The following is a chronological overview of the history of the Tamil people, who trace their ancestry to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Indian union territory of Puducherry, the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka and the Puttalam District of Sri Lanka.Manual of the Puttalam District of the North-Western Province of Ceylon (1908), Frank Modder, p.55.

Pre-Sangam period Period Events c. 600 BCE The production process of Wootz steel began in the 6th century BCE and was exported globally by the Chera dynasty as what was termed as "the finest steel in the world," i.e. Seric Iron to the Romans, Egyptians, Chinese and Arabs by 500 BCE and was used to make the famous damascus blades. c. 600–300 BCE The Keezhadi excavation site is built. The site is located 12 km southeast of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, near the town of Keezhadi in the Sivagangai district. It comes under the Thiruppuvanam Taluk of the Sivagangai district. A large-scale excavation carried out in Tamil Nadu after the Adichanallur archaeological site. The settlement lies on the bank of the Vaigai River and reflects the ancient culture of the Tamil people. c. 400 BCE Kaveripattinam, also known as Poompuhar in modern times, is located in Mayiladuthurai district. The ancient port city, which served as a capital of the Chola Dynasty is believed to have been destroyed by the sea.Marine archaeological explorations of Tranquebar-Poompuhar region on Tamil Nadu coast, Rao, S.R.. Journal of Marine Archaeology, Vol. II, July 1991. Available online at Gaur A. S. and Sundaresh, Underwater Exploration off Poompuhar and possible causes of its Submergence, 1998, Puratattva, 28: 84–90. Available online at "Indian town sees evidence of ancient tsunami", Associated Press report, Poompuhar,14 January 2005. Available online at The city functioned as a connecting point between South India with regions like Southeast Asia, the Roman Empire, and Greece.

Sangam age Period Events c. 300 BCE–200 CE The Sangam age begins, during which the books of Sangam literature are written. c. 300 BCE Greek ethnographer Megasthenes describes Madurai as the capital of the Pandya dynasty.Allan Dahlaquist. Megasthenes and Indian ReligionKeay, John (2000) . India: A history. India: Grove Press. . c. 250 BCE Ashoka's inscription recording the four kingdoms (Chera, Cholas, Pandya and Satyaputra) of the ancient Tamil country. c. 205 BCE Elara, a Tamil prince and contemporary of Sinhalese king Dutugamunu, ursurpes the throne of the Anuradhapura kingdom. He would rule until his defeat by Dutugamunu c. 161 BCE. c. 13 Greek historian Nicolaus of Damascus meets with an ambassador sent by the Pandyan King to Caesar Augustus, Strabo XV.1–73.Strabo XV.1 c. 1–100 The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea gives a detailed description of early Chera and Pandya kingdom and mentions a part of the Tamil country as Lymirike (misread as "Damirica" by some modern scholars). c. 77 and 140 Greco-Roman writers Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy mention Madurai to be ruled by the Pandyans. c. 113–135 Gajabahu I of the Anuradhapura kingdom, a contemporary of Chera Senguttuvan and Karikala Chola (the Gajabahu synchronism). c. 130 Chera king Udayanjeral rules in the Chera country. c. 190 Chera Kadukko Ilanjeral Irumporai rules in the Chera country. c. 200 Writing becomes widespread and vattezuttu evolves from the Tamil Brahmi, becoming a mature script for writing Tamil. c. 210 Pandyan king Neduncheliyan rules in Madurai and defeats his enemies at the battle of Talaiyalanganam.

Post-Sangam period Period Events c. 300–500 End of the Sangam period, many Tamil epics such as Silappatikaram are written c. 300–590 Kalabhras invade the Tamil country and displace the traditional rulers from their kingdoms.

Pallava and Pandya Period Events c. 560–580 Pallava Simhavishnu retakes power from the Kalabhras in Tondaimandalam. c. 560–590 Pandyan Kadungon rules from Madurai and displaces the Kalabhras from the south. c. 590–630 Pallava Mahendravarman I rules in Kanchipuram. c. 610 Saiva saint Thirunavukkarasar (Appar) converts Mahendravarman from Jainism. c. 628 Chalukya Pulakesi II invades the Pallava kingdom and lays siege on Kanchipuram. c. 630–668 Pallava Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla) rules in Tondaimandalam. c. 642 Pallava Narasimhavarman I launches a counter-invasion into the Chalukya country and sacks Vatapi. Pulakeshin II is killed in battle. c. 640–690 Pandya Arikesari Parankusa Maravarman rules in Madurai. c. 690–725 Pallava Rajasimha builds the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram and many of the shore temples in Mamallapuram. c. 710–730 Pandya king Kochadaiyan Ranadhiran expands the Pandya kingdom into the Kongu country c. 731 Pandya Maravarman Rajasimha allies with the Chalukya Vikramaditya II and attacks the Pallava king Nandivarmam. c. 735 Chaluka Vikramaditya II invades the Pallava country and occupies the capital Kanchipuram. c. 760 Pallava Nandivarman II invades and defeats the Ganga kingdom at the battle of Villande. c. 768–815 Pandya Parantaka Nedunchadaiyan (Varaguna Pandyan) rules in Madurai. c. 767 Pandya forces defeat the Pallavas on the south banks of the Kaveri river. c. 800–830 Varagunan I becomes Pandya king and extends his empire up to Tiruchirapalli by defeating the Pallava king Dandivarman. c. 830–862 Pandya Sirmara Srivallabha rules in Madurai. c. 840 Srimara Srivallabha invades the Anuradhapura kingdom and captures the northern provinces of king Sena I of Anuradhapura. c. 848 The rise of Vijayalaya Chola in Tanjavur after the defeat of the Muttaraiyar. c. 846–869 Pallava Nadivarman III leads an invasion against the Pandya kingdom and defeats the Pandyas at the battle of Tellaru. The territory of the Pallava kingdom now extends to the river Vaigai. c. 859 Pandya Srivallaba defeats the Pallavas in battle at Kumbakonam. c. 862 Sinhalese forces led by Sena II of Anuradhapura invade the Pandyan kingdom and sack Madurai. Srimara is killed in battle.

Chola period Period Events c. 903 Chola king Aditya I defeats the Pallava king Aparajitavarman. c. 949 Battle of Takkolam. c. 985 Accession of Rajaraja Chola I. c. 1010 Rajaraja completes the Brihadisvara Temple. c. 1012 Accession of Rajendra Chola I. c. 1017 Rajendra invades and annexes the Anuradhapura kingdom. Cholas capture the crown, queen, daughter, and wealth of King Mahinda V of Anuradhapura and take king himself as a prisoner to Tamil Nadu, where he eventually died in exile in 1029. c. 1023 Rajendra's Expedition to the Ganges. c. 1025 Chola navies defeat the king of Srivijaya c. 1054 Rajadhiraja Chola dies in the battle of Koppam against Western Chalukyas c. 1070 Accession of Kulothunga Chola I c. 1118 Vikrama Chola c. 1133 Kulothunga Chola II c. 1146 Rajaraja Chola II c. 1163 Rajadhiraja Chola II c. 1178 Kulothunga Chola III c. 1216Rajaraja Chola III c. 1246 Rajendra Chola III

Chola to Pandya transition Period Events c. 1190–1260 Bana Dynasty rule begins in Magadaimandalam with family title of 'ponparappinan' and headquarters at Aragalur.c. 1215Kalinga Magha invades Sri Lanka leading to the fall of the Polonnaruwa kingdom. The Jaffna kingdom, a Tamil kingdom in Sri Lanka, is established. c. 1216–1238 The Kadava dynasty and Maravarman Sundara Pandyan establish rule over regions of South India.

Pandiya revival and Muslim rule Period Events 1251 Accession of Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I. 1279 End of the Chola dynasty with the death of Rajendra Chola III. 1268–1310 Kulasekara Pandiyan rules in Madurai. 1308 Malik Kafur, a general of Alauddin Khalji, invades Devagiri en route to Tamil Nadu. 1310 Sundara Pandian III, son of Kulasekara Pandiyan, appointed as co-regent by his father. This angered his other son Vira Pandyan and prompted him to kill his father and defeat his elder brother, who then fled to Alauddin Khalji to become king. 1311 Malik Kafur invades the Pandiya country and attacks Madurai. 1327–1370 Madurai under the rule of the Madurai Sultanate.

Tenkasi Pandyas, Vijayanagar and Nayak period Period Events 1370 Bukka, ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire and his son Kumara Kamapna capture Madurai from madurai sultanate and annex with Vijayanagar. 1375 Rajanarayana Sambuvarayar allied with the Vijayanagar ruler Harihara I against the Sultanate of Madura but was later betrayed and killed by Harihara's brother Bukka Raya I & Bukka raya's son Kumara Kampana who sought to bring most of South India under his rule. 1428 Sadaavarman Parakrama Pandya started to rule from tenkasi Tenkasi Pandyas, making tenkasi as capitalc. 1447–1450Bhuvanaikabahu VI of Kotte conquers the Jaffna kingdom, and the kingdom becomes a part of the Sinhalese kingdom of Kotte.1467The Jaffna kingdom regains independence from the kingdom of Kotte. 1518 The Portuguese land on Coromandel Coast in Pulicat.1525The Chola ruler Veerasekara Chola invaded the Madurai country and deposed the Pandya king Chandrasekara Pandyan. The Pandya king asked help from Vijayanagara, and an expedition under Kotikam Nagama Nayaka was sent to his aid. Nagama suppressed the Chola ruler and took Madurai, but then suddenly he threw off his allegiance and declining to help the Pandya king, usurped the throne and his son Viswanatha Nayak founded Madurai Nayak dynasty under the protection of the Vijayanagar. 1532–1580 Sevappa Nayak rules as the first independent Nayak ruler in Tanjavur. 1547 Vettum Perumal pandiyar, A pandiyan king ruling Tirunelveli along with his soldiers were attacked unexpectedly by Vijayanagara Nayak invaders. In this attack ten Pandiya soldiers were killed. To commemorate the death of these ten soldiers, ten Hero stones were installed and the stones are now exhibited in the Tirunelveli museum.1560–1621Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom – the Portuguese invade and annex the Jaffna kingdom and take king Cankili II as a POW, thus marking the end of the Jaffna kingdom. 1609 The Dutch establish a settlement in Pulicat. 1616 – 1617 Battle of Toppur the battle which cause the complete disintegration of the Vijayanagar Empire, which was reviving slowly. This civil war caused severe problems to the Vijayanagara Empire..1620–1625 With the death of Kollankondan son of pandian king Varagunarama Pandya, The Tenkasi Pandyas kingdom ends.1625 With no inheritors in Ponnjar royal family, The Poonjar dynasty, A branch of Pandiyan kingdom ends. However another pandian branch continues to rule as Pandalam dynasty till 1820 in present day kerala 1600–1645 Ragunatha Nayak, the greatest of the Tanjavur Nayaks. 1659 Ragunatha Sethupathi saves madurai from Mysore/ Vijayanagar raid in the war of noses., While Tirumalai Nayak rules in Madurai 1639 The British East India Company purchases Chennapatinam and establishes Fort St. George. 1652 Tanjavur and Gingee fall to the Bijapur Sultan. 1656 Mysore army invades Salem against the Madurai Nayak Tirumalai., Ramnad king, Raghunatha Sethupathi win the war against mysore army and helps Tirumalai nayak to recover his kingdom 1676 Maratha army from Bijapur marches into Tanjavur, Ekoji declares himself king. 1692 The Carnatic Sultanate established by Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan, a viceroy of the Mughal emperor. 1707 Raghunatha Kilavan liberated the Marava country (area around Rameswaram) from the control of Madurai Nayak. After defeating Rani Mangammal’s army, he declared independent Marava country in 1707 and annexed some territories Aranthangi, Thirumayam, Piranmalai of Madurai kingdom. 1746 Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais of the French East India Company attacks and captures Fort St. George from the British.

East India Company