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Nederlands (nl-NL) South India – Geographic and Historical Overview
South India comprises the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. It covers the peninsular part of the subcontinent, bordered by the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, and the Deccan Plateau, stretching to the shores of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Major rivers include the Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, and Periyar.
Historically, South India developed distinctive political, cultural, and religious traditions while maintaining connections with the wider Indian world. The region saw the rise of temple cities, unique Dravidian architecture, and a network of structured regional kingdoms. Religious traditions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism flourished here, along with later Islamic and Christian influences. Its coastal position also enabled active maritime trade with Southeast Asia, the Arab world, and Europe.
Power and Religion in Southern India
In Southern India, dynasties often tied their political power to the dominant religion—most commonly Hinduism—to affirm their legitimacy and strengthen authority. Temples functioned not only as spiritual centers but also as economic and cultural hubs, enhancing the ruler’s prestige. Monumental construction and state-funded rituals reflected the central role of religion in governance.
However, some dynasties also sponsored minority religions such as Jainism, Buddhism, or, later, Islam, to promote tolerance, encourage trade, or consolidate alliances. This selective patronage, though less common, demonstrated a pragmatic approach to power.
India did not experience religious wars comparable to those in Europe, but tensions could arise when certain cults were deemed non-conforming or politically undesirable. In such cases, places of worship could be converted or destroyed, not out of doctrinal hostility, but for reasons of territorial or symbolic control.
This page organises the dynasties of South India, according to a chronological structure based on millennia and centuries. The associated maps indicate the present-day location of the relevant states and link to the detailed pages.
1st millennium BCE
4th century BCE
Dominant religions, depending on the period: Hinduism, Buddhism
Supported or encouraged religion: Jainism.
( Assam, Bihar, Delhi (NTC), Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkand, Manipur, Meghalaya and Uttarakhand )
3rd century BCE
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity.
( Kerala and Tamil Nadu )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
( Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religion: Buddhism.
( Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Telangana )
2nd century BCE
1st century BCE
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religion: Christianity.
( Kerala and Tamil Nadu )
1st millennium
3rd century
4th century
6th century
7th century
8th century
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religion: Jainism.
( Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Islam, Christianity.
( Kerala and Tamil Nadu )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Buddhism, Christianity.
( Kerala and Tamil Nadu )
2nd millennium
11th century
12th century
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Islam, Christianity.
( Kerala )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religion: Jainism.
( Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religion: Jainism.
( Karnataka and Maharashtra )
13th century
Dominant religion: Islam
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism.
( Bihar, Delhi (NTC), Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkand and Uttarakhand )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
( Bihar, Delhi (NTC), Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh )
14th century
Dominant religion: Hinduism
( Bihar, Delhi (NTC), Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
( Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu )
Dominant religion: Islam
Supported or encouraged religion: Hinduism.
( Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana )
15th century
Dominant religion: Hinduism
( Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkand )
Dominant religion: Islam
( Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh )
16th century
Dominant religion: Islam
( Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana )
Dominant religion: Islam
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity, zoroastrianism.
( Assam, Bihar, Delhi (NTC), Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkand and Uttarakhand )
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Islam, Christianity.
( Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana )
17th century
Dominant religion: Hinduism
Supported or encouraged religion: Islam.
( Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh )
18th century
Dominant religion: Islam
Supported or encouraged religions, depending on the period: Hinduism, Christianity.
( Karnataka )
19th century
( Delhi (NTC), Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Uttarakhand )
20th century
( , Assam, Bihar, Delhi (NTC), Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkand, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Uttarakhand )