• The history of medieval south India has its separate space in the study of political, social, and economic realms of the society. The history of medieval India in north is marred by extreme turmoil due to rising and falling empires. But the history of medieval south is relatively stable.
• The Tamil country was ruled by three dynasties namely the Chera, Chola and Pandyas during the Sangam Age.
• The political history of these dynasties can be traced from the literary references like Sangam literature, the records of Greek authors like Megasthenes, Strabo, Pliny and Ptolemy, Ashokan inscriptions which mention the Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers on the south of the Mauryan empire, Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela of Kalinga.

Chola Dynasty

• After the end of the Gupta dynasty a little after the fifth Century AD, a process of political fragmentation started in the whole subcontinent. Feudatories and subjugated powers took the opportunity to become independent which led to emergence of small kingdoms. Rise of small Kingdoms increased rivalry and competition to gain political supremacy.
• By 9th Century AD the Pallavas of Kanchi, Chalukyas of Badami and the Pandyas of Madurai emerged to be the three major states. This phase after the Guptas saw far more expansion of the agrarian economy. We also notice the march of triumphant Brahmanism with the beginning of the construction of stone temples for Shiva and Vishnu in Tamil Nadu under Pallavas and in Karnataka under Chalukyas of Badami.