Tondainadu

In the ancient geography of Tamil Nadu, the modern Chengalpattu District and its adjoining districts were included in the “Aruva” and Aruva Vadathalai” Nadus. Later, this area was named Tondainadu, by adding the neighbouring territories. It roughly comprised the modern districts of Chengalpattu, North Arcot, Tiruvannamalai, South Arcot and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. The ancient Tamil country may be likened to a magnificent column, and Tondaimandalam was its capital, the Kongu Chola mandalam, its shaft and Pandiyamandalam its base.^[1] In another tradition, it was suggested that the whole of Tondainadu was inhabited by Aruvalar, a nomadic tribe who were also called Kurumbar.^[2] P.T. Srinivasa lyengar is of the opinion that the name Tondaimandalam came into being during the Pallava rule.

According to the ‘Ancient History of Tondaimandalam’,—one of the accounts in the Mackenzie collection, the region was occupied by the Kurumbas who are said to have been responsible for the creation of the 24 forts and the divisions of the region into 24 districts. The region which was till then known as Kurumbabhumi is said to have been renamed Tondaimandalam after the name of the conquering Chola prince^[3], Tondaiman I Iam-Tiraiyan.