Chola kings were forced to accept the suzerainty of the Pandyas. The Pandyas ruled Thanjavur from 1279 AD to 1311 AD when their kingdom was raided and annexed by Malik Kafur and the forces of the Delhi Sultanate.
Medieval Period 1311-1679 AD
The Sultanate extend its authority directly over the conquered regions from 1311 to 1335 and then through the semi-independent Ma'bar Sultanate from 1335 to 1378. Starting from the 1350s, the Ma'bar Sultanate was steadily absorbed into the rising Vijayanagar Empire. Thanjavur is believed to have been conquered by Kampanna Udayar during his invasion of Srirangam between 1365 and 1371. Deva Raya's 1443 inscription, Thirumala's 1455 inscription and Achuta Deva's land grants dated 1532 and 1539 attest Vijayanagar's overlordship over Thanjavur.
Sevappa Nayak, the Vijayanagar viceroy of Arcot, established himself as an independent monarch in 1532 (1549, according to some sources) and founded the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. Achuthappa Nayak, Raghunatha Nayak and Vijaya Raghava Nayak are some of the important rulers of the Nayak dynasty. The dynasty came to an end when Thanjavur fell to the Madurai Nayak king Chokkanatha Nayak in 1673. Vijaya Raghunatha Nayak was killed and Chokkanatha's brother Alagiri Nayak was installed as the ruler.Vijaya Raghunatha's son approached the Nawab of Bijapur for help. Thanjavur was successfully conquered in 1674 by Ekoji I, the Maratha feudatory of the Nawab of Bijapur and half-brother of Shivaji. Ekoji founded the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom which ruled Thanjavur till 1855.
The Marathas and the British
The Marathas exercized their sovereignty over Thanjavur throughout the last quarter of the 17th century and the whole of the 18th. The Maratha rulers patronized art and literature and played an active part in support of the British against the French in the Carnatic Wars. In 1787, Amar Singh, the regent of Thanjavur deposed the minor Raja, his nephew Serfoji II
