Before the Mauryas, the Tamil Velirs known as the “Nannars,”
Before the Mauryas, the Tamil Velirs known as the “Nannars,”
with Pataliputra as their capital, ruled Magadha. These “Nannars” were the Tamil Velirs who first established an empire in India. In Prakrit and Sanskrit, these “Nannars” came to be pronounced as “Nandas.” During the period when these Nannars and many minor Velir chieftaincies formed the first great empire, the land from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari existed as ancient Tamilakam. The three crowned Tamil kings were also part of this imperial alliance. This situation is said to have existed from the 10th century BCE onward.
In this context, during the 4th century BCE, the invasion of the Greek-Macedonian emperor Alexander took place on the northwestern frontier of what is described as ancient Tamilakam. The forces of the Tamil king Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan are said to have defeated Alexander and achieved victory. Wounded in that war, Alexander died in Babylon while returning to his homeland. Imayavaramban is described as bringing captured Yavana prisoners and seizing the great wealth possessed by their armies, distributing it among the soldiers and poets who participated in the victory, while depositing the remainder in Mantai, his royal city.
At that time, the dark central regions of Magadha — filled with dense forests, mountains, and wild animals — were inhabited by uncivilized people called “Vadugars.” These Vadugars served as mercenary soldiers for the Nannars. Over time, they treacherously overthrew the Nannars and established the first Vadugar kingdom on the banks of the lower Ganges, called the Mauryan kingdom. After the fall of the Mauryan state, these same Vadugars established the Satavahana (Nootruvar Kannar) kingdom in the Bellary region of Karnataka.
These Satavahanas are described as having ruled under the authority of the three Tamil crowned kings. Their descendants later appeared as Kalappalars, Pallavas, and Chalukyas, becoming powerful enough to invade, conquer, plunder, and rule Tamil lands.
The later descendants of these Vadugars are said to have emerged as the Nayaks of Vijayanagara, the Palaiyakkarars, and the Marathas, who invaded and subjugated the Tamils. Even today, according to this passage, their rule is said to continue in Tamil Nadu under the guise of democracy, while adopting pure Tamil names and caste identities associated with Tamil communities, and exploiting Tamil rights under the appearance of self-governance.
Translation by Hari
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