Kongu Nadu

Kongu Nadu is an administrative region in the north west of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu where it borders on Kerala. Its main town is the industrial city of Coimbatore. Its name is believed to derive from the Western Ganga Dynasty. [William Logan, "Malabar Manual", Asian Educational Services, 1996 ISBN 8120604466, 9788120604469, page 252]

The region around Coimbatore was amongst the first places in Tamil Nadu where the local Tamil speaking people set up territorial states. Its strategic location near the Palghat Gap in the Western Ghats made it an area of conflict between the ancient southern kingdoms; the Satiyaputra (Adiyaman) of Dharmapuri, the Cheras of Karur (Vanchi) and, during the decline of the Sangam era, the Western Ganga Dynasty of Kannuva Gotra. There was also a period of Thanjavur Chola rule under Rajaraja and Rajendra. The power then passed to the Hoysalas who still used Gounder organisation at local level. The defeat of the Muslim invasions resulted in a shift to the Wodeyar scribes under Vijayanagara. However, the Gounders retained their military and administrative power to the era of the Kingdom of Mysore. After the fall of Dheeran Chinnamalai, power went into British hands.

Notes

Kongu Nadu consists of the present districts of Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Namakkal districts and parts of Karur, Ooty, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Dindigul districts.

Sources

* Dr. Nagaswamy "Roman Karur" [http://tamilartsacademy.com/books/roman%20karur/cover.html]
*"Kongudesarajakkal", Government manuscript Library, Chennai
*"Dheeran Chinnamalai" by Pulavar Dr. Rasu.