The Cheras ruled over Travencore, Cochin, Malabar and Pudukotta of modern Madras province. Later on, they also occupied Konga province i.e. Coimbatore district.

The earliest reference about the Cheras is found in the rock inscription of Asoka. The reference of the Cheras is also found in the geographies of Periplus and Ptolemy. But there is no as such information about the Chera kings of that period. It is learnt from `Siippadikarama` that a Chera king named Sangultauana ruled. According to the said book, this king ruled in the time of Pandya king Nedujodian and Chola king Karikala`s grandson. It is stated that this king was very powerful and had defeated many of the neighbouring kings. He is also said to have led military expeditions up to Himalaya.

In the 12th century A. D. Chera remained as a feudatory of the Cholas. However, in the 13th century A. D., the Pandyas rise into prominence and made Cheras as their feudatory. The Cheras again rose, when near about 1310 A. D. Malika Kafur gave a shattering blow to the power of the Pandyas. The contemporary Chera king Ravivardhan Kulasekhara defeated Pandyas and Cholas. However, he was defeated by the Kakatiya king Rudra I. Ravivardhan was the last powerful king of Chera dynasty and the Chera kingdom declined after him.