Administrative division of early South India with special reference to Thenganadu of Aii Kingdom

Abstract

Thengapattnam is forty-five kilometres before Thiruvananthapuram, on the road from Nagercoil. The present village Thengapattnam has an antiquity importance such as the present Pazhverkadu. The present Pazhverkadu, the ancient Pulicat was the important trading centre of the Dutch. In the same manner the importance of Thengapatanam has been inscribed in the Parthivapuram Copper plates. Parthivapuram is a temple very close to Thangapattanam. The importance was that it had a Vedic College (Salai) and Parthivapuram Copper plates refers to the Salai.  But its historical importance is lesser known to present scholars.  This paper tries to highlight and bring out the historical importance of Thengapattnam, a place occupied by the early Cholas, Cheras, Pandayas and the Aii chieftains in the 9^th century AD. The paper also highlights the important administrative division called nadu as Thengapattinam was one of the nadus during the Aii kings that is Thenganadu has been transformed as Thengapattinam.