kingdom · South Asia

Gingee Nayaks

1509 CE – 1649 CE (approx.) · capital Gingee

Telugu Nayaka governors of Vijayanagara who ruled northern Tamil country from the near-impregnable fortress of Gingee.

Origins

The Vijayanagara Empire appointed Nayaka governors to administer its Tamil provinces in the early 16th century. Around 1509 one line, traditionally founded by Tubaki Krishnappa Nayaka, was installed at Gingee (Senji), controlling the land between the Palar and Kollidam rivers, including the coast around Pondicherry.

Rule and society

The Gingee Nayaks strengthened the hill fortress, linking three hills with walls to create one of the strongest forts in south India. Like the other Nayakas, they collected revenue through local military chiefs and patronised temples such as Tiruvannamalai. After Vijayanagara's defeat in 1565 they acted increasingly independently, allowing the Dutch to set up a post at Tegnapatnam.

Decline and legacy

Wars with the Madurai Nayak dynasty and the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom weakened them, and the Bijapur Sultanate captured Gingee in 1649. The fort later passed to the Marathas and the Mughal Empire.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gingee Nayaks. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gingee-nayaks
MLA
“Gingee Nayaks.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gingee-nayaks. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gingee Nayaks.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gingee-nayaks.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gingee Nayaks’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gingee-nayaks (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻