The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara.

The Pandyans controlled the present districts of Madurai and Tirunelveli and part of southern Kerala. Madurai was founded by the first Pandyan king Kulasekara.

The Pandyas excelled in trade and learning. They had trading contacts with Greece and Rome and were powerful in their own right, though they were subjugated during various periods by the Pallavas and Cholas.

The Pandyas excelled in sea trade via Dhanushkodi the sea shore of Ramapanathapuram (The southern border of india and the Seashore of Indian Ocean)and Poompuhar a famous city for Trade with China, Maldives, Malaysia and so..on. The Kingdoms of Srilanka are maternal kings of Pandya.

MIDDLE KINGDOMS OF INDIA Missing image WesternSatrap.JPG
Timeline:	Northern empires	Southern Kingdoms	Foreign kingdoms
6th century BCE 5th century BCE 4th century BCE 3rd century BCE 2nd century BCE 1st century BCE 1st century CE 2nd century CE 3rd century CE 4th century CE 5th century CE	Magadha empire Nanda empire Mauryan empire Satavahana empire Sunga empire Gupta empire	Pandya Kalinga Chera Chola	(Persian rule) (Greek conquests) Indo-Greek kingdom Indo-Scythians Kushan empire Indo-Parthian kingdom Western Kshatrapas Hephthalites