The Nayak Dynasty was a southern Indian dynasty that had its
capital at Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
The Nayaks rose to prominence when the Vijayanagar monarchy
was deposed late in the sixteenth century, leaving a political vacuum.
For the following hundred years, the Nayaks dominated the
southernmost section of the subcontinent.
Tirumalai Nayak (r. 1623–1659), the dynasty's greatest
emperor, built huge parts of the Minakshi temple, dedicated to Madurai's patron
deity, Minakshi.
