Madurai has been popularly venerated as Kudal and Tamil Kelukudal.
The kings are traditionally revered as Kudalkon, Kudal Nagar Kavalan, Madurapura Paramesvaran.
The titles of the early Pandyas are: Pandiyatirasan, Pandiya Maharasan, Mannar Mannan, Avaniba Sekaran, Eka Viran, Sakalapuvana Chakkaravarti and others.
Titles of the later Pandyas in Sanskrit include Kodanda Raman, Kolakalan, Puvanekaviran, and Kaliyuga Raman.
Titles in chaste Tamil are Sembian, Vanavan, Thennavan and others.
The Pandyas derived military advantage over their neighbours by means of their horses, which they imported through their connection to a wider Arab commercial and cultural world.
Palace and Couch
Royal palaces were called Tirumaligai and Manaparanan Tirumaligai.
Kings, seated on a royal couch, exercised the power.
The naming of couches after the local chiefs attests to the legitimacy of overlordship of the kings.
The prominent names of such couches are Munaiya Daraiyan, Pandiya Daraiyan and Kalinkat Traiyan.
The king issued royal order orally while majestically seated on the couches.
It was documented by royal scribe called Tirumantira Olai.
Royal Officials
A band of officials executed the royal orders.
The prime minister was called uttaramantri.
The historical personalities like Manickavasagar, Kulaciraiyar and Marankari worked as ministers.
The royal secretariat was known as Eluttu Mandapam.
Akapparivara Mudalikal were the personal attendants of the kings.
The most respected officials were Maran Eyinan, Sattan Ganapathy, Enathi Sattan, Tira Tiran, Murthi Eyinan and others.
The titles of military commanders were Palli Velan, Parantakan Pallivelan, Maran Adittan and Tennavan Tamizhavel.
Political Divisions
Pandy Mandalam or Pandy Nadu consisted of many valanadus, which, in turn, were divided into many nadus and kurrams.
The administrative authorities of nadus were the nattars.
Nadu and kurram contained settlements, viz., mangalam, nagaram, ur and kudi, which were inhabited by different social groups.
A unique political division in Pandy Mandalam is Kulakkil, i.e. area under irrigation tank.
For instance, Madurai is described in an inscription as Madakkulakkil Madurai.
The duty of the nattar was to assess the qualities of land under cultivation and levy taxes.
In surveying the lands, the officials used rods of 14 and 24 feet.
After the measurement, the authorities donated the lands.
Salabogam land was assigned to Brahmins.
The land assigned to ironsmiths was called tattarkani; for carpenters, it was known as thatchar-maaniyam.
Bhattavriutti is the land donated for Brahmin group for imparting education.
Administration and Religion: Seventh to Ninth Centuries
An inscription from Manur (Tirunelveli district), dating to 800, provides an account of village administration.
It looks similar to Chola’s local governance, which included village assemblies and committees.
Both civil and military powers were vested in the same person.
The Pandya kings of the period supported and promoted Tamil and Sanskrit.
The great Saiva and Vaishnava saints contributed to the growth of Tamil literature.
The period was marked by intense religious tussles.
The rise of the Bhakti movement invited heterodox scholars for debate.
Many instances of the defeat of Buddhism and Jainism in such debates are mentioned in Bhakti literature.
