I unearthed a book called "Yuan Khanate and South India" by Tansen Sen. On Page 306, the following information is given:
Yang had previously displayed his military skills during the invasion
of key towns in southern China under Sögetü.20 Upon reaching Kollam
in the third lunar month of Zhiyuan 17 (April–May, 1280), he quickly
secured “conditions of surrender” (jiangbiao ) from the ruler of the
kingdom called Binadi (Pandiya?).21 The Kollam ruler also promised
to send a tributary mission to the Yuan court within a year.22
22 Yuanshi 210, p. 4669.
My two-cents worth: During 1280 C.E., Tamilnadu was ruled by Emperor Kulasekara Pandiyan and Pandian Empire was at its zenith.
ref: South India and Her Muhammadan Invaders by S. Srinivasa Iyengar. pp: 54-55
Maravarman Kulasekhara.—The next great Pandya
whose history is of sufficient importance to be dealt with
1 Ep. Coll. 435 of 1906. * Ep. Rep., Sec. 37 of 1912.
3
Ep. Rep. 1912, Sec. 36 ; Ep. Rep. 1913, Sec. 45.
Maravarman KulaSekhara 55
is the last great one among them called Maravarman
Kulasekhara I, whose accession took place in A.n. 1268
according to the late Professor Kielhorn, and of whose
forty-fourth year
1 we have a record or two. His reign
therefore would extend from a.d. 1268 to 1311 almost.
This long reign was one of comparative peace and uniform
prosperity, if the statements of Marco Polo and the Muhammadan
historians are to be given full credit. This ruler is
apparently the ' Khales Dewar ' of the Muhammadan
historians, and the ' Asciar ' or ' Ashar ' of Marco Polo. Of
Khales Dewar, Wassaf says that he ' had ruled for forty
years in prosperity and had accumulated in the treasury
of Shahr-Mandi 2 1200 crores in gold.' In his days, Kayal
a port of the Pandya country was in a very prosperous condition,
and Marco Polo says of him that he was ' the eldest
of the five brother kings.' Of Kayal he says :
'
it is at this
city that all the ships touch that come from the west, as
from Hormos 3 and from Kis * and from Aden, and all
Arabia, laden with horses and with other things for sale.
And this brings a great concourse of people from the
country round about, and so there is great business done in
this city of Cail.' 5
Reverting to his account of the king
he continues ' the king possesses vast treasures, and wears
upon his person great store of rich jewel. He maintains
great state and administers his kingdom with great equity,
and extends great favour to merchants and foreigners, so
that they were very glad to visit his city.'
Book's ref:
2 Shahr Pandi, the city of Piindya, Elliott III, p. 52.
3 Not Myos Hormos—Mussel Harbour a port of the Ptolemies in the Red
Sea. 27-12 N. and 33-13 E, but Ormuz in the Persian Gulf— Urimanji of
S. Indian writers.
4 Kis or Kais, an island in the Persian Gulf, the chief of which Maliku-1
Islam Jamal-ud-din was the chief horse trader with t with the Piindya.
5 Marco Polo Edn. by Yule and Cordier II, p. 370.
இப்படி ஒரு பெரிய பேரரசை ஆண்ட பாண்டிய மாமன்னன் குலசேகரன் சீனருக்குத் திறை செலுத்தியிருப்பானா? பாண்டியர்கள் சீனர்களுடன் வணிகம் செய்ததால் சீன மன்னர் களுக்குப பரிசு அனுப்பியிருக்க வாய்ப்பு இருக்கிறது. அதைத் திறை என்று சொல்வது எங்கணம்?
இங்கு இரண்டு சான்றுகள் கொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. ஒன்று சீனர்களுடையது. இன்னொன்று சீன மன்னர் அரசவியில் இருந்து தமிழ்நாட்டில் பயணித்த மார்கோ போலோ அவர்கள் , மற்றும் அரேபியா பயணிகளின் குறிப்பு. இரண்டு பேர்கள் புகழ்ந்த பாண்டியப் பேரரசு சீனர்களுக்குத் திறை செலுத்தியது என்று எழுதினால், அதற்குத் தக்க சான்று கொடுக்க வேண்டிய பொறுப்பும் தங்களிடமே உள்ளது, பேராசிரியர் ஐயா!
எனவே, பேராசிரியர் அவர்களே,
எங்களை மாணவராகக் கருதாமல் (குறிப்பு: உயர்திரு தேமொழி, நானல்ல!), சான்றுகளுடன் எங்கள் அறிவைப் பெருக்குங்கள்.