Thanjavur, formerly Tanjore, first
rose to promi nence during the reign of the
Medieval Cholas when it served as the capital of
the Chola empire. After the fall of the Cholas,
the city was ruled by various dynasties like
Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai ayaks,
Thanjavur Nayaks, Thanjavur Marathas and the
British.