The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c31.s3.2

v1.c31.s3.2

In the earliest time of which we have any record the *Tamiḷ-agam* or Tamil realm extended over the greater part of the modern Madras Presidency, its boundaries being on the north a line running approximately from Pulicat on the coast to Venkatagiri (Tirupati), on the east the Bay of Bengal, on the south Cape Comorin, and on the west the Arabian Sea as far north as the 'White Rock' near Badagara, to the south of Mahé. Malabar was included in it; the Malayālam language had not yet branched off as a separate tongue from the parent Tamil. It consisted of three kingdoms, those of the Pāṇḍyas, Chōḷas or Çōḷas, and Chēras or Kēralas. The Pāṇḍya kingdom comprised the greater part of the modern Madura and Tinnevelly Districts, and in the first century also Southern Travancore, and had its capital originally at Kolkai (on the Tāmbraparni river in Tinnevelly), and later at Madura. The Chōḷa region extended along the eastern coast, from the river Penner to the Vellār, and on the west reaching to about the borders of Coorg. Its capital was Uraiyūr (Old Trichinopoly), and it had a great port at Kāviri-paṭṭinam or Pugār, on the northern bank of the river Cauvery (Kāveri). Another of its chief towns was Kāñchī, now Conjeeveram. The Chēra or Kērala territory comprised Travancore, Cochin, and the Malabar District; the Koṅgu-deça (corresponding to the Coimbatore District and the southern part of Salem District), which at one time was separate from it, was afterwards annexed to it. Its capital was originally Vañji (now Tiru-karūr, on the Periyār river, near Cochin), and later Tiru-vañjikkalam (near the mouth of the Periyār). It had important trading centres on the western coast at Toṇḍi (on the Agalappulai, about five miles north of Quilāndi), Muchiri (near the mouth of the Periyār), Paḷaiyūr (near Chowghāt), and Vaikkarai (close to Kottayam).