Kongu Nadu

Kongu Nadu, also known as Kongu Mandalam, refers to the geographical region comprising the western and north-western part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in some instances, parts of southeastern Karnataka and eastern Kerala. The region covers an area of roughly 60895 km2 with a population of over 27.4 million.

The geography of the region is diverse, with the Western and Eastern Ghats traversing along the Deccan plateau. The Kaveri, Bhavani, Amaravati and Noyyal rivers are the important non-perennial sources of water. Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Salem are the largest urban areas in the region. The majority of the people in the region speak Kongu Tamil, a variant of Tamil language. While the region is a significant contributor to the economy of the state, disparity remains within various districts in the region.

In the ancient Tamilakam, it was the seat of the Cheras, bound by Tondai Nadu in the east, Chola Nadu in the south-east and Pandya Nadu in the south. The region finds mention in Patiṟṟuppattu literature from the first century CE as a thriving industrial and commercial center with other references to the people in the second century Tamil epic Silappathikaram and other Sangam literature. The region served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, on the principal trade route that extended from Muziris in the west coast to Arikamedu in the east. The Pandyas and Western Gangas ruled over the region later.

The medieval Cholas conquered the region in the tenth century CE. It came under the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire by the 15th century after which the Madurai Nayaks, who were the military governors of the Vijayanagara established their independent kingdom. In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars and the Polygar Wars, the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency in the early nineteenth century. The region played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. It became part of Madras state post Indian Independence from the British Raj with majority of the region, forming a part of Tamil Nadu later.

Etymology
Kongunadu is a combination of two Tamil words meaning "Kongu country". Kongu might mean nectar or honey, probably arising from the area's early residents Kongars, who used to wear a garland made of konganam flowers, which were plentiful in this area. Kongu might have also been derived from the Tamil word Kangu, which meant edge or boundary. Since this area served as a border between the ancient Tamil kingdoms, it might have eventually transformed to Kongu. The region was also known as Kongadesam with Konga, a variant of the term Ganga to mean the land ruled by Western Gangas. The region is also known as "Kongu Mandalam" with mandalam meaning "region" in Tamil. At various times, the region was known by different names such Chola-Kerala mandalam, Adhiraja mandalam, Ezhukarai nadu, Veerachola mandalam and Onbathukarai nadu.

History
Kongu Nadu was one of the territorial divisions in the ancient Tamilakam. Archaeological excavations from Kodumanal on the banks of the Noyyal River show traces of civilization from 4th century BCE. Kodumanal is mentioned in Patiṟṟuppattu literature from the first century CE as a thriving industrial and commercial center. The Kosar people from the region are mentioned in the 2nd century CE Tamil epic Silappathikaram. Early Tamil Brahmi writings have been found on coins, seals and rings obtained from Amaravati river bed near Karuvur. An inscription found in a cave in Arachalur was dated to 4th Century CE and as per Iravatham Mahadevan, these were music syllables used in dance with further such sites discovered in Thadagam near Coimbatore. The region was in the middle of a trade route leading across the Palghat gap in the Western Ghats and that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu linking the Mediterranean to East Asia.



While the region was ruled by tribal chieftains during the early Sangam period, it was ruled by the Cheras between first and fourth centuries CE with the capital at Karuvur. Chera dominance of the region began with the rule of the Palyanai Sel Kelu Kuttuvan, the son of Uthiyan Cheralathan. The region came under the influence of the Pandyas during the reign of Arikesari Maravarman in the seventh century CE. Later, the region was ruled by various dynasties such as Rashtrakutas and Western Gangas.

The Kongu Cheras gained influence over the region and were in alliance with the Pandyas. The medieval Cholas led by Aditya I, conquered the region in ninth century CE. Pandya king Rajasimha II, who was defeated by Parantaka I, is known to have found asylum in the region. With Raja Raja I defeating the Cheras and Pandyas, the entire region came under the Chola influence. While the region was directly under the control of the Imperial Cholas till 1064 CE, the Kongu Cholas who were probably vassals or viceroys of the Cholas, ruled the region autonomously later starting. These rulers bore the title Konattar and adopted Chola titles and surnames.



In the 13th century CE, after the death of Vikrama Chola II, the Pandyas annexed the region with the inscriptions at Srirangam temple mentioning the victory of Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I in the region. The rule of the Pandyas came to an end with the death of Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I in 1318 CE. The Hoysalas ruled the region for sometime later with Vira Someshwara having a matrimonial alliance with both Pandyas and Cholas. After the defeat of Veera Ballala III of the Hoysalas, the region came under the control of the Delhi Sultanate. In the 15th century, Vijayanagara empire defeated the Mughals and established sway over the region.

After the Vijayanagara empire fell in 1646, the region was ruled by various Nayak governors of the erstwhile Vijayanagara empire who declared independence. They introduced the Palayakkarar system under which the region was divided into 24 Palayams(towns). In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore, following a series of wars with the Nayaks. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars and the Polygar Wars, the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency the early 19th century. The region played a prominent role in the Second Polygar war (1801), when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai who fought against the rule of British East India Company. Later, the British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857.

After Indian Independence in 1947, the region was part of the Madras State. After the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, which re-organized state boundaries, majority of the region became part of the new Madras state, which would become Tamil Nadu in 1969.

Geography
The borders of the region are not well defined as the name has been in popular use to refer the region and has not been officially defined. The region covers an estimated area of 60895 km2 of Western and North-Western Tamil Nadu and includes the core districts of Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Erode, Karur, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Tiruppur and Salem. Some sources consider parts of Dindigul, Tiruchirappalli districts in Tamil Nadu, Palakkad district in Kerala and Chamarajanagar district or south eastern Karnataka as part of the region. It shares its western and northern borders with states of Kerala and Karnataka respectively, while straddling other districts of Tamil Nadu on the other sides.

The Western Ghats runs south along the western side with the Eastern Ghats cutting through the region. Both mountain ranges meet at the Nilgiri mountains in the region, which run in a crescent approximately along the borders of Tamil Nadu with northern Kerala and Karnataka. Majority of the region lies in the Deccan plateau bound by these mountain ranges. The plateau rises to 100 m in the north and to more than 1 km in the south, forming a raised triangle within the downward-pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent's coastline. Palghat Gap, a mountain pass across the Western Ghats connects the region to the west coast. The major rivers Kaveri, Bhavani, Amaravati, Noyyal and Siruvani flow through the region and are the important non-perennial sources of water. The topography also slopes gently from West to East resulting in major rivers in the region arising in the Western Ghats and flowing east. The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainfall. Due to the south-west monsoon winds passing through the Palghat gap, the region receives most of the rainfall in the months from June to August. After a warm and foggy September, the north-east monsoon starts from October, lasting until early November.

Flora and fauna
There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in the region, resulting from its varied climates and geography. Deciduous forests are found along the Western Ghats while tropical dry forests and scrub lands are common in the interior. The Western Ghats is one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mudumalai National Park was the first national park in India, established in 1940 and the region has 11 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Bird sanctuaries including Vellode and Nanjarayan Tank are home to numerous migratory and local birds. The region has significant populations of endangered Bengal tigers and Indian elephants, being home to three Project Tiger reserves and three Project Elephant reserves. Other threatened and endangered species found in the region include the grey slender loris, sloth bear, Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, and the Indian leopard.

Demographics
As per the 2011 census, the region had a population of over 27.4 million. The population is predominantly Hindu with minority Muslim and Christian population. Caste plays an important role in the region with common myths and ideas contributing to the formation of a caste identity. Gounders influence the political and economic space in the region. Incidents of persecution against Scheduled castes, ranging from discrimation based on caste, violent assault and honor killings have been reported from the region. In comparison to the southern or northern districts, the socio-economic and political divide between the Dalits and other intermediary castes is significant in the Kongu region.

Language
Kongu Tamil (also called Kangee or Kongalam), a dialect of Tamil, which is the predominantly spoken in the region. Tamil is the sole official language while English is an additional official language for communication purposes. Other languages spoken include Badaga, Toda, Irula and Kota by the tribal population of the Nilgiris district and Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu.

Culture
The people of the region upheld the Tirukkural with utmost reverence, which remained as the chief administrative text during the medieval period with several Kural inscriptions and other historical records are found across the region. The 15th-century Jain inscriptions in the Ponsorimalai near Mallur indicate shunning meat from Tirukkural which may indicate that the people of the region might have practiced ahimsa and non-killing as chief virtues. Sati was also practiced in the region. The culture of the region was similar to that of Mysore region of south Karnataka due to historical and geographic continuity. The people of the region have a reputation for entrepreneurship. The temples in the region follow the Dravidian style. In Dravidian architecture, the temples considered of porches or Mantapas preceding the door leading to the sanctum, Gate-pyramids or Gopurams in quadrangular enclosures that surround the temple and Pillared halls used for many purposes and are the invariable accompaniments of these temples. Besides these, a South Indian temple usually has a tank called the Kalyani or Pushkarni. The Gopuram is a monumental tower, usually ornate at the entrance of the temple forms a prominent feature of Koils and Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial and function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.

Cuisine
Kongu Nadu cuisine is predominantly South Indian with rice as its base and includes a unique collection of recipes created by the people residing in the Kongu region. The cuisine includes cereals like maize, ragi, samai, cholam, kambu, kezhvaragu, and different kinds of pulses, millets and sesame. Millets were staple food items in the region until the Green Revolution increased the usage of Ponni rice as a staple. The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the floor and having the food served on a banana leaf. Eating on banana leaves is a custom thousands of years old, imparts a unique flavor to the food, and is considered healthy. Kongu Nadu cuisine does not involve marination of any raw material and as a result the food has a different taste and unique texture. The best quality turmeric is grown in the region and this is an important ingredient in the cuisine. The earlier Kongu people were mostly vegetarians for religious reason.

Idly, dosa, paniyaram and appam are popular dishes. Opputtu is a sweet made with rice, chickpea, palm or cane jaggery, cardamom and ghee. Ariseemparuppu (literally translated as Rice and dal) is a unique dish originated from the region. Kaalaan is a popular dish prepared by simmering deep-fried mushrooms (usually chopped) in a spicy broth until it reaches a porridge-like consistency; the dish is served sprinkled with chopped onions and coriander leaves.

Economy
Kongu Nadu had a flourishing economy from ancient times and had trade contacts with foreign nations. Kodumanal was a 2,500-year-old industrial colony discovered by archaeologists, located along an ancient Roman trade route. A Chola highway called Rajakesari Peruvazhi ran through the region. Agriculture is the primary occupation in the region. Rice is the staple food and major crop in the region. Some of the main crops cultivated include sugarcane, spices, chilli, banana, cotton, turmeric, millets and pulses. Other plantation crops include coffee, tea, rubber, betel, areca nut and coconut. and 85% of the natural rubber production in the country. Other major agricultural products include poultry and silk.

Coimbatore is amongst the major information technology (IT) hubs of India and supplies two-thirds of India's requirements of motors and pumps, and is one of the largest exporters of wet grinders and auto components, as well as jewellery. Another major industry is textiles with the Tiruppur home to more than 10,000 garment manufacturing industries, employing over 600,000 people. As of 2021-22, Tiruppur exported garments worth 480 billion USD, contributing to nearly 54% of the all the textile exports from India.

Demand for statehood
There has been demands for the formation a separate state of Kongu Nadu, which would include western Tamil Nadu with sections of south east Karnataka and east Kerala. Various political parties occasionally raise similar demand. Local caste based political outfits Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam and Kongu Vellala Goundergal Peravai also supported the demand.