nadu

Nadu, written in Tamil as nāḍu, is a term used in Tamil and other Dravidian languages meaning land, country, or region. It denotes a geographic or political unit and is the etymological source of the state name Tamil Nadu, often interpreted as “Tamil land” or “land of the Tamils.”

Historically, nadus referred to large political divisions or polities within the Tamil homeland. In ancient and medieval Tamil kingdoms, nadus were semi-autonomous regions governed by local rulers or assemblies under a king, with their own administrative structures and military forces. The Tamil political landscape included regions such as Chola Nadu and Pandya Nadu, and the term is also associated with Kongu Nadu in western Tamil Nadu. Inscriptions and literature from the period reflect nadus as meaningful cultural and geographic units, shaping regional identities even as central powers asserted overarching authority.

In modern usage, nāḍu remains the everyday Tamil word for country or land, and it appears in regional toponyms and cultural discussions. The name Tamil Nadu embodies the historic and cultural link between the Tamil people and their land. The term is cognate across Dravidian languages, appearing as nāḍu, nāṭu, or nāḷu in Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu, all with similar meanings. Today, nadus are primarily of historical and cultural interest, while contemporary Tamil Nadu is administratively organized into districts rather than nadus.