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Manabharana Is Not Malay (Manabharana Bukan Melayu)

In recent times, an alarming narrative has emerged within the Malaysian blogosphere, suggesting a historical event that appears to be a misinterpretation or perhaps a deliberate misinformation campaign. The claim revolves around a so called Malay prince named Manabharana from Srivijaya, purportedly attacking and conquering the Chola kingdom. This misleading story has gained traction and is spreading like wildfire across various social media platforms. The need to address and rectify such inaccuracies is crucial not only for the sake of historical accuracy but also for fostering a responsible and informed online community. To delve into the matter, it is essential to clarify that historical records reveal the existence of multiple individuals named Manabharana throughout history. However, a nuanced understanding reveals that all these figures were Tamils (Damila) hailing from the Pandya kingdom, with references to their exploits documented in Tamil inscriptions and Sri Lankan chronicles
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Thirumayam Fort & Sethu Nadu


This is something very brief on the Thirumayam Fort and the Sethu Nadu. You can get more information on the fort if you Google for it.


Built in 1687 by Vijaya Ragunatha Thevar, the Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram. He later gave the 40 acres fort to his brother-in-law, Ragunatha Raya Thondaiman, the Raja of Pudukottai.

The present Tamil Nadu districts of Pudukottai (4651 sq km), Sivagangai (4143 sq km) and Ramanathapuram (4175 sq km) was once a single state known to many as Sethu Nadu. It was approximately 12,969 sq km or even bigger 400 years ago.
The State of Tamil Nadu in Southeast India
The Raja of Sethu Nadu is known as Sethupathi. He is responsible to protect the Hindu pilgrims at Rameswaram. They are also the lords of the Sethu Sea which separates India from Sri Lanka. The Ramayana bridge connecting India to Sri Lanka is known as the Sethu Bridge.


After the partition of Sethu Nadu, Sivagangai and Pudukottai became separate kingdoms while Ramanathapuram remained under the Sethupathi Rajas.


 Pudukottai was ruled by Kallar kings of the Thondaiman lineage. It is part of a larger region known as Kallar Nadu.
The Present Districts of Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai and Pudukottai.

Ramanathapuram is known as Periya Maravar Seemai (Land of The Big Maravar) and Sivagangai as Chinna Maravar Seemai (Land of The Younger Maravar). Both these kingdoms were ruled by the Maravars of the Sembinattu Maravar division.

 The royal families of these 3 kingdoms are still around. Although no longer in power after the formation of India ( a republic), they are still treated with respect by the people.

The Maravars and Kallars were tribes which have been living in Tamilakam (Realm of The Tamils) since ancient times.  An introduction on ancient Tamilakam, the kingdoms which existed, the regions and the tribes which spoke Tamil will be included in my future post.

Comments

  1. Meenatchisundaram ThevarWednesday, 09 January, 2013

    A great super start with the promise of a interesting story on Sethunaadu.The narration with attention to small details is compelling.Great beginning..It's time for the sembiyans to roar bro..
    All the best..hope to read ur Bali & Bulgaria experiences as well..God Bless u and ur family..

    ReplyDelete

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