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The Early Pandyas of the Sangam period were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country, the other two being the Cholas and the Cheras. As with many other kingdoms around this period (earlier than 200 BCE), most of the information about the Early Pandyas come to us mainly through literary sources and some epigraphic, archaeological and numismatic evidence.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 Vedic Roots of Early Tamil Culture by Michael Danino ) 〕 The capital of the Early Pandyan kingdom was initially Korkai, around 600 BCE, and was later moved to Koodal (now Madurai) during the reign of Nedunjeliyan I. The kings of the Pandyan Dynasty are frequently mentioned in Sangam literature of the third century BCE and onwards, in works such as the ''Mathuraikkanci'' and other early Tamil literary works such as ''Cilapatikaram'', which have been used by historians to identify their names and, to some extent, their genealogy. Nedunjeliyan II is referred to as the most popular warrior among the Early Pandyas, winning a battle at Talaialanganam against a coalition of forces from Cholas and Cheras and five other kingdoms. The early Pandyan kingdom extended between Travancore in the west, Vellaru river in the north and all the way to the ocean in the east and the south. The Early Pandyas had active maritime trade relationships with the west, a fact testified by western classical writers such as Pliny the Elder (1st century CE), Strabo, Ptolemy and the author of the ''Periplus''. The Panydan country was well known for pearl fishery, with Korkai being the principal center of the trade. Some of the exports were pearls, spices, ivory and shells, while the imports included horses, gold, glass and wine. ==Origin and Sources== The origin of the word "Pandya" has been a subject of much speculation. Some scholars believe that it descended from the "Pandavas" of Mahabharata, while some others argue that the name could be derived from the word "Pandi" the original name of the Tamil country. Because the Country of Pandya was already mentioned in Ramayana which is early to the Mahabharat. When Sugriva sends his monkey warriors to search Sita, he mentions Chera, Chola and Pandya of south.〔The Ramayana, The Great Hindu Epic Translated by R C Dutt, RAMAYANA BOOK VII: KISHKINDHA (Part - VI THE QUEST FOR SITA)〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Valmiki Ramayana - Kishkindha Kanda )〕 Hence "Pandyas" were not from "Pandavas". Historians have used several sources to identify the origins of the Early Pandyan dynasty with the pre-Christian Era and also to piece together the names of the Pandyan kings. Unfortunately, the exact genealogy of these kings has not been authoritatively established yet. Another theory is that the word Pandya is derived from the Tamil word "Pandi" meaning bull. Ancient Tamils, considered the bull as a sign of masculinity and valor.〔The primary classical language of the world By Ñānamuttan̲ Tēvanēyan̲〕 Pandya became the epithet of the first Pandyan king of ThenMadurai, Kulasekharan Pandya as he was built like a bull. It was used as an epitome of masculinity. His son, the second king of ThenMadurai, the legendary Malayadwaja Pandya who sided with the Pandavas and took part in the Kurukshetra is described as follows in Karna Parva(verse 20.25):〔Mahabhrata Book Eight: Karna By Adam Bowles〕〔The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa translated into ..., Volume 8 By Kisari Mohan Ganguli〕 Malayadwaja Pandya and his queen Kanchanamala had one daughter Thathagai alias Meenakshi who succeeded her father and reigned the kingdom successfully. The Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple was built after her. The city of Madurai was built around this temple.〔Let's go: India & Nepal, 2004 By Let's Go, Inc.〕 Yet another theory suggests that in Sangam Tamil lexicon the word Pandya means ''old country'' in contrast with Chola meaning ''new country'', Chera meaning ''hill country'' and Pallava meaning ''branch'' in Sanskrit. The Chera, Chola and Pandya are the traditional Tamil siblings and together with the Pallavas are the major Kings that ruled ancient Tamilakkam. Pillaiyarpatti temple is a rock-cut temple located in Thiruppatthur, Sivagangai District. It was built after viewing a hillock by the early Pandiya kings. The image of Pillaiyarpatti Pillaiyar and that of a Siva Lingam were carved out of a stone by a sculptor named Ekkattur Koon Peruparanan who put his signature on a stone inscription, in Tamil Language used between the 2nd and 5th century AD, found even today in the sanctum. It can be concluded that the icon of Pillaiyarpatti Pillaiyar must have been carved around 4th century AD. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Early Pandyan Kingdom」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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