At 01:12 AM 2/17/2006 +0000, you wrote: >Thiruparankundram is a rocky hillock. >Behind the Dargah, there is a perinnial spring, >with ice cool fresh water.
Kanakasabai Vivek shows genuine interest. It is good. TiruparangunRam is called Sikandhaa Malai by the Muslims after Sultan Sikandar Shah who was the last sultan of Madurai. The Sikandar Dargah is his resting place. I have written about the circumstances at length in Agathiyar under various subject headings - Vijaya Dasami, Navarathri Nayagi, Madura Vijayam, Ibn Batuta and Kalzu, Richness of Tamilnadu, and a few others. Except for the last mentioned, the others are in Tamil.
Are you from Madurai area, Vivek?
I will give a brief account of the story of the Dargah.
You would already know that Post-Sangam Tamilnadu was ruled by the Pallavas/Pandyas, Imperial Cholzas, and Imperial Pandyas.
The last of the great Pandyas was 'emmandalamum kondaruLiya KulasEkhara Pandya Devar'. He had several sons. But he chose Vira Pandya who was his concubine's son. The elder son, in a fit of rage, murdered Kulasekhara. Then there was a civil war. But the war went against Sundara Pandya. Either him or his nephew, who was another Sundara Pandya went north. At that time, Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi Sultanate had sent his supreme commander Malik Kafur to capture territory and bring in tribute, bounty, booty, loot, slaves, and women. South of the Vindyas, there were four empires - Yadava, Kakatiya, Hoysala, and Pandya. Hoysalas were enemies of Pandyas. Yadava was captured by Kafur. Kakatiya agreed to pay tribute after a war. Hoysala agreed to cooperate. Sundara Pandya asked Malik Kafur to capture the Pandya Empire and give it to him who will rule as a subordinate of Sultan Alauddin. Malik Kafur led his well-trained army made of crack Central Asian archers, Turkik and Mongol cavalry, latest weapons and seige-engines and his elite chargers. The Hoysala emperor added his big army to Malik Kafur's. He showed and led the way through various passages from Mysore plateau to attack Vira Pandya. Vira Pandya fought Kafur's army in vain and finally fled to the Western Ghats. Kafur rampaged Pandyanadu and went back after sacking Pandyanadu. After he went back, the Pandyas made a come back. But they were carrying on the civil war among themselves. Alauddin Khilji who was already ill, was poisoned by Malik Kafur who had his own plans. He also killed all of the older sons. One of the sons, Mubarak, who was about to be blinded by him, escaped. Kafur made a five-year old son of Alauddin as the Sultan and ruled in his place. He started killing all the relatives and important nobles of Delhi. But he himself was murdered soon. Mubarak Khilji, came out of hiding and ruled as regent for his younger brother. But soon, he blinded the child brother and came to power. He had a supreme commander called Khusrau Khan. He was actually a monster. Mubarak sent Khusrau to subjugate all the kingdoms that were revolting after the chaos in Delhi. Including Madurai. Khusrau performed more devastation than before. And went back to Delhi where he murdered Mubarak and started killing all the nobles and thefamily of Mubarak. The nobles caught him by surprise and cut off his head. Then they chose Ghiasuddin Thuglaq........
> But the war went against Sundara Pandya. Either him > or his nephew, who was another Sundara Pandya went north. > At that time, Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi Sultanate > had sent his supreme commander Malik Kafur to capture territory > and bring in tribute, bounty, booty, loot, slaves, and women. > allaudin khilji needed great amounts of money to maintain an army that was his defence against the mongols. mongols used to come very close to delhi every time. the last battle was fought in siri ( asiad village) so though not interested in running governments in territories he captured in south, he was after gold. khiljis had an insatiable need for bullion. infact allaudin lost his greatest general zafar khan with the mongols.
South of the Vindyas, there were four empires - Yadava, > Kakatiya, Hoysala, and Pandya.
malik was given great honours(naib sultan) the hoysala ( i think vir bhallala) did co operate with malik.maliks plan was to use each empire as a stepping stone to reach another. in fact he sent a man( thiruvegambarayan) with malik. these two men saw the stone elephant eating sugarcane in the madurai temple and spared the building.
kakatiyas of warrangal had a two line mud fort and held out. malik starved them into submission. a god statue of pratap rudra the king was sent out. along with all the treasures.one important trasure that came out was the kohinoor diamond.
> Vira Pandya fought Kafur's army in vain and finally > fled to the Western Ghats.
it is often reported vira pandya never offered resistance.he fled leaving a defenceless city.sundara pandya also deserted malik and joined forces with the pandyans. it was their uncle vikrama pandyan( who came back from exile) who fought with malik. however malik did manage to take with him 512 elephants loaded with treasures.
important thing to note is both malik kafur and khusrau khan were hindu converts. the former was a gujarathi and the latter a rajput.
As an 8th std student, I'd visited Tirupparankundram, in 1974.
I got genuine interest in Indian History, preparing for Civil Services, in 1985.
Yes, Malik Kafurs troops reached the out skirts of Tirunelveli, and rampaged many villages. They pulled down temples ,constructed mosques and coverted people by violence.
The one temple that escaped the vanadlism was "VITTALAPURAM - PANDARINATHA TEMPLE". It's in ruins, as not properly supported by Tiruchendur Devasthanam or TVS Group (who maintain the Navathirupathi Temples). Here the diety is Pandarinatha, who stands on a brick & the statute is similar to the one in Pandaripuram. The temple dates back to 1447.
Another place of interest near Tirunelveli (towards Tiruchendur)is "KRISHNAPURAM". It's famous for the Naicker period stone sculptures & the musical pillars. This temple also escaped Malik Kafur's onslaught.
> important thing to note is both malik kafur and khusrau khan were > hindu converts. the former was a gujarathi and the latter a rajput.
Oh Dear ! Is it true venkat ? What an unfortunate thing ! Conversion is no issue - it is upto the individual - But I am not able to digest that a guy who was born in indian soil caused so much catastrophe in tamilnadu