Thanjavur city is one of the oldest cities in India steeped in history. It was ruled by the Mutharayars beginning with the Cholas. After the last Chola reign in the 8th and 9th centuries, the Pandyas of Madurai ruled it briefly. In 1534, the Vijayanagara rule was established in part of Tamil Nadu, ending the Muslim rule. The Nayaks, (ie Sevappa Nayak 1540 – 72, first king of Nayak dynasty) reconstructed the town. Their main contributions are Mahamaham water tank in Kumbakonam and additional structure at Srirangam Ranganathar temple.
After the rule of Nayaks, Marathas came and ruled Thanjavur beginning in AD 1676. Venkaji alias Ekoji (half-brother of Shivaji, the great) of the Bhonsle Clan of Satara, Maharastra defeated the then ruler Alagiri and established the Maratha dynasty here. This dynasty enriched the cultural fabric of this delta region and adjacent places. British rule, under the East India company, was established when the Marathas were ruling Thanjavur. In AD 1799, Tanjore became a British Principality, one of the oldest one in Tamil Nadu.