In EU4 terms province of Tirunelveli, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, & Dindigul (Southern Kongu) - (During Nayak rule, 1570).
Kampana Udaiyar, a Vijayanagara prince marched into Madurai in 1372 expelled the sultan out of Madurai and started a dynasty, subordinate to the court of Vijayanagara that lasted until 1404. After ruling for sometime, Kampana Udaiyar left his son Embana Udaiyar in charge of Madurai, who was succeeded by his brother-in-law Porkasa Udeiyar. Around 1404, Porkasa Udaiyar was succeeded by a man named Lakkana Nayakkan, thus bringing the dynastic rule of Kampana Udaiyar to an end. Lekkina Nayakkan appointed Vira Parakkrama Pandyan to rule Madurai, who belong to Pandyan dynasty. But soon after Vira Parakkrama Pandyan revolted to become independent, he was dismissed and chased away to Chera country, and Lantana Nayaka jointly ruled Madurai with another Nayaka named Mathanan until 1451.
Between 1451 and 1499, the Madurai regions were ruled by four persons brought by Lakkana Nayakkan whom he declared to be of true Pandya stock. The four persons were Sundara Tol Maha Vilivanathi Rayar, Kaleiyar Somanar, Anjatha Perumal and Muttarasa Thirumalai Maha Vilivanathi Rayar - all the four persons belonged to the same family, and were illegitimate sons of a petty Pandyan chieftain. It appears that there were also some Bana chieftains ruling in Kanchipuram and some pockets in Madurai region who would take advantage of the momentary weakening position of Vijayanagari Nayaks. Subsequently the Nayaks appointed were: (1500-1530s).
• Narasa Nayak
• Tenna Nayak
• Narasa Pillai
• Kuru Kuru Timmappa Nayak
• Kattiyama Kamayya Nayak
• Chinnappa Nayakka
• Ayyakarai Veyyappa Nayak
One of these Bana chieftains (erstwhile Chola allegiance), Veerasekara Chola occupied the Pandya region. In 1538, the Vijayanagara commander Kotikam Nagama Nayaka defeated Veerasekara Chola. However, Nagama Nayaka declared independence from the Vijayanagara dynasty instead of handing back the kingdom. To check the rebellion of Nagama Nayaka, emperor Krishnadeva Raya sent a large force under Viswanatha Nayak. Vishwanatha Nayaka was the son of Nagama Nayaka. Viswanatha eventually defeated and imprisoned his father. He was rewarded by the Vijayanagara king who made him the Viceroy of the Tamil Country.
It should be noted that Nagama Nayaka was the brother of Timappa Nayak - father of Sevappa Nayak (founder of Tanjore Nayak line). Thus Vishwanath Nayak (founder of Madurai Nayak Line) & Sevappa Nayak (founder of Tanjore Nayak Line) were cousins.
Vishwanatha Nayakka ruled from 1535 to 1544, and was succeeded by Varathappa Nayakkar who ruled for a very short period of about a year. In 1545, Dumbicchi Nayakkan became the Governor, and after twenty months, he was succeeded by Vishwanatha Nayakkan again, until Vitthala Raja took over. Vitthala Raja ruled from 1546 to 1558. hereafter Vishwanatha Nayak took over again from 1559 to 1563. After Vishwanatha Nayak, his son Kumara Krishnappa Nayaka took over and from thereon, the heredity rule of Vishwanatha Nayaka continued.
Kumara Krishnappa Nayaka (1563-1573) Viswantha Nayak was succeeded by his son Krishnappa Nayak who along with his father's able minister Ariyanatha expanded the Madurai Kingdom under the Nayaks and brought most of the ancient Pandyan territory under its rule. After Talikota, he became lax in paying tribute to Vijayanagar now based at Chandragiri near Trichi.
Kumara Krishnappa Nayak was succeeded in 1573 by his two sons, who ruled jointly and uneventfully until 1595, when they in turn were succeeded by their two sons, one of whom ruled until 1602.
Muttu Krishnappa Nayaka (1602-1609) These were followed by Muttu Krishnappa Nayak. He is credited with having given the Setupatis of Ramnad a considerable slice of territory in the Maravar country, on condition that they suppress crime and protect pilgrims journeying to Rameswaram. These were the beginnings of Ramnad kingdom.
Muttu Virappa Nayaka (1609-1623) Muttu Krishnappa Nayak was succeeded by his eldest son, Muttu Virappa. He began the construction of the Dindigul at Dindigul on the Hill, along with the Temple on it, which later was completed by Tirumalai Nayak. Muttu Virappa is said to have have paid the Vijayanagara king at Chandragiri a tribute of 600,000 pagodas in 1616 post his defeat at battle of Toppur.
Tirumalai Nayaka (1623-1659) crushed the rebellion of the Setupatis of Ramnad. The Setupathi and his Maravas withdrew to the island of Pamban and procured the assistance of Europeans.
Muttu Veerappa Nayaka (1659-1662) He tried to induce the Nayak of Tanjore to join the enterprise against rising power of Sultan of Carnatic (Gingee). He tried to reconcile with the sultan but no qualms. The Sultan invaders moved against Trichinopoly and Madurai, spreading havoc, while Muttu Alakadri remained inactive behind the walls of the fort. Fortunately for him, the enemy soon had to retire, for their devastations produced a local famine and pestilence from which they themselves suffered terribly. They made a half-hearted attempt on Trichinopoly and then permitted themselves to be bought off for a very moderate sum. Muttu Alakadri did not long survive their departure, but gave himself over to debauchery with an abandon which soon brought him to a dishonoured grave.
Chokkanatha Nayaka (1662-1682) At the age of 16, this young ruler began his reign with an ill-considered attempt to drive out the Muslim troops, despatching a large army against the Gingee fortress. His general, however, sold himself to the enemy and wasted time and money in a long and unprofitable campaign which was little but pretence. He was also harassed by a domestic conspiracy, in which the same unfaithful general took a prominent part, The officers whom he entrusted with the duty of repelling the attack again were disloyal, and it was not until he himself finally took command of the army that the Muslim invaders were driven back to Tanjore and eventually to Gingee.
In the next year (1663 or 1664) Chokkanatha paid a heavy price for his temporary success. The Muslims burst into the Trichinopoly and Madura districts and devastated the country with almost incredible cruelty. They again besieged Trichinoploy, and this time he had to buy them off with a large sum. He consoled himself by punishing the Nayakkan of Tanjore and Setupati of Ramnad, who had failed to help him in repelling them. This latter enterprise was unsuccessful, for though he succeeded in taking several forts in the Marava country, he was baffled by the guerilla tactics of his adversary, and had to retire without obtaining that chief’s submission. This Campaign aspired the Setupati to form an independent kingdom.
A secret love affair with the princess of Tanjore and unfortunate turns of event where inspite of winning Tanjore he lost the Princess made him heart-broke.
Chokkantha was replaced on his tottering throne about 1678 by a Muslim adventurer who during the next two years usurped the whole of his authority, and even the ladies of his and his fallen brother’s harems, and at last was slain by Chokkanatha himself and a few of his friends.
In 1682 his capital was besieged by Mysore was shadowed by forces belonging to the Marathas, who, while pretending to be on his side, were only waiting for a chance to seize his territory for themselves; and was threatened by a body of Maravans who norminally and hurried to his assistance, but in reality had only come to share in the booty which the sack of Trichinopoly was expected to yield.
The Marathas, who were now established in Gingee as well as Tanjore, inflicted a crushing defeat on the Mysore troops and drove them out of almost every corner of the Madura and Trichinopoly districts. Madura itself they were unable to capture, for the Maravans, regarding the men of Mysore as on the whole more eligible neighbours than the Marathas, helped the former to hold that fortress. The latter had pretended to be, and laid siege to Trichinopoly itself. In despair at their treachery, Chokkantha died of a broken heart in 1682.
Rangakrishna Muthu Virappa Nayaka (1682-1689) Rangakrishna Muthu Virappa Nayak, who succeeded Chokkanatha was a spirited boy of fifteen. He tried to revive the diminished fortunes of the kingdom. He made a name for himself by ignoring Aurangazeb with courage, but little enough of his territories remained to him to rule. The greater part of them was held by Mysore, some by the Maravans, some by the Marathas of Gingee, and some by the Marathas of Tanjore. At first, the country was subject to anarchy and pillage, foreign enemies occupied all the forts, and robber chiefs were masters of the rural areas and carried on their brigandage there with impunity.
Matters slowly improved, with Mysore soon distracted by a war with the Marathas of Gingee, and both the Setupathis of Ramnad and the Marathas of Tanjore occupied by wars within their own countries. Emperor Aurangzeb in 1686–1687 conquered the kingdoms of Madura's old enemies, Golconda and Bijapur, and he was for many years engaged in an exhausting war with the Marathas.
Muthu Virappa recovered his capital in 1685, and he gradually reconquered large parts of the ancient kingdom of his forefathers and succeeded in restoring the power of the Nayaks of Madurai. Unfortunately he died of smallpox in 1689, at the early age of 22.
Rani Mangammal (1689-1704) Mangammal, the mother of the late Nayaka, acted for the next fifteen years as Queen-Regent on behalf of her grandson. In 1693, Madurai became a feudatory state to the emperor in Delhi with Nizams in Hyderabad as immediate Mughal representative and Arcot as vassal to Hyderabad as immediate mediator.
Vijaya Ranga Chokkanatha Nayaka (1704-1731) Apparently a dull reign of 26 years, paving way for the demise of the dynasty. His reign was distinguished by the ill-regulated and extraordinary munificence of his gifts to Brahmins and religious institutions. The injustice of his rule caused a serious riot in Madurai, the mutiny of his troops, and incessant disturbances. His only warfare was over the succession to the throne of Ramnad, in 1725. Of the two claimants, one was supported by Tanjore Marathas and the other by Madurai and the Tondaiman of Pudukotai. The Tanjore troops won a decisive victory and placed their protégé on the throne. A year or two later the Tanjore king deposed this very protégé, and divided Ramnad into Ramnad and Sivaganga which became independent Marava powers.
Queen Meenakshi (1731-1736) Vijaya Ranga Chokkanatha died in 1731, and was succeeded by his widow Meenakshi, who acted as Queen-Regent on behalf of a young boy she had adopted as the heir of her dead husband. She had only ruled a year or two when an insurrection was raised against her by Vangaru Tirumala, the father of her adopted son, who pretended to have claims of his own to the throne of Madurai. At this juncture representatives of the Mughals appeared on the scene and took an important part in the struggle.
A succession between Queen Meenakshi & Vangaru Tirumala was in 1734 interfered by Arkot (local Mughal representative as vassal of Nizams, immediate mughal representation in the South India). Vangaru was given Madurai & Tirunelveli after paying 3 millions while Queen Meenakshi could keep Trichinopoly after paying 10 millions.
Chanda Sahib accepted the crore of rupees and departed to Arcot. Two years later, in 1736 he returned, again was admitted into the fort, and proceeded to make himself master of the kingdom. He eventually marched against Vangaru Thirumala, who still was ruling in the south, defeated him at Ammaya Nayakkanur and Dindigul, drove him to take refuge in Sivaganga, and occupied the southern provinces of the Madurai kingdom. Between 1736-1740 Chanda Sahib along with his 2 brothers as governor at Dindigul & Madurai and himself at Tiruchirapalli ruled Mudarai region away from Nawab of Arcot. It was at this period that he subjugated the king of Tanjore, although he did not annex his territory, and he compelled them to cede Karaikal, now in Puducherry, to the French.
Vangaru Thirumala asked help of the Marathas and therefore in 1740, appeared in the south with a vast army, and defeated and killed the Nawab of Arcot, seized Trichinopoly, Dindigul and Madurai and captured Chanda Sahib but disregarding the claims of Vangaru Tirumala, appointed a Maratha, the well-known Morari Rao of Gooty, as their governor of the conquered kingdom. Morari Rao remained in power for two years and finally retired, in 1743, before the invading army of the Nizam re-established his weakened authority in the Carnatic and in 1744 appointed Anwar-uddin as Nawab of Arcot. The Nizam ordered that Vangaru Tirumala should be appointed king of Madurai, however the Arcot Nawab disregarded this order and Vangaru Tirumala disappeared from the scene, poisoned, some say, by Anwar-uddin.
Later, in the scramble for the Carnatic throne between Chanda Sahib, who was supported by French, and the Arcot Nawabs, Chanda Sahib was defeated in the Carnatic war and was killed by their allies Tanjore Marathas. In 1751 the Madurai kingdom smoothly passed into the British fold, when the Arcot Nawab ceded the former state to the later for the repayment of his huge loans from the British East India Company.
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