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Tamil Nadu is the homeland of the Indian Tamils and has existed since prehistoric
times. The culture and artwork of this region are considered to be some of the oldest
in the world. It is home to one of the classical languages of India, Tamil. The
language has been documented as being around for at least 5,000 years in written
form, but was spoken long before that. Tamil Nadu also has one of the oldest
culinary heritages in the World.

One of the most industrialised and urbanised states in India, it is home to many
natural resources, rare flora and fauna, cool hill stations, grand Hindu temples of
Dravidian architecture, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites and three
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

amil Nadu's history dates back to pre-historic times and archaeological evidence
points to this area being one of the longest continuous habitations in India. In
Adichanallur, 24 km from Tirunelveli, archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey
of India unearthed 12 urns with Tamil Brahmi script on them containing human
skulls, skeletons and bones, plus husks and grains of rice, charred rice and
Neolithic celts, giving evidence confirming them to be of the Neolithic period, 2800
years ago. Adhichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further
excavation and studies.

From early pre-historic times, Tamil Nadu was the home of the four powerful Tamil
kingdoms of the Chera, Chola, Pandya(Madurai) and Pallavas. The oldest extant
literature, dated between 500 BCE and 200 CE mentions the exploits of the kings
and the princes, and of the poets who extolled them. The early Cholas reigned
between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. An unknown dynasty called Kalabhras
invaded and displaced the three Tamil kingdoms between the fourth and the seventh
centuries CE. This is referred to as the Dark Age in Tamil history. They were
eventually expelled by the Pandyas and the Pallavas. Around 580 CE, the Pallavas,
great temple builders, emerged into prominence and dominated the south for
another 150 years. They ruled a large portion of Tamil Nadu with Kanchipuram as
their base. They subjugated the Cholas and reigned as far south as the Kaveri River.
Among the greatest Pallava rulers were Mahendravarman I and his son
Narasimhavarman I. Dravidian architecture reached its peak during the Pallava rule.

By the 9th century, under Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the Cholas
rose as a notable power in Asia. The Chola Empire stretched as far as Bengal.
Rajaraja Chola conquered all of peninsular South India and parts of Sri Lanka.
Rajendra Chola's navies went even further, occupying coastal Burma (now
Myanmar), the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Sumatra, Java, Malaya
in South East Asia and Pegu islands. He defeated Mahipala, the king of the Bengal,
and to commemorate his victory he built a new capital and named it Gangaikonda
Cholapuram.

The Cholas revelled in building magnificent temples. Brihadeshwara Temple in
Thanjavur is a classical example of the magnificent architecture of the Chola
kingdom. Brihadeshwara temple is an UNESCO Heritage Site under "Great Living
Chola Temples" Great Living Chola Temples. Another example is the Chidambaram
Temple in the heart of the temple town of Chidambaram. The power of the Cholas
declined around the 13th century. With the decline of the Cholas, the Pandyas rose
to prominence once again in the early 14th century. This was short-lived; they were
soon subdued by Muslim Khilji invaders from the north in 1316. Madurai was
sacked. The invasion led to the establishment of the Madurai Sultanate. These
Muslim invasions caused the establishment of Vijayanagara Empire in the Deccan.
It eventually conquered the entire Tamil country (c. 1370 CE). As the Vijayanagara
Empire went into decline after mid-16th century, the Nayak governors, who were
appointed by the Vijayanagar kingdom to administer various territories of the empire,
declared their independence. The Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur were
most prominent of them all. They reconstructed some of the oldest temples in the
country.



GENERAL INFORMATION


Time zone         IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                   130,058 kmē (50,216 sq mi)
Capital              Chennai
Largest city       Chennai
District(s)         30
Population       62,405,679 (6th)
Density               478/kmē (1,238/sq mi)
Language(s)     Tamil