Traders Kings and Pilgrims — Social Studies STD 6 — Question

It is a Tamil word meaning three chiefs, used for the heads of three ruling families– the Cholas, Cheras and the Pandyas.
They became powerful in South India around 2300 years ago. Each of the three chiefs had two centres of power: one on inland and one on the coast. Out of these six cities, two were very important: Puhar or Kaveripattinam, the port of the Cholas, and Madurai, the capital of the Pandyas. The chiefs did not collect regular taxes. Instead, they demanded and received gifts from people. They also went on military expeditions and collected tribute from the neighbouring areas.