue districts. Some villages around Thanjavur city and comes under Thanjavur metropolitan area are Madurai Nayak Dynasty The Madurai Nayaks were
8772-420: The University Grants Commission in 1983. It is the only one of its kind for the Tamil language doing higher research in Tamilology and advanced study in various allied branches like linguistics, translation, lexicography, music, drama and manuscriptology. Thanjavur has a total of 15 arts, science & management colleges and nine engineering colleges. The Thanjavur Medical College was established in 1961 and
8901-427: The Vijayanagar viceroy of Arcot, established himself as an independent monarch in 1532 (1549, according to some sources) and founded the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom . Achuthappa Nayak (1560–1614), Raghunatha Nayak (1600–34) and Vijaya Raghava Nayak (1634–73) are some of the important rulers of the Nayak dynasty who ruled Thanjavur. Thanjavur Nayaks were notable for their patronage of literature and arts. The rule of
9030-460: The Vijayanagara period. This architecture includes both completely indigenous elements such as square and rectangular bases with u-shaped ascending floors with numerous courts and verandahs, as well as double-curved eaves, gopuram -like towers and plastered sculptures as well as elements borrowed from the Bahmanis such as significant presence of arches, cusps, and geometric designs. This style was blended with indigenous Tamil architecture, for instance,
9159-438: The battle of Ammayanayakkanur near Dindigul, Bangaru Tirumalai's forces were defeated and he fled to Sivaganga. Once he was admitted into the Tiruchirappalli fort, however, Chanda Sahib declared himself king and imprisoned Meenakshi in her palace, ending the Madurai Nayakas for good. Tradition states she poisoned herself in 1739. Some of the family members of Bangaru Thirumalai established the Nayak dynasty in Sri Lanka known as
9288-495: The beginning of 1616. The campaign against the Solaga must have also taken place at this time. The Raghunathabyudayam says that Solaga was the ruler of an island ( Antaripagataha ) and a feudatory of Krishnappa Nayak of Gingee . He is described as a highwayman who attacked passers-by and stole their belongings. Raghunatha's campaign was a punitive expedition to put an end to his activities. Raghunatha attacked Solaga's headquarters near Kumbakonam. Supported by Krishnappa Nayak,
9417-587: The centre of the city. This temple has one of the largest bull statues (called Nandi ) in India carved out of a single granite rock. Thanjavur is also home to Tanjore painting , a painting style unique to the region. Thanjavur is the headquarters of the Thanjavur District . The city is an important agricultural centre located in the Kaveri Delta and is known as the Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu . Thanjavur
9546-514: The city is 36.33 km (14.03 sq mi). The period from November to February in Thanjavur is pleasant, with a climate full of warm days and cool nights. The onset of summer is from March, with the mercury reaching its peak by the end of May and June. The average temperatures range from 81 °F (27 °C) in January to 97 °F (36 °C) in May and June. Summer rains are sparse and
9675-546: The city to towns like Thiruvarur , Nagapattinam , Karaikal , Tiruchirapalli , Kumbakonam , Mayiladuthurai and Nagore , hubbali . In the early 1990s, Thanjavur was connected with Chennai via the Vayudoot flight service, which was stopped due to poor patronage. A full-fledged air force station is operational at Thanjavur. Thanjavur Air Force Station was to become a major air base by 2012, to handle Fighter , Transport aircraft and also refuelling aircraft. However,
9804-412: The city. Almond cultivation has been gaining popularity in Thanjavur, a district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The region's warm and dry climate, coupled with fertile soil, provides ideal conditions for growing almonds. The almonds produced in Thanjavur are known for their high quality and rich flavor. The trees bloom in early spring with pink and white flowers, and the nuts are ready for harvest in
9933-430: The city. There are 20 registered schools in Thanjavur, catering to the primary, secondary and higher secondary educational needs of the city. St. Peter's Higher Secondary School at Thanjavur was established by Rev. C F Schwartz during 1784. Originally established as a college, it was the first school in South India which taught English to the local populace. St. Antony's Higher Secondary School , established in 1885 by
10062-614: The city. Thanjavur painting is a major form of classical South Indian painting from Thanjavur. It dates back to about the 1600s, the period of Nayakas of Thanjavur, who encouraged art, classical dance and music literature, both in Telugu and Tamil. The art is usually a combination of raised and painted surfaces, with the Hindu god Krishna being the most popular image depicted. In modern times, these paintings have become souvenirs of festive occasions in South India, wall decors, and collectors' items for art lovers. The major occupation of
10191-441: The city. Thanjavur farmers insure additional 2.5 lakh acres in 10 days, but acreage still lower than last year. According to 2011 census , Thanjavur had a population of 222,943 with a sex-ratio of 1,042 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 19,860 were under the age of six, constituting 10,237 males and 9,623 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 9.22% and .21% of
10320-412: The claim. Gradually, Thanjavur became the most important city in the Chola Empire and remained its capital till the emergence of Gangaikonda Cholapuram in about 1025. During the first decade of the eleventh century, the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014) constructed the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur. The temple is considered to be one of the best specimens of Tamil architecture. When
10449-520: The dynasty came to an end when Thanjavur fell to the Madurai Nayak king Chokkanatha Nayak (1662–82) in 1673. Vijaya Raghunatha Nayak, the son of Chokkanatha, was killed in a battle and Chokkanatha's brother Alagiri Nayak (1673–75) was crowned as the ruler of the empire. Most of palayakkars in Thanjavur from Kallar caste. The Kallar held larger and richer estates than the Nayak. Thanjavur
10578-475: The dynasty, or their wives and ministers, made generous donations to the temple and its construction so that it grew to a size of 254 by 238 metres. The Nayakas mainly followed the Dravidian style of architecture, with much emphasis on towering structures and elaborate carving. Much of the work centered around the addition of various mandapas , or columnated halls, filled with a variety of carved pillars such as
10707-509: The early 19th century. To the south of Thanjavur city, is the Vallam tableland , a small plateau interspersed at regular intervals by ridges of sandstone . The nearest seaport is Nagapattinam which is 84 km (52 mi) east of Thanjavur. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport , located at a distance of 56 km (35 mi). The city has an elevation of 59 m (194 ft) above mean sea level. The total area of
10836-677: The east of the city, was the site of the Battle of Venni between the Chola king Karikala and a confederacy of the Cheras and the Pandyas . The Cholas seemed to have faced an invasion of the Kalabhras in the third century CE after which the kingdom faded into obscurity. The region around present day Thanjavur was conquered by the Mutharayars during the sixth century, who ruled it up to 849. The Cholas came to prominence once more through
10965-479: The emperor sent Nangama's son, Viswanatha, with a large army to recapture Madurai . Viswanatha Nayaka defeated his father and sent him as prisoner to Krishnadevaraya , who in turned pardoned Nangama Nayaka for his valued service. After defeating his father Krishnadevaraya made Viswanatha governor of Madurai and other Tamil provinces in 1529, beginning the Madurai Nayaka dynasty. Another story goes that
11094-402: The fall. The almond crop in Thanjavur has become an important source of income for local farmers and has contributed to the region's agricultural diversity. Thanjavur is an important centre of silk weaving in Tamil Nadu. There were 200 silk weaving units in the city in 1991 with around 80,000 people working in them. Thanjavur is also famous for the 'Thalaiyatti bommai' or 'Dancing dolls' which
11223-739: The first monsoon, the South-West monsoon , commences in June and continues till September. North-East monsoon begins in October and continues till January. The rainfall during the South-West monsoon period is much lower than that of the North-East monsoon. The North-East monsoon is beneficial to the district at large because of the heavy rainfall and the Western ghats (mountain ranges) feeding
11352-648: The health care needs of the citizens. There are a total of 9,745 street lamps: 492 sodium lamps, 2,061 mercury vapour lamps, 7,180 tube lights and twelve high-mast beam lamps. The corporation operates three markets, namely the Serfoji Market, Amarar Swaminathan Market and Kamaraj Market and another market, the Subramaniya Swami Koil Market, is maintained by the Subramania Swami Temple authority. Thanjavur comes under
11481-487: The inauguration of the Thanjavur Air Force Station took place on 27 May 2013. The Thanjavur Air Force Station bases a squadron of its Sukhoi Su-30 Supermaneuverability Fighter aircraft at Thanjavur, making it the first fighter squadron in Tamil Nadu. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport . The nearest Seaport is located at Nagapattinam . The municipality of Tanjore
11610-671: The inhabitants of the city is tourism and service-oriented industry, while the traditional occupation is agriculture. Thanjavur is known as the "Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu". Paddy (unmilled rice) is the crop and the other crops grown are blackgram , banana , coconut , gingelly , ragi , red gram , green gram , sugarcane and maize . The total percentage of land fit for cultivation is 58%. There are three seasons for agriculture in Thanjavur – Kuruvai (June to September), Samba (August to January) and Thaladi (September, October to February, March). The total rice production has been maintained at 10.615 L.M.T and 7.077 L.M.T. The city acts as
11739-471: The insurgents and invaded Thanjavur in retaliation, briefly placing his brother Muddu Alagiri as ruler there. But Madurai soon lost control of the region as Alagiri declared his independence and the Marathas under Venkoji conquered the province in 1675. Chokkanatha then waged war with Mysore and lost more territory, but his successor Muttu Virappa III recaptured it. After his death in 1689, Muttu Virappa III
11868-524: The invasion and launched a counterattack in which they laid siege to Mysore. Later in 1635, Travancore stopped paying tribute to Madurai so Tirumala Nayaka sent armies to attack him, which forced Travancore to resume tribute payments. In 1635, Tirumala Nayaka sent Ramappayya against the Sethupathi of Ramnad, who had rejected his decision on a succession matter. In this campaign, the Portuguese supported Tirumala Nayaka, and in return he allowed them to build
11997-493: The jungle around the banks of the Kaveri near Tiruchirappalli and destroyed hideouts of robbers there. He also expanded the borders of the kingdom so it included most of modern southern and western Tamil Nadu at his death. However, many of the local chieftains were still chafing under his rule, and so to appease them, Viswanatha's chief minister, Ariyanatha Mudaliar , assisted him in using the palayam or poligar system. The system
12126-484: The king, Erikal Muthuraju Dhanunjaya Varma of 575 CE. This place was previously called Śiyāli . Indra once fled to this place in fear of the asura called Śūrapadma and did tapas here. There are no references to Thanjavur in the Sangam period (third century BCE to fourth century CE) Tamil records, though some scholars believe that the city has existed since that time. Kovil Venni , situated 15 miles (24 km) to
12255-413: The kingdom went to his son Virappa Nayaka. Some documents claim the two sons of Krishnappa Nayaka were co-rulers, while other historians claim some member of the royal family was associated with rule, but not actually a ruler, like a yuva raja system in many of the princely states. During this time he crushed another revolt of polygars who were illegitimate descendants of the Pandyas. Virappa reigned over
12384-426: The last Thanjavur Maratha ruler, died without a legitimate male heir. The British referred to the city as Tanjore in their records. Five years after its annexation, the British replaced Negapatam (modern-day Nagapattinam ) with Thanjavur as the seat of the district administration. Under the British, Thanjavur emerged as an important regional centre. The 1871 India census recorded a population of 52,171, making Thanjavur
12513-625: The last ruler of the dynasty, Vijayaranga Chokkanatha Nayak, as belonging to the Garikepati family of the Balija caste. According to a The Madura Country A Manual written by J. H. Nelson in 1868, it mentions that the descendants of the Madurai Nayaks belonged to the Balija community. They started as kartakkals (agents) of the Vijayanagar empire in southern regions of what would become Tamil Nadu . That region had long been
12642-422: The last year of his life he abdicated the throne and was alive for his son's investiture with ruling power in 1564, and died thereafter. Viswanatha's son, Krishnappa, was crowned in 1564. He immediately faced threats from nobles disgruntled with the new palayam system brought in by his father. These nobles, led by Tumbichchi Nayaka instigated a revolt among some of the polygars, which was crushed by Krishnappa. In
12771-465: The petty chieftains, which made him unpopular. In addition, experienced officers like Nangama Nayaka were chafing under the strict control Krishnadevaraya imposed on them. Towards the end of Krishnadevaraya's reign, trouble erupted in the south as the Chola Nayakas openly revolted and fled to Travancore , while Nangama began defying central orders while still claiming power of deputy. In response,
12900-453: The place where he was defeated. Later, the Asura was vanquished in what is now Thanjavur by the Hindu god Neelamegha Perumal , an incarnation of Vishnu . The city's name "Thanjavur" might also be derived from the name of a Mutharayar king, "Thananjay" or "Dhananjaya". Thananjaya added to Oor gives the name Thanjavur. The Kalamalla stone inscription (the first stone inscription) was made by
13029-447: The population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 83.14%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. There were a total of 78,005 workers, comprising 803 cultivators, 2,331 main agricultural labourers, 2,746 in house hold industries, 65,211 other workers, 6,914 marginal workers, 110 marginal cultivators, 235 marginal agricultural labourers, 322 marginal workers in household industries and 6,247 other marginal workers. As per
13158-533: The regent of Thanjavur, deposed the minor Raja, his nephew Serfoji II (1787–93) and captured the throne. Serfoji II was restored in 1799 with the assistance of the British , who induced him to relinquish the administration of the kingdom and left him in charge of Thanjavur fort and surrounding areas. The kingdom was eventually absorbed into British India in 1855 by the Doctrine of Lapse when Shivaji II (1832–55),
13287-667: The region. The Dalavay Agraharam Plates of Venkata I , mention that Virappa Nayaka, the grandson of Viswanatha Nayak of the Madurai line mentions him with the title of lord of Ayyavalipura. (lords of the town of Ayyavole). The lords of Ayyavolu were called Vira- Balanjas. The term Vira- balija in Telugu , Vira- Banajiga in Kannada and Vira- Valanjiyar in Tamil , all of them mean valiant merchants. These merchants styled themselves as protectors of Vira Balanja Dharma and their capital
13416-791: The reign of the Cholas when it served as the capital of the empire. After the fall of the Cholas, the city was ruled by various dynasties such as the Mutharaiyar dynasty , the Pandyas , the Vijayanagar Empire , the Madurai Nayaks , the Thanjavur Nayaks , the Thanjavur Marathas and the British Empire . It has been a part of independent India since 1947. The city's name is believed to be derived from
13545-650: The religious census of 2011, Thanjavur (M) had 82.87% Hindus , 8.34% Muslims , 8.58% Christians , 0.01% Sikhs , 0.01% Buddhists , 0.06% Jains , 0.11% following other religions and 0.01% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference. As of 2008, a total 2,013.34 ha (4,975.1 acres) (55.4%) of the land was used for residential, 11.32 ha (28.0 acres) (3.06%) for commercial, 82.68 ha (204.3 acres) (2.28%) for industrial, 320.2 ha (791 acres) (8.81%) for public & semi public, 108.11 ha (267.1 acres) (2.98%) for educational and 996.85 ha (2,463.3 acres) (27.47%) for agriculture. Tamil
13674-595: The rise of the Medieval Chola monarch Vijayalaya (841–878 CE) in about 850 CE. Vijayalaya conquered Thanjavur from the Mutharayar king Elango Mutharayar and built a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Nisumbhasudani. His son Aditya I (871–901) consolidated their hold over the city. The Rashtrakuta king Krishna II (878–914), a contemporary of the Chola king Parantaka I (907–950), claims to have conquered Thanjavur, but there are no records to support
13803-574: The river Cauvery. The average rainfall is 37 inches (940 mm), most of which is contributed by the North-East monsoon. Thanjavur is an important pilgrim centre and a major tourist destination of Tamil Nadu. South Zone Culture Centre in Thanjavur is one of the regional cultural centres established by the Government of India to preserve and promote cultural heritage of India. There were 2,002,225 Indian and 81,435 foreign tourist arrivals in 2009 to Thanjavur. The most visited monument in Thanjavur
13932-682: The rulers of the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom and after their fall, it served as the official residence of the Thanjavur Marathas. When most of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was annexed by the British Empire in 1799, the Thanjavur Marathas continued to hold sway over the palace and the surrounding fort. The southern side of the third quadrangle of the palace has a 190 ft (58 m) tower-like building, called
14061-516: The same year, he sent a contingent to the Battle of Talikota but it could not arrive in time. The defeat of Rama Raya made the Nayakas virtually independent. When the king of Kandy, a friend of Tumbichchi Nayaka, stopped sending tribute, Krishnappa then led an invasion of Kandy. In this invasion he killed the king of Kandy, sent the late king's wife and children to Anuradhapura and placed his own brother-in-law Vijaya Gopala Naidu as his viceroy there to ensure tribute. After his death in 1572, power in
14190-534: The semi-independent Ma'bar Sultanate from 1335 to 1378. Starting from the 1350s, the Ma'bar Sultanate was steadily absorbed into the rising Vijayanagar Empire . Thanjavur is believed to have been conquered by Kampanna Udayar during his invasion of Srirangam between 1365 and 1371. Deva Raya's inscription dated 1443, Thirumala's inscription dated 1455 and Achuta Deva's land grants dated 1532 and 1539 attest Vijayanagar's dominance over Thanjavur. Sevappa Nayak (1532–80),
14319-684: The source segregation and dumping is carried out by the sanitary department of the Thanjavur Corporation. The coverage of solid waste management had an efficiency of 100% as of 2001. The underground drainage system covers 70% of the city and the remaining sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. The corporation maintains a total of 155 km (96 mi) of storm water drains: 53.27 km (33.10 mi) surfaced drains and 101.73 km (63.21 mi) unlined drains. Neo tidel park announced in newly added city pillayarpatti There are 37 hospitals and seven clinical labs in Thanjavur that take care of
14448-522: The support of the Yavanas and Parasikas, whose identities remain unclear. Raghunatha's army consisted of strong infantry and cavalry divisions, elephant corps, and armed soldiers. The Vijayanagar claimant Rama Deva Raya fought alongside him. The two armies met at Toppur. Raghunatha was completely victorious; Jaggaraya was captured and killed, and Rama Deva Raya was placed on the throne. Raghunatha also conducted minor campaigns. Though he failed to prevent
14577-528: The third largest city in the Madras Presidency . After India's independence, Thanjavur continued as the district headquarters. Thanjavur is located at 10°48′N 79°09′E / 10.8°N 79.15°E / 10.8; 79.15 The tributaries of river Cauvery , namely, the Grand Anaicut canal ( Pudhaaru ), Vadavaaru and Vennaaru rivers flow through the city. Thanjavur
14706-538: The throne in 1600, ruled with his father from 1600 to 1614, and as sole monarch from 1614 to 1634. In 1614, Sriranga II , the Raja of Vijayanagar, was killed by a rival claimant, Jaggaraya. Raghunatha proceeded against Jaggaraya to avenge the murder. Different accounts give varying versions of the events. According to Ramabhadramba, Raghunatha first fought a rebellious regional chieftain called Solaga, pursuing him to Kumbakonam and then besieging him in his island-fortress on
14835-485: The use of cylindrical columns like Tamil wooden architecture, to create new architectural styles for grand buildings such as the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal. Only two sections of this palace still stand, the dance hall and audience hall. The Nayakas also did many public works projects such as irrigation canals and fortresses. Some early Madurai Nayaka coins portray the figure of the king. The bull also
14964-617: The village of Kailasapuram for upkeeping the Srirangam temple. He also gave lavish gifts to the Madhva pontiff, Vijayendra Tirtha , and the Sri Mutt in Kumbakonam. Raghunatha maintained cordial relations with the Danes and the English. The Portuguese had established factories at San Thome and Nagapattinam on the eastern coast before the accession of Raghunatha, while the Dutch founded
15093-566: Was a quasi-fedual organisation of the country, which was divided into multiple palayams or small provinces; and each palayam was ruled by a palayakkarar or a petty chief. Ariyanatha organized the Pandyan kingdom into 72 palayams and ruled over the 72 dry-zone poligar chiefs. Of these 72, Kurvikulam and Ilayarasanendal, which were ruled by Kamma Nayakas of the Pemmasani , Komatineni and Ravella clans, were considered royal palayams . In
15222-618: Was at Ayyavole or Aihole in Bijapur district of Karnataka . Description of the Nayakas of Madurai was compiled by an official of the Dutch East India Company in 1677, it mentions that the founder of the dynasty, Viswanatha Nayak , as belonging to the Wellen Chetti merchant community. Originally, the Nayakas were Telugu-speaking Balija Chetti warrior from present-day Andhra Pradesh . The Kaifiyat of
15351-552: Was codified in Thanjavur and the art flourished during the Nayak rule in the 16th century. Bharathanatyam , a classical dance form of South India, had its major styles developed in Thanjavur. Sathaya Thiruvizha is the annual birthday festival of Raja Raja Chola held during October every year. Thanjavur is the base for the Tyagaraja Aradhana , a Carnatic music festival held annually during January – February at Thiruvaiyaru , located 13 km (8.1 mi) away from
15480-503: Was created in 1866 as a third grade municipality as per Town Improvements Act 1865 and initially consisted of 12 members. The number was increased to 18 in 1879 and 24 in 1883. In 1897, the members were empowered to elect a Municipal Chairperson to lead them. Tanjore was upgraded to a second grade municipality in 1933, first grade in 1943 and a special grade in 1983. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning and
15609-645: Was elected from the Thanjavur Lok Sabha constituency in the 1951 elections. Law and order in the city is maintained by the Thanjavur subdivision of the Tamil Nadu Police , headed by a Deputy Superintendent (DSP). The Thanjavur district level police administration is headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police, whose office is located in the city. There are six police stations in the city, one of them being an all-women police station. Some special units include prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and
15738-418: Was incomplete when the Nayak dynasty fell and has since been continued into the modern-day. Although temple architecture was the main pursuit of the Nayakas, they constructed other buildings as well. Thirumala Nayaka is famous for his huge Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal , which George Mitchell speculated must have been the largest of all royal residences in the 17th century, develops earlier palace architecture from
15867-499: Was mainly used by the common people, although there were some Telugu cultivators in the region. The Madurai Nayakas, on the other hand, had Telugu as mother tongue but could also speak Tamil. The Nayakas were great patrons of literature in Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit. Although most kings patronized mainly poetry (considered "divine"), under Nayaka patronage Telugu prose flourished. The earliest Muslim work in Tamil that survives complete
15996-440: Was more interested in scholarship and learning than ruling, and so real power fell to his chief counselor and commander of the army, who were known to abuse their power prodigiously. After his death in 1732, his wife, Queen Meenakshi , decided to adopt the son of Bangaru Tirumalai Nayaka , a member of the royal house. However there was severe strife between Bangaru Tirumalai and Meenakshi, and he led an uprising against her. In 1734,
16125-550: Was not originally independent, but was treated as just another governor who the emperor had sent to keep control over the provinces. Originally he had control over Chola Nadu as well, which was ruled by a feudatory Chola prince, but this was transferred to the Thanjavur Nayakas . In 1544, Viswanatha Nayaka helped Rama Raya 's army subdue Travancore, which had been refusing to pay tribute. Viswanatha also rebuilt fortifications at Madurai and made travel safer. He cleared
16254-519: Was on his sickbed, and so he entrusted his defense to the Sethupathi of Ramnad, who had just emerged from a period of chaos. Ragunatha Thevar managed to drive back Mysore and in return all tribute was cancelled from him. Tirumala was succeeded by his son in 1659, who ruled for only four months, and then was succeeded by Chokkanatha Nayaka. In the first part of his reign, his army commander and chief minister revolted, supported by Thanjavur. He crushed
16383-473: Was succeeded by his brother Tirumala Nayaka , either as de facto or de jure ruler, in 1623. One of his first acts was to shift the capital back to Madurai, both as a better protection against invasion and its religious significance. The change took 10 years and was finally done in 1635. He also increased the army size to 30,000 to better work against. The kingdom was invaded again by Mysore in 1625, but Tirumala and his generals Ramappayya and Ranganna Nayaka crushed
16512-579: Was succeeded by his infant son with Rani Mangammal , Virappa's mother, as regent. With the Mughal juggernaut approaching southern India, Rani Mangammal recognised it would be better to pay tribute to the Mughals than have them invade. She supporter their capture of Jinji from Rajaram, who would otherwise have attacked Madurai and Thanjavur, and ruled the fort as a Mughal vassal. Muttu Virappa III's son Vijayaranga Chokkanatha reached maturity in 1704. However, he
16641-580: Was successfully conquered in 1674 by Ekoji I (1675–84), the Maratha feudatory of the sultan of Bijapur and half-brother of Shivaji (1627/30-80) of the Bhonsle dynasty. Ekoji founded the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom which ruled Thanjavur till 1855. The Marathas exercised their sovereignty over Thanjavur throughout the last quarter of the 17th and the whole of the 18th century. The Maratha rulers patronized Carnatic music . In 1787, Amar Singh,
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