Ay dynasty

Ay
Ay Kingdom in 1st Century CE
Ay Kingdom in 1st Century CE
Capital
  • Podhigai Malai (early historic)
  • Vizhinjam (medieval)
Religion
Hinduism
 Succeeded by
Venad (historical region)
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Ay was an ancient Indian dynasty which controlled the south-western tip of the Indian peninsula, from the early historic period up to the medieval period.The clan traditionally held sway over the port of Vizhinjam, the fertile region of Nanjinad, and southern parts of the spice-producing Western Ghat mountains. The dynasty was also known as Kupaka in medieval period.[1]

The Ay formed one of the major chieftains of early historic (pre-Pallava) Kerala, along with the Cheras of central Kerala and the Musakas of Elimalai in the north.[2][3] Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century CE) described the "Aioi" territory as extending from the Baris (Pamba) to Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari). The elephant was the emblem of the Ay.[4]

The Ay kingdom functioned as a buffer state between the powerful Pandyas/Cholas and the Cheras (Kerala) in the medieval period.[4] A number of kings such as Chadayan Karunanthan (788 CE), Karunanthadakkkan "Srivallabha" (r. c. 856/57–884[5]), and Vikramaditya "Varaguna" (r. c. 884–911/920 CE[5]) figure as the Ay chiefs of the port of Vizhinjam.[3] The famous Brahmin salai at Kantalur, somewhere near present-day Trivandrum, was located in the Ay kingdom. The salai was sacked by Chola emperor Rajaraja I (985–1014 CE[6]) in c. 988 CE.[3] Historians assume that the Ay were a leading power in the region till c. 10th century CE.[7]

  1. ^ Narayanan, M. G. S. Perumāḷs of Kerala. Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 179.
  2. ^ Gurukkal, Rajan. “DID STATE EXIST IN THE PRE-PALLAVAN TAMIL REGION.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 63, 2002, pp. 138–150.
  3. ^ a b c Narayanan, M. G. S. Perumāḷs of Kerala. Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 191–193, 435 - 437. [1]
  4. ^ a b A Survey of Kerala History, A. Sreedhara Menon, D C Books Kerala (India), 2007, ISBN 81-264-1578-9, ISBN 978-81-264-1578-6 [2]
  5. ^ a b Gurukkal, Rajan. The Agrarian System and Socio-Political Organisation Under the Early Pandyas c. CE 600-1000. Doctoral Thesis. Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1984. 29-30.
  6. ^ Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 122-24.
  7. ^ Ganesh, K. N. Agrarian Relations and Political Authority in Medieval Travancore (A. D. 1300–1750). Doctoral Thesis. Jawaharlal Nehru University, 1987. 22-25.