Proper Nouns Lexicon

The Gingee Nayaks were a regional dynasty of South India, active mainly between the late fifteenth century and 1649. Centred on Gingee Fort in present day Tamil Nadu, they first ruled under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagara Empire before gaining increasing autonomy.

The Kalahasti Nayaks were a regional lineage of South India connected with the political legacy of Vijayanagara. Centred on Kalahasti in present day Andhra Pradesh, they exercised military, administrative and territorial authority between the Telugu country, northern Tamil Nadu and the Coromandel Coast.

The Keladi Nayaks were a regional dynasty of western Karnataka, active from the late fifteenth century to 1763. Emerging from the Vijayanagara political system, they established an autonomous kingdom around Keladi, Ikkeri and Bednur, between the Malnad, the Western Ghats and the Kanara Coast.

The Madurai Nayaks were a regional dynasty of South India, active from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. Emerging from the Vijayanagara political system, they established a powerful kingdom in southern Tamil Nadu, centred on Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and the former Pandya territories.

The Shorapur Nayaks were a regional dynasty of northern Karnataka, also associated with Surapura. Linked with the Bedar or Beda Nayakas, they ruled an inland Deccan principality from the seventeenth century to 1858, in a setting shaped by Bijapur, Hyderabad, the Marathas and British rule.

The term Thanjavur Nayak refers to the Nayak dynasty that ruled Thanjavur, in present-day Tamil Nadu, between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Emerging from the political framework of Vijayanagara, it made the Kaveri delta an important regional centre of power, religion, culture and artistic patronage.

The term Vellore Nayak refers to the Nayak chiefs associated with Vellore, in northern present-day Tamil Nadu, between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Their power was linked to Vellore Fort, local administration and the late phase of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The Nayaks, or Nayakas, were military chiefs, governors or regional rulers of South India, especially significant between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The term is closely linked to the political legacy of the Vijayanagara Empire and to several local dynasties that ruled centres such as Madurai, Thanjavur, Gingee and Vellore.

Nefertari, the great royal wife of Pharaoh Ramses II, is one of the most famous queens of ancient Egypt. Her beauty and influential status granted her a central role in the political and religious life of her time.

Nek Chand Saini (December 15, 1924 - June 12, 2015) was an Indian artist and public works official, best known for creating the Rock Garden in Chandigarh, a sculpture garden made from recycled materials.