Sirkazhi - History

History

The earliest mention of Sirkazhi is found in the history of the Chola king Kocengannan from the Sangam Age (3rd century BCE to 4th century CE), who is believed to have won a bloody battle here. During the 7th–8th century, there were wide spread disputes between the Hindu sects of Saivism and Vaishnavism. Tirugnanasambandar and Thirumangai Azhwar, belonging to Saivism and Vaishnavism, respectively, and both natives of Sirkazhi, had disputes over their religious compositions and theologies during the period. The Chola Kings ruled over the region for more than four centuries, from 850 to 1280, and were temple patrons. There 41 inscriptions from the Chola kings in the temple that record various gifts like land, sheep, cow and oil to the temple.

The region fell under the control of Pandyas in 1532 and later became part of the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. The region was conquered in 1674 by Ekoji I (1675–84), the Maratha enemy of the Nawab of Bijapur and half-brother of Shivaji (1674–80). The town and the region became part of the British East India Company during the mid-18th century. Tanjore district was constituted in 1799 when the Thanjavur Maratha ruler Serfoji II (1798–1832) ceded most of his kingdom to the British East India Company in return for his restitution on the throne. After India's independence, Sirkazhi continued to be a part of Thanjavur district until 1991, when it became part of the newly created Nagapattinam district.