Ay kingdom

The Ay was the earliest ruling dynasty of the southern parts of present-day Kerala, south India. The Ay kings claimed descent from Yadavas or Ayar. ^[1] . The kingdom of Ays is believed to have flourished from the early Sangam Age down to the 10th century AD with the capital at Nelkinda or Nelcynda near present day Thiruvalla, as mentioned by Plini who visited the Kerala region in the 1st century AD, under (or as an independent state) the suzerainty of the Madurai Pandyan Dynasty.^[2] The kingdom stretched from Thiruvalla in the north to Nagercoil in the south. The most noteworthy rulers were Antiran, Atiyan and Titian. These kings were are extolled in the Tamil Sangam Tamil poems. They were powerful until 10th century AD. But,their rule declined with the emergence of Venad rulers (the capital of Venad was at Kollam). Around 1100 AD the Ay dynasty merged with Venad dynasty, forming the Venad kingdom

The Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy refers to the region from River Baris (River Pampa) which discharges into the sea at Thottapilly near Purakkadu to the north of present Kanyakumari district as Aioi (Ay). Original home of these kings was at Aykudi near Palani and were a tribe known as Veliyan. The queen of the first King of Chera dynasty was Veliyan Nallini, obviously from this tribe. Veliyan Chieftain was the principal Military General of the First Chera Kingdom. He annexed the Pandyan Trade Center located 22 km east of Thottapilly. This Trade center was called Nelcynda by the Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder and the unknown author of 'Periplus Maris Erithrae'. Ptolemy called it Nelkunda in his 'Geographia'. With the annexation of this trade center the Veliyan Chieftain was conferred the title "Ay" by the Chera King and the lands south of River Pampa to the boundary of the chiefdom of Nanjil Valluvan (Thovala and Agastiswaram in Kanyakumari District) was given to him as reward.

They established another Aykudi near Kuttalam in Tamil Nadu and ruled from there. Ay rulers were one of the 18 independent rulers called Vel in South India. They later established their administrative capital at Vizhinjam. The last Ay ruler Vikramadithya Varagunan transferred most of his remaining kingdom to a prince Veerakotha of Kulashekhara or second Chera dynasty in the 10th century by a cooper plate edict called 'Paliam Chepped'. Later these lands were invaded by the Cholas. They were chased away by the last king of the Kulashekhara Dynasty, Rama Varma Kulasekhara. The rulers of present Travancore Royal family were also called Cheruay Moopan meaning the chieftain of the small Ay.

Ay Antiran

Purananuru gives plenty of references to Ay Antiran, the greatest Ay ruler during the Sangam Age. He is referred to as the lord of the Podiyil mountain, the southern tip of the Western Ghats. He distinguished himself both as a warrior and as a man of peace. His brilliant achievement was his victory over the kings of the Kongu country. The Tin-neveli-Madurai region of Tamil Nadu recognised his suzerainty. Himself a patron of arts and letters, he extended his bounties to poets and other literary luminaries. Ay Antiran was a Saivite.

Titiyan

The next important Ay ruler of the Sangam Age was Titiyan. Great poets like Kapilar and Paranar were his contemporaries. One great achievement of the monarch was that he settled some boundary disputes with the Pandyan Kingdom, when it was ruled by King Bhutapandya.

Atiyan

Atiyan was another important ruler of the Ay kingdom during the Sangam Age. During his reign, the Ay kingdom was invaded by the Pandyas under Pasumpun Pandyan (Azhakia Pandyan) a warrior-king. Atiyan could not repulse the attack. He surrendered and lost those regions in Central and Southern Tra-vancore. Despite their best efforts, the Ays could not regain the prominence which they once enjoyed.

Later Ay Kings

The immediate post Sangam Age was a dark period in the history of the Ays. During the 7th and 8th centuries the Ay-Pandyan conflict continued. But it was far from being productive of any advantage" to the Ays, despite a new friendship which they forged with the Cheras. However, in the 9th century, the Ay Kingdom came to be ruled by two illustrious rulers Karunandadakkan (857-85 AD) and his son Vikramaditya Vara-guna (885-925 AD). Karunandadakkan addressed himself to the arts of peace. He took much interest in the promotion of education and learning. His name is associated with the construction of the Parthivasekhar-apuram Vishnu temple. A Salai (Vedic college) was also established at this place. The famous Kandalur Salai is believed to have been established by him. Vikramaditya Varaguna, the immediate successor distinguished himself as a tolerant ruler. The Paliyam Copper Plate Inscription testifies to this. This records the grant of extensive land to the Buddhist temple of Tirumulapadam, situated in the Chera empire. His region also was marked by a critical phase in the political supremacy between the Pandyas and the Cholas. Varaguna seems to have assisted the Pandyas in their fight against the Cholas. With the death of this ruler, the glory of the Ays departed. But, their rule declined with the emergence of Tamil Venad rulers (the capital of Venad was at Kollam). Around 1100 AD the Ay dynasty merged with Venad dynasty, forming the Venad kingdom

See also

• History of Thiruvananthapuram
• History of Kerala