Thanjavur
According
to local legend, the word Thanjavur is derived from
"Tanjan", an Asura (giant) in Hindu who was killed in what is
now Thanjavur by the Hindu god Neelamegha Perumal, a form of Vishnu. The word Thanjavur is indeed a Tamil name. "Than"-cold,
"chei"-farmland, "ur"- city means city surrounded by cold
farmlands. Later, the word "Thancheiur" has become
"Thanjavur".
The city
rose to prominence during the rule of Chola monarch King Vijayalaya chola who
made it the headquarters of Chola dynasty. After the fall of Chola dynasty, the
city was ruled by a number of dynasties like Pandyas, Nayaks, Marathas and the
British. The administrative powers of Thanjavur were given over to British
Empire under the signed treaty of 1799. British records refer the city as
Tanjore.
Thanjavur
attained prominence under the Chola rulers who were paramount in South India
during 9th to 12th centuries. They were not only excellent rulers but also
mighty builders, who erected a large number of exquisite temples in their
empire, some of which constitute the finest specimens of architecture. Hence
the district stands distinguished in the state even in its large number of
temples, whose legends extend deep into early historic times.
Many of
these temples reflect the power, genius and architectural grandeurs of their
authors displaying the unique and magnificent proficiency in sculpture,
painting and wood carving. Art gallery, the great Saraswathi Mahal library, the
'Sangeetha Mahal' (hall of music), the thriving of classical music and dance
known as 'Bharatnatyam' and the celebration of grand annual music festival at
Thiruvaiyaru, in honour of the great Saint Thyagaraja, all bear testimony to
the cultural heritage.
The
period of Chola Kings was not only considered as epoch-making but also an era
of the cultural renaissance. Thanjavur under the Chola rulers was the cradle of
Tamil Culture. Literature and civilization and the rare Tamil manuscripts in
the Thanjavur library corroborate this fact. Another notable feature is that in
spite of several alien invasions, onslaughts and internal conflicts, the
ancient culture and civilization have not suffered much devastation.
The
inhabitants have successfully concentrated their histrionic talents in the
field of art, literature, drama, music and dancing and are known for their rich
cultural and religious fervour. They live in close harmony as a well knit
community and the three main religious groups are Hindus, Muslims, and
Christians, celebrate their fairs and festivals with a sense of mutual respect.
On
festive occasion, the Hindu devotees out-number all other participants in the
shrines belonging to other religions. Similarly, in the case of some Hindu
festivals, the temples are thronged by a substantial number of persons
belonging to other religious group as well, who have a staunch faith and come
in full reverence to pay homage to the presiding deities.
During Sangam Period:
There
are no references to Thanjavur in any of the Sangam
period (third century BC to
fourth century AD) Tamil records, though some scholars believe that the
city has existed since that time. Kovil Venni, situated 15 miles (24 km)
to the east of the city, was the site of the Battle
of Venni between the Chola
king Karikala and a confederacy of the Cheras and the Pandyas.
The
Cholas seemed to have faced an invasion of the Kalabhras in the third
century AD after which the kingdom faded into obscurity. The region around
present day Thanjavur was conquered by the Mutharayars during sixth
century, who ruled it up to 849.
Under Cholas Rule:
The Cholas came to prominence once more through the rise of
the Medieval Chola monarch Vijayalaya (841–878) in about 850. Vijayalaya conquered
Thanjavur from the Mutharayar king Elango Mutharayar and built a temple
dedicated to Hindu goddess Nisumbhasudani. His son Aditya
I (871–901) consolidated the hold over the city. The
Rashtrakuta king Krishna
II (878–914), a contemporary of the Chola king Parantaka
I (907–950), claims to have conquered Thanjavur, but
there are no records to support the claim.
Gradually,
Thanjavur became the most important city in the Chola Empire and remained its
capital till the emergence of Gangaikonda Cholapuram in about 1025. During the first decade of the
eleventh century, the Chola king Raja
Raja Chola I (985–1014)
constructed the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur. The
temple is considered to be one of the best specimens of South Indian temple
architecture.
Under Pandyas Rule:
When the
Chola Empire began to decline in the 13th century, the Pandyas from the south
invaded and captured Thanjavur twice, first during 1218–19 and then during
1230. During the second invasion, the Chola king Rajaraja III (1216–56) was set in exile and he sought the help
of the Hoysala king Vira
Narasimha II (1220–35) to regain
Thanjavur. Thanjavur was eventually annexed along with the rest of the Chola
kingdom by the Pandya king Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan
I (1268–1308) in 1279 and the Chola kings were
forced to accept the suzerainty of the Pandyas.
The
Pandyas ruled Thanjavur from 1279 to 1311. The Pandiyan regime was short lived.
When the Pandiyan Kingdom was in the thrones of civil war, the Muslim ruler Ala-Ud-Din
Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, took advantage of it and was raided and annexed by
the forces of Malik Kafur (1296–1306) and Delhi
Sultanate. Thanjavur then came
under the Muslim rulers.
The
Sultanate extended its authority directly over the conquered regions from 1311
to 1335 and then through the semi-independent Malabar
Sultanate from 1335 to 1378. Starting
from the 1350s, the Malabar Sultanate was steadily absorbed into the rising Vijayanagar Empire.
Under Vijayanagar Rule:
Thanjavur
remained under the supremacy of the Vijayanagar Kings for a longer period. Thanjavur
is believed to have been conquered by Kampanna Udayar during his invasion of Srirangam between 1365 and 1371. Deva Raya's inscription
dated 1443, Thirumala's inscription dated 1455 and Achuta Deva's land grants
dated 1532 and 1539 attest Vijayanagar's dominance over Thanjavur.
Under Nayakas Rule:
Sevappa
Nayak (1532–80), the
Vijayanagar viceroy of Arcot, established himself as an independent monarch in
1532 (1549, according to some sources) and founded the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. In 1560, Sevappa Nayak made over kingdom to his
son Achyuthappa Nayak. His rules unlike that of his father were not one of
unbroken peace. Shortly after getting old he abdicated the crown in favour of
his son Ragunatha (1600-1630). During his reign, a Danish settlement was
established at Tranquebar (1620). Achuthappa
Nayak (1560–1614), Raghunatha
Nayak (1600–34) and Vijaya Raghava Nayak (1634–73) are
some of the important rulers of the Nayak dynasty who ruled Thanjavur.
Thanjavur
Nayaks were notable for their patronage of literature and arts. The Nayaks of
Thanjavur were loyal to Vijayanagar after the battle of Talikotta and helped
Vijayanagar in repulsing the attacks of the Nayak of Madurai and their
temporary ally Golkonda, but the beginning of the 17th Century was the end of
the Vijayanagar Empire. The rule of the dynasty came to an end when Thanjavur
fell to the Madurai Nayak king Chokkanatha
Nayak (1662–82) in 1673.
Vijaya
Raghunatha Nayak, the son of Chokkanatha, was killed in a battle and
Chokkanatha's brother Alagiri
Nayak (1673–75) was
crowned as the ruler of the empire.
Under Marathas Rule
Thanjavur
was successfully conquered in 1674 by Ekoji
I (1675–84), the Maratha feudatory of the Nawab of Bijapur and half-brother
of Shivaji (1627/30-80) of the Bhonsle dynasty. Ekoji founded the Thanjavur Maratha
kingdom which ruled Thanjavur till 1855. The Marathas exercised their sovereignty over
Thanjavur throughout the last quarter of the 17th and the whole of the 18th
century. Subsequently there were hostilities between the Arcot Nawab and the
Maratta ruler of Thanjavur. The French and English also began interfering in
the internal affairs of South India. The supremacy of the English was later
established.
The
Maratha rulers patronized Carnatic
music. In 1787, Amar Singh, the
regent of Thanjavur, deposed the minor Raja, his nephew Serfoji
II (1787–93) and captured the throne. Serfoji II was
restored in 1799 with the assistance of the British, who induced him to relinquish the administration of
the kingdom and left him in charge of Thanjavur fort and surrounding areas.
A pact
was signed between the Maratta ruler and the English by virtue of which the
status of the Raja was reduced to a mere vassal.
Under British Rule:
The
Maratha Kingdom of Thanjavur was eventually absorbed into British India in 1855
by the Doctrine of Lapse when Shivaji
II (1832–55), the last Thanjavur Maratha ruler, died
without a legitimate male heir. The British referred to the city as Tanjore in
their records. Five years after its annexation, the British replaced
Negapatam (modern-day Nagapattinam) with Thanjavur as the seat of the district
administration. Under the British, Thanjavur emerged as an important regional center.
The 1871 India census recorded a population of 52,171, making Thanjavur the
third largest city in the Madras
Presidency. After India's
independence, Thanjavur continued as the district headquarters.
1.General information2.Hindu Temples
3.Chruches and Mosques
4.Historical Monuments
5.Other Places of interest
6.Hotels
7.Connectivity