The Pandya Dynasty was a Southern Indian dynasty that ruled from Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu from the sixth to the fourteenth centuries.
When the Pallava dynasty of Kanchipuram struggled for
dominance of the peninsula in the late sixth century, the Pandyas emerged as a
regional force.
When the Chola dynasty ruled over all of southern India, the
Pandyas became vassals, but when the Cholas declined, the Pandyas became the
main regional force, finally taking the Chola empire in 1279.
The Pandyas ruled much of southern India during its peak in
the thirteenth century, but were defeated and absorbed by the Sangama dynasty,
better known as the Vijayanagar dynasty after their capital city, early in the
14 century.
