Vijayanagara Empire and the Nayak Governors

Following the decline of the later Pandyas and the depredations of Delhi Sultanate raids in the early 14th century, the Vijayanagara Empire brought Tamil Nadu under its influence from the late 14th century, installing regional governors called Nayaks at Madurai, Thanjavur, and Gingee. As Vijayanagara central authority weakened after its defeat at the Battle of Talikota in 1565, these Nayak lines became effectively independent kingdoms. The Madurai Nayaks, particularly Thirumalai Nayak (r. 1623–1659), undertook massive temple building and renovation projects, most notably expanding the Meenakshi Amman Temple into essentially its present form, along with grand secular structures like the Thirumalai Nayak Palace. The Thanjavur Nayaks were later succeeded by the Thanjavur Marathas, who continued to patronize Tamil and Telugu arts and letters at their court.