| has gloss | eng: Thanjavur Nayaks were the rulers of Thanjavur principality of Tamil Nadu between the 16th to the 19th century C.E. Nayaks were subordinates of the imperial Vijayanagara emperors, and were appointed as provincial governors by the Vijayanagar Emperor who divided the Tamil country into three Nayakships viz., Madurai, Tanjore and Gingi . According to the Census of India, 1901: Madras XV, Pt.1, 144, the Nayaks of Tanjore belonged to the Balija Naidu caste and their native language was Telugu. Thanjavur Nayaks were notable for their patronage of literature and the arts. Maduravani and Ramabhadramba were two famous poetesses in his court, while Sudhindra and Raghavendra were two famous Madhva gurus patronised by him. Govinda Dikshitas son Yajnanarayana has written an account on Raghunathas rule in his work Sahitya Ratnakara. |
