Back سلالة تشيرا الحاكمة Arabic চের রাজবংশ Bengali/Bangla Tierniezh Chera Breton Txera Catalan Čérové Czech Chera German Dinastía Chera Spanish Chera French चेर राजवंश Hindi Chera (famiglia) Italian
Chera dynasty | |
|---|---|
| c. 3rd century BCE–c. 5th century CE | |
.jpg) | |
| Capital | |
| Official languages | |
| Religion | |
| Government | Monarchy |
| History | |
• Established | c. 3rd century BCE |
• Disestablished | c. 5th century CE |
| Today part of | |
| Chera dynasty |
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The Chera dynasty (or Cēra, IPA: [t͡ʃeːɾɐr]) was a dynasty from early historic Tamil-speaking southern India, or the Sangam period, ruling over parts of present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu states.[1][2] The lineage, known as one of the Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam (the Tamil Country) alongside the Chola and Pandya, has been documented as early as c. 4th to 3rd centuries BCE.[3] Their governance extended over diverse territories until the end of the early historic period in southern India.
The Chera country was geographically well placed to profit from maritime trade via the extensive Indian Ocean networks. Exchange of spices, especially black pepper, with Middle Eastern or Graeco-Roman merchants are attested in several sources.[4][5][6] The Cheras of the early historical period (c. second century BCE – c. third century CE[6]) are known to have had their original centre in interior Tamil country (Kongu Nadu) and harbours at Muchiri (Muziris) and Thondi (Tyndis) on the Indian Ocean coast (Kerala).Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast and eastern Tamil Country, was also under the control of the Cheras.[7]
The early historic pre-Pallava[8] polities are often described as a "kinship-based redistributive economies" largely shaped by "pastoral-cum-agrarian subsistence" and "predatory politics".[6] Old Tamil Brahmi cave label inscriptions, describe Ilam Kadungo, son of Perum Kadungo, and the grandson of Ko Athan Cheral of the Irumporai clan.[9][10] Inscribed portrait coins with Brahmi legends give a number of Chera names,[11] with the Chera symbols of the bow and the arrow depicted in the reverse.[11] The anthologies of early Sangham texts are a major source of information about the early Cheras.[2] Cenguttuvan, or the good Chera, is famous for the traditions surrounding Kannaki, the principal female character of the Sangam epic poem Cilappatikaram.[4][12] After the end of the early historical period, around the 3rd-5th century CE, there seems to be a period where the Cheras' power declined considerably.[13]
Medieval ruling lineages, such as Cheras of the Kongu country and Cheras of Mahodayapuram (Kodungallur), also claimed descent from the pre-Pallava Chera rulers.
- ^ Karashima 2014, pp. 143–145.
- ^ a b Zvelebil 1973, pp. 52–53.
- ^ "The Cheras - The creators of the land of Kerala | History Unravelled". historyunravelled.com. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ a b Thapar 2018.
- ^ Edward Balfour 1871, p. 584.
- ^ a b c Gurukkal 2015, pp. 26–27.
- ^ Subramanian, T. S (28 January 2007). "Roman connection in Tamil Nadu". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 September 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ Gurukkal 2002, pp. 138–150.
- ^ Pletcher 2018.
- ^ Veluthat 2018, pp. 13–31.
- ^ a b Majumdar 2016.
- ^ Narayanan 2013.
- ^ Menon 2007, p. 118.