imported>Shkwikiwiki: minor changes to Noted examples section

2021-07-19T10:26:17Z

minor changes to Noted examples section

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
A '''meikeerthi''' ({{lang-ta|மெய் கீர்த்தி}}) is the first section of [[Tamil language|Tamil]] inscriptions of grant issued by ancient Tamil kings of [[South India]]. Meikeerthis of various stone and metal inscriptions serve as important archaeological sources for determining [[History of Tamil Nadu|Tamil History]].

==Description==
''Meikeerthi'' is a Tamil word meaning "true fame". During the rule of [[Rajaraja Chola I]] it became common practice to begin inscriptions of grant with a standard praise for the king's achievements and conquests. This practice was adopted by Raja Raja's descendants and the later [[Pandyan|Pandya]] kings. The length of a meikeerthi may vary from a few lines to a few paragraphs. Only the start of a particular king's meikeerthi remains constant in all his inscriptions and the content varies depending upon the year of his reign the inscription was issued (as he might have made new conquests or new grants since the previous inscription was made). Meikeerthis do not mention a calendar year. Instead they always mention the year of the king's reign in which the inscription was made.

==Historical sources==
The inscriptions function as historical sources for differentiating the kings of the same name belonging to a particular dynasty. Almost without exception, the ''meikeerthi'' of a particular king begins with a unique phrase and this helps to differentiate kings with similar names or titles. For example, amongst the later [[Pandya]]n kings there were at least three who were named ''Jatavarman Kulasekaran'' ({{lang-ta|சடையவர்மன் குலசேகரன்}}). By using the ''meikeerthi'' found in their inscriptions, they are identified as follows<ref>Narasayya p.42</ref>

{| width="70%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 2px #DEE8F1 solid; font-size: x-big; font-family: verdana"
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white"|''Meikeerthi'' begins with
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white"|King
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white"|Years of reign
|----
|''Boothala Madandhai'' ({{lang-ta|பூதல மடந்தை}})
|[[Jatavarman Kulasekaran]]
|1162-1177 CE
|----
|''Poovin Kizhathi'' ({{lang-ta|பூவின் கிழத்தி}})
|[[Jatavarman Kulasekaran I]]
|1190-1218 CE
|----
| ''Boothala Vanidhai'' ({{lang-ta|பூதல வனிதை}})
|[[Jatavarman Kulasekaran II]]
|1238-1240 CE
|----
|}

They also mention the names of the king's consorts, his conquests, vanquished enemies, vassals and seats of power. As early Tamil records are not dated in any well known calendar, the regnal year mentioned in meikeerthis are important in dating Tamil history. The year of the reign when taken along with contemporary historical records such as the [[Mahavamsa]] and accounts of foreign travelers like [[Wassaf|Abdulla Wassaf]], [[Amir Khusrow]] and [[Ibn Battuta]] helps to determine the chronology of the [[Chola]] and [[Pandya]] dynasties. Sometimes the king is not identified by name but by an accomplishment (conquest, battle or grant). For example, the Chola prince [[Aditya Karikalan]]'s meikeerthi refers to him only as "The king who took Vira Pandiyan's head" ({{lang-ta|ஸ்வஸ்திசர் வீரபாண்டியன் தலை கொண்ட கோப்பரகேசரி}}) without naming him.<ref>[http://www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=32&threadParent=2 Kalvettayvu by M Lavanya, Varalaaru.com]</ref>

== Noted examples==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="120" | King
! width="400" |Tamil Text
! width="350" |Transliteration
! width="300" |Translation
|-
| [[Rajaraja Chola I]]
| ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ
திருமகள் போலப் பெருநிலச் செல்வியும்
தனக்கே உரிமை பூண்டமை மனக்கொளக் காந்தளூர்ச் சாலை கலமறுத் தருளி வேங்கை நாடும் கங்க பாடியும் நுளம்ப பாடியும் தடிகை பாடியும் குடமலை நாடும் கொல்லமும் கலிங்கமும் எண் திசை புகழ் தர ஈழமண்டலமும் இரட்ட பாடி ஏழரை இலக்கமும் முந்நீர் பழந்தீவு பன்னீரா யிரமும் திண்திறல் வென்றித் தண்டாற் கொண்ட தன் எழில்வளர் ஊழியுள் எல்லா யாண்டும் தொழுதகை விளங்கும் யாண்டே செழியரைத் தேசுகொள் ஸ்ரீ கோவி ராஜ கேசரி வன்ம ரான ஸ்ரீ இராசராச தேவர்க்கு யாண்டு<ref>[http://ponniyinselvan.in/ta/articles/2008-09-10/rajaraja-cholan-meikeerthi.html#attachments Raja Raja Meikeerthi from Ponniyinselvan.in]</ref>
| Swasthisri
Thirumakal pol perunilach selviyum thanakkeyurimai poondamai manakolak kandhalur saalai kalamarutharuli vengai nadum gangaipaadiyum nulampapadiyum thadikai paadiyum kudamalai nadum kollamum kalingamum endisai pugalthara eela mandalamum irattapadi elarai ilakkamum munneer pazandeevu paneerayiramum thindiral venri thandal kondathan elil valar ooliyul ella yandilum tholuthakai vilangum yande selinjarai thesukol sri kovi rajaraja kesari panmarana sri raja raja thevar.
| Raja Raja - the one who desired wealth and earth; Victor of [[Battle of Kandalur Salai|Kandhalur Saalai naval battle]]; Conqueror of [[Vengi]], [[Western Ganga Dynasty|Gangavadi]], Malai Nadu, [[kollam]], [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]], [[Western Chalukya Empire|Rettapadi]],Nulamba padi, Thadigai Padi, [[Eelam]], [[Maldives]], [[Pandya]]s; Every year of his beautiful life and reign is a significant year.
|-
| [[Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan|Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I]]
| கொங்குஈழம் கொண்டு கொடுவடுகு கோடுஅழித்து 
கங்கை இருகரையும் காவிரியும் கைகொண்டு 
வல்லாளனை வென்று காடவனைத் திறைகொண்டு 
தில்லை மாநகரில் வீராபிஷேகமும் விஜயாபிஷேகமும் 
செய்தருளிய கோச்சடை பன்மரான திரிபுவனச் 
சக்கரவர்த்திகள் ஸ்ரீ வீரபாண்டிய தேவர்<ref>Narasayya, P.43</ref>
| Kongu Eelam kondu koduvadugu kodu azhithu gangai irukaraiyum kaviriyum kaikondu vallalanai venru kadavanai thirai kondu thillai managaril veerabishkamum vijayabishekamum seidharuliya kochadai panmarana thiri buvana chakkaravarthikal sri veera pandiya thevar
| Veera Pandyan - the conqueror of [[Kongu Nadu]] and [[Eelam]]; the conqueror of the [[Ganges]] and [[Kaveri]]; Vanquisher of [[vallalan|Hoysala]]; Subjugator of [[Kadava]] [[Kopperunchinga I]]; The one who paid victory tribute and bravery tribute at [[Chidambaram]]; The ruler of three worlds.
|-
| [[Rajendra Chola I]]
| ஸ்வஸ்திஸ்ரீ
பூர்வதேசமும் கெங்கையும் கடாரமும் கொண்டருளிந கோப்பரகேசரி பன்மரான உடையார் ஸ்ரீ ராஜேந்திர சோழ சிவசரணசேகர தேவர் கொடுத்தருளின வரியில்லிட்ட படி கல் வெட்டியது கோப்பரகேசரி பன்மரான உடையார் ஸ்ரீ ராஜேந்திர சோழ தேவர்க்கு ஆண்டு மூன்றாவது<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.varalaaru.com/design/article.aspx?ArticleID=304 | title=Valanchulivanar, varalaaru aivum aivu varlarum | first=S. | last=Kamalakkannan | publisher=varalaaru.com | access-date=18 August 2020 }}</ref>
| Swasthisiri
Poorva thesamum gangaiyum kadaramum kondarulina kopparakesarai panmarana udaiyar sri rajendara chola sivasaranasekara devar kodutharulina variyillatta padi kal vettiyathu kopparakesari panmarana udaiyar sri rajendra chola devarku aandu moonravadhu
| On the third Regnal year of Rajendra Chola - the conqueror of the East country, [[Ganges]] and [[Kedah|Kadaram]];this stone inscription was made to record the tax exemption grant given by Rajendra, the one who surrendered to [[Shiva|siva]].
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book | last= Narasayya| year=2009 | title= Aalavaai: Madurai Maanagarathin Kadhai |edition= Hardback| publisher= Palaniappa Brothers| location= India| isbn=978-81-8379-517-3 }}
* {{cite book|title=South India and her Muhammadan Invaders|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924024066742|last=Aiyangar|first=Sakkottai Krishnaswami|author-link=S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1921|ref=Aiyangar}}

[[Category:Tamil history]]

Meikeerthi - Revision history

imported>Shkwikiwiki: minor changes to Noted examples section