The Imperial Pandyas commonly called, "The Pandyas of the Second Empire" ruled from A. D. 1190 to 1380. Their capital was Madura. They were at their Zenith from 1250 to 1320.

Many scholars have written about "The Pandyas of the Second Empire" They wrote their books on the basis of the surmises made upto 1928. In this book, I have consulted the reports published from 1880 to this date. Wherever required I personally visited the temples and read the inscriptions for better understanding and confirmation. I am also thankful to the office of the Chief Epigraphist Archaeological Survey of India Mysore. Whenever I had doubts, they readily helped me by supplying valuable information.

From the year A. D. 1190 to 1380 there were thirty Pandya Kings with only six names often repeated. The six names were Sundara, Kulasekara, Vikrama, Vira, Sri Vallabha and Parakrama. They were either Jatavarmans or Maravarmans. Since the kings of the same name ruled in different periods, overlapping the reigns of other kings, it becomes difficult to identify them. The methodology adopted to identify the kings is explained in the pages 3 to 20.

In the real sense this is a book of Epigraphic study. The surmise obtained from the Epigraphical research enables us to construct the Chronology of the kings. This book contains scores of new findings. I trust the students of Epigraphy and History will find them interesting.

This book is essentially an Epigraphy study. I have quoted hundreds of inscriptions and scores of earlier publications. Each chapter is a research work by itself. Research work in the Pandyan chronology is a most difficult task. It took more than nine months for me to complete this book. I had to work hard day and night, without rest, because once the continuity is lost in the thinking, then it becomes difficult to trace its origin. In a research work like this, one has to sacrifice his health, food, sleep and rest. I too underwent this operation. In the Initial stage, I wrote and wasted more than thousand peges (hand written). Finally the picture was in sight.

The methodology adopted in each chapter is this. First I identify the king. I fix his accession date and also the last year of his reign. Then the events narrated in the king's inscriptions are recorded in the Chronological order. Thus the history of a particular king is analysed in the respective chapter. As we proceed further the surmises made in the previous chapters help us in the subsequent chapters.

Extreme patience will be required to read and understand this weighty research work. One reading is not enough. The book must be read twice or thrice. In order to reduce the load, I have adopted a new method. At the end of each. chapter I have given the summary of the surmise in the form of "GIST". I would like to suggest the reader that he, in the first attempt, may please read the "GIST" of each chapter. This will give an idea of the subject. Once he goes through the "GISTS" of all the chapters, he can see the picture and its background which will help him at a later stage when he reads the several chapters.

I ventured in this subject with utmost caution. I have made honest and sincere attempt. I am also a human being. I would have slipped somewhere. If such slips are found here and there, I am sure, the future will take care of them.