The history of Tiruvannamalai dates from the early
Chola period, the period of Aditya I and Parantaka I (871-955 AD) when
the Chola empire had expanded northwards to include practically the
whole of Tondaimandalam. After Parantaka I till the reign of Rajendra I,
the rule of the Chola Empire is not confirmed by inscriptions inside
the Arunachaleswarar Temple. Possibly on account of the Rashtrakuta
invasions and occupation of this area by Krishna III. This is perhaps
indicated by a single inscription of Kannaradeva (Krishna III) found in
the Temple. The recovery of the region by the Cholas was a slow process
and reached its successful conclusion only towards the close of the
reign of Rajaraja I approximately. AD 1014, but even Rajaraja is
conspicuously absent in the inscriptions of Tiruvannamalai.
While the rule of Rajendra I and Rajadhiraja I over this area is
attested by their inscriptions, once again a fairly long gap of over a
hundred years is indicated by the absence of any Chola inscriptions till
the beginning of Kulottunga III's region (AD 1183)
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Large scales activities in the period of Kulottunga III and Rajaraja III
are indicated by a number of records in the Temple. Further, the
frequent references to a number of Chola feudatories of this period
would also show a gradual ascendancy in their power and importance till
the final establishment of independence by the Kadavaraya chieftains in
the second quarter of the 13th century AD In this connection mention may
be made of an interesting inscription at Tiruvannamalai, which records
an agreement entered into by a number of feudatory chieftains to support
one another and swearing allegiance to the ruling Chola king
(Kulottunga III of AD 1210), pointing to a period of great political
tension under the late Cholas.
The inscriptions of Kopperunjinga clearly show that by the second
quarter of the 13th century, the Kadavarayas had established complete
mastery over this region leading to the final decline of Chola power.
A brief period of Pandya supremacy over this region is indicated by the
inscriptions of the Pandyas of the second empire such as Jatavaraman
Srivallabha and Tribhuvanachakravartin Kulasekhara in the 13th century
AD.
The Hoysalas under Vira Vallaladeva (Ballala III) of around AD 1340 also
exercised sway over this area which indicates that the Hoysalas
continued to influence Tamil politics even after the Muslim invasions of
Malik kafur.
After the Hoysalas, Tiruvannamalai passed into the hands of the
Vijayanagar rulers, whose southern invasions under Kampana led to the
establishment of Vijayanagar authority over practically the whole of
Tamil Nadu.
Vijayanagar inscriptions in Arunachaleswarar Temple are large in number
and range from the period of Harihara II to the late Vijayanagar ruler
Venkatapatideva Maharaya of the late 14th to the 17th Centuries AD.
Following them, the Kayak feudatories of Tanner, established their
independent sway over this region and under Sevvappa Nayaka, carried out
large scale renovation and building activities in the Temple.
After Nayak rule, the region gradually passed into British hands except
for a brief period of subordination to the Mysore Odeyars in 1816 AD.
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