New Kingdoms along the Coasts


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

New Kingdoms along the Coasts

New Kingdoms Along The Coasts:

The southern half of the subcontinent is marked by a long coastline, and with hills, plateaus, and river valleys. Amongst the river valleys, that of the Kaveri is the most fertile. Chiefs and kings who controlled the river valleys and the coasts became rich and powerful. Sangam poems mention the muvendar. This is a tamil word meaning three chiefs, used for the heads of three ruling families, the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas. Who became powerful in south India around 2300 years ago.

Each of the three chiefs had two centres of power: one inland, and one on the coasts.

Of these six cities, two were very important: Puhar or Kaveripattinam, the port of the Cholas, and Madurai, the capital of the Pandyas.

The chiefs did not collect regular taxes. Instead, they demanded and received gifts from the people. They also went on military expeditions, and collected tribute from neighboring areas. They kept some of the wealth and distributed the rest amongst their supporters, including members of their family, soldiers, and poets.

Around 200 years later a dynasty known as the Satavahanas became powerful in western India. The most important ruler of the Satavahanas was Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni. We know about him from an inscription composed by his mother, Gautami Balashri. He and other satavahana rulers were known as lords of the dakshinapatha, literally the route leading to the south, which was also used as a name for the entire southern region.

 
 


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