Pandyas Kingdom

The pandyas are first mentoined by megasthanes to whom thier kingdom was famous as a pearl produsing country. the inscriptions of asoka also speak of this kingdom. the early pandyan terittery was situated in the southern most portion of peninsula consisting of the districts of madurai,Ramnad, Thiruranveli, and Kanyakumari.
Modern state of kerala and some parts of salem and coimbatore disricts formed the early chera kingdom. The cheras were equal to the cholas and pandyas in power and prestige in the early centuries of the Christian era.
During this period kerala formed an integral part of the socio –cultural unit called tamilakam and shared a commen history and heritage with the Tamils. In the Sangam
Age the land of kerala was ruled by three powers,viz, the ays in the south, the rulers of ezhimala (Mount Eli) in the north and the Cheras in the region lying in between.