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The Malayamān were chieftains who ruled Miladu Naadu, the area around Tirukkoyilur of Tamilakam, during the Sangam period. Chiefs of this dynasty readily took the title Chēdirāyan, and ruled the hill countries. This clan's most famous king was Malaiyamān Thirumudi Kaary. Their royal emblem featured a horse, depicted on their issued coins. Malaiyamans descended from Ayar tribe in the Mullai (forest) region.^[1]^[2]

It is of interest to note that Vanavan Mahadevi, the mother of Rajaraja Chola I, was a princess of Malayaman family.^[3]

Malayaman coins

The Malayamans issued copper coins of quadrilateral shape which bore their royal emblem, a horse (sometimes facing left, and sometimes right). In some of the early coins, the legend "Malayaman" above the horse motif decorates the coin obverse. Most of their coins carried the symbolic map of their territory on the reverse: "A wide curved river with fishes flowing in it, and a hillock on side of the river". This depicted the territory over which they ruled. The Malayaman coins generally weighed from 2–4 g and were thin, unlike the contemporary Chera coins.

References

^ Natana Kacinatan (1994). "Collected papers: studies in Tamil culture". History. Department of Archaeology. p. 81.
^ B. B. Chaudhuri, Arun Bandopadhyay, Indian History Congress. Session (2004). Tribes, forest, and social formation in Indian history. Manohar. p. 68. ISBN 9788173045516. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Raj Pruthi, Rameshwari Devi, Romila Pruthi. Encyclopaedia of Status and Empowerment of Women in India: Status and position of women in ancient, medieval and modern India. Mangal Deep Publications, 1999 - Feminism. p. 175.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)