| Karikala Cholan | |
|---|---|
| Peruvalatthaan Thirumavalavan Kaviri Kandan Makkotai Konda Cholan Parakesari (Sanskrit) [1][2] | |
 Bronze statue of Karikāla Chōḻaṉ | |
| Predecessor | Ilamcetcenni |
| Successor | Nedunkilli and Nalankilli |
| Queen | Velir princess from Nangur[3] |
| Issue | Nalankilli Nedunkilli Māvalattān |
| Father | Ilamcetcenni |
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Karikala (Tamil: கரிகால சோழன்) often referred to as Karikala the Great[4] was a Tamil Emperor of the early Chola kingdom who ruled ancient Tamilakam from Uraiyur. He is credited with the construction of the flood banks of the river Kaveri. He is recognised as the greatest of the Early Cholas. In Thiruvalangadu plates of Rajendra Chola I, Medieval Tamil Cholas listed Karikala Chola as one of their ancestors. In Malepadu plates (7th century CE) of Renati Chola king Punyakumara, Telugu Cholas claimed that they belong to the family of Karikala Chola and praises him for stopping the overflow over the banks of river Kaveri.[5]
Sources[edit | edit source]
The story of Karikala is mixed with legend and anecdotal information gleaned from Sangam literature. The only sources available are the numerous mentions in Sangam poetry. The period covered by the extant literature of the Sangam is not easy to determine with any measure of certainty.
Paṭṭiṉappālai, Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai and a number of individual poems in the Akanaṉūṟu and Purananuru have been the main source for the information that is attributed to Karikala.
No authentic records of Karikala's reign have been found so far. However many rulers and petty chiefs who came after him claimed him as their ancestor and decorated themselves as belonging to the Chola race of Karikala and of the Kashyapa gotra.[6][7]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Karikala was the son of Ilamcetcenni.[8] The name Karikalan has been held to mean "the man with the charred leg" and perpetuates the memory of a fire accident in the early years of his life. Some scholars also hold the view kari and kalan are Tamil words meaning "slayer of elephants". Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai describes the back-formed origin legend of this incident as follows:
The king of Uraiyur (Tiruchirappalli) Ilamcetcenni married a Velir princess from Azhundur and she became pregnant and gave birth to Karikala. Ilamcetcenni died soon after. Due to his young age, Karikala's right to the throne was overlooked and there was political turmoil in the country. Karikala was exiled. When normality returned, the Chola ministers sent a state elephant to look for the prince. The elephant finds the prince hiding in Karuvur (modern day Karur in Tamil Nadu). His political opponents arrested and imprisoned him. The prison was set on fire that night. Karikala escaped the fire and, with the help of his uncle Irum-pitar-thalaiyan, defeated his enemies. Karikala’s leg was scorched in the fire and from thence Karikala became his name.
Old Sangam Age inscriptions and the sthala puranam of the great ancient Saiva shrine at Parasalur, near Mayavaram, state that in order to escape a murder plot hatched by conspirators, Karikal Valavan stayed there in disguise as a Vedic and Agama Sastra lecturer for eight years. The Paṭṭiṉappālai, written in praise of Karikala, also describes this incident but without mentioning the fable of the burnt limb:
Like a tiger cub with sharp claws and curved stripes growing strong within a cage, his strength matured while he was in the bondage of his enemies. Just as a large-trunked elephant pulls down the banks of a pit and reunites with its mate, he, after deep and careful consideration, drew his sword, overpowered the strong guard, and eventually achieved his glorious heritage.
Military conquests[edit | edit source]
"You delight in looting the enemy's country by the light of the destructive fires which you have started. Because of your plunder, the enemy's land is deprived of all good things." [9]
According to Purananuru poem verse - 7:
"Your legs press and command elephants and
your perfect feet are rubbed by your warrior anklets. Your bow that dazzles the eyes rests in your charitable hands, to release arrows in battles. Your chest is so broad, and Thirumakal forsakes others for it. You have the strength to drive back elephants. You do not consider whether it is day or night to plunder enemy towns, blazing them as their citizens cry loudly.
O Valavan riding your elegant chariot! There is nothing
good remaining in your enemy countries where there were prosperous towns, where, instead of mud, they used fish to block holes of dams with sounds of cool flowing water!"[10]
Battle of Venni[edit | edit source]
According to the Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai, Karikala Chola fought a great Battle of Venni in which both Pandyan and Cheran king Uthiyan Cheralathan[11] suffered a defeat.[12] Although we know very little about the circumstances leading to this battle, there can be no doubt that it marked the turning point in Karikala’s career, for in this battle he broke the back of the powerful confederacy formed against him.[13] Besides the two crowned kings of the Pandya and Chera countries, eleven minor chieftains took the opposing side in the campaign and shared defeat at the hands of Karikala.[14][15] The Chera king, who was wounded on his back in the battle, committed suicide by starvation. Venni was the watershed in the career of Karikala which established him firmly on his throne and secured for him some sort of hegemony among the three crowned monarchs. Venni is also known as Vennipparandalai and now it is known as Kovilvenni and is situated near Thanjavur.[16]
Battle of Vahaipparandalai[edit | edit source]
According to Pattinapalai verse:
"Those from Oli land are humble and under
his control. Those from the ancient Aruva land submit to him. Northerners lose to him and Kudanadu ruler bows to his might. He captures enemy forts and ruins the strengths of the Pandiyan king. He ruins the weak forest kings and their heirs with enraged red eyes, as well as king Irungovel's clan, with his huge
army of brave warriors."
— Pattinapalai (274 - 285)[17]
The Battle of Vahaipparandalai was a significant military engagement during the Sangam period in South India, fought by the Chola king Karikala. In this battle,Karikala Chola defeated confederacy of nine enemy chieftains, forcing them to submit. This victory, along with his earlier triumph at the Battle of Venni, solidified Karikala's dominance over the Tamil region and established him as a powerful ruler.Paranar, a contemporary of Karikala, in his poem from Agananuru mentions this incident without giving any information on the cause of the conflict.[16][18]The Confederacy of Nine kings and their vassals were defeated by him , Numerous Oliyars Submitted to him , The Pallavas of Kanchi and the Kurumbas were Compelled to accept his sovereignty. The Battle of Vahaiparantalai make karikala master of vast domination including Thondaimandalam . Pattinapalai mentioned the city was strong walls with Goddess of victory and karikala furnished with door tiger cryst engraved . Pattinapalai also said Karikala chola has no enemies that he left his capital puhar with sword and proceeded his rule north up to Himalayas . Bramanical sacrifice was encouraged in his rule and karikala patrone litterature.According to Seshadri sastri karikala reign was 113AD to 135 AD.[19] Oliyar, Aruvalar ,Vadavar , Kudavar , Tennavar ,Poduvar Irungovel were defeated in that battle of Vahaiparantalai.[20] "The famous victor, the Sola, Karikal, protected the families of the Kurumbar who tend (flocks) onthe hill-tops".the poem also states karikala destroyed forests and turned into habbitable places.[21] According to Paranar The nine princess with large army who proposed karikala probably Kurumbas and they were defeated by Karikala in that battle .[22]
Srilanka Conquests[edit | edit source]
According to legends Karikala was one of the few Chola kings who won the whole of Ceylon[citation needed] (Lanka). The Grand anicut was built after his conquest over the Singalese kingdom and he used Singalese war prisoners for the hard task of moving stones from the mountains to the river bed of the Kaveri.[citation needed] The Pattinappalai also describes the destruction caused by Karikala’s armies in the territories of his enemies and adds that as the result of these conflicts, the "Northerners and Westerners were depressed… and his flushed look of anger caused the Pandya’s strength to give way…".
The Chola invasion of Anurathapura happened in 110 AD, during the reign of Vankanasika Tissa, the ruler of the Lambakanna dynasty. Karikala had a powerful navy, which he used to capture Sri Lanka. During the campaign, Karikala’s forced defeated Vankanasika Tissa and captured 12,000 Sinhalese Prisoners along with treasures and The war Prosoners was to work as slaves to build the Kaveri Dam.[23] Kallanai is a massive dam of unhewn stone, 329 metres (1,080 ft) long and 20 metres (60 ft) wide, across the main stream of the Kaveri. A later Chola record from Tiruvaduturai refers to this event that is raising the banks of the Kaveri by Parakesari Karikala Chola.[24][25][26][27][28]
Conquest of Tondainadu and Andhra from Pallavas[edit | edit source]
Based on numerous village records and Telugu Chola inscriptions found in Andhra, Karikala seems to have battled against a Pallava king named Trilochana Pallava or Mukhanti Pallava or Mukhanti Kaduvetti and captured Tondainadu, leaving the southern Telugu country to the Pallava king. The Pallava king who had Kanchi as his capital moved the capital to Kalahasti after losing Kanchi in the battle. The inscriptions also says that Karikala ordered Trilochana Pallava to come and assist him in building the flood banks along the Kaveri river. But the Pallava king who was ruling from Kalahasti declined to obey which made Karikala to declare war against him. Karikala won the battle and captured the Telugu country. During that time period, southern Andhra was covered with big forests which is not fit for cultivation. So, Karikala destroyed the forests and planted many villages. One of the villages is Pottapi, which was the most important village and hence the whole locality acquired in course of time the name Pottapi Nadu. Unlike Trilochana Pallava, Karikala Chola donated lands not only to Brahmins but also to the cultivators.[29]
Northern Expedition and Conquests[edit | edit source]
According to Silapathikaram, Indira vilavureduttakadai verses 89 to 110 Mentioned Karikala Chola Military Achivements:
"Once Tirumavalavan felt that there was no foe on either side fit to fight with him and thinking, in his thirst for war, that there might be foes in the north, he had an auspicious day chosen for taking out hig sword, umbrella and war-drum, and he prayed to his guardian deity that he might be lucky enough to find an enemy fit to encounter his broad shoulders, and advanced in that direction. Finding the great Himalayas, the residence of gods, as the barrier arresting his further progress, he retreated with pride after engraving his tiger-emblem on its rocky side. On his return, the king of the great Vacciranadu whose sway extended as far as the roaring sea (in the east), gave him a pearl canopy as tribute while th» king of Magadha famous for his sword-play, and his enemy a while ago, presented to him an audience-hall (pattimandapam) . The king of Avanti gave him a friendly present of a tall and beautiful arch on the gateway. Though all these were made of gold and gems, their technique was not known to human artists even of exceptional skill ; they were long ago given to the ancestors of these three monarchs by the divine Maya in return for some valuable service rendered to him. When they were all placed together, they formed an artistic mandapam much praised by great men."
— Silapathikaram,Indira vilavureduttakadai 89-110[30]
According to Cilappatikaram, Nadukarkadai mentioned about Karikala Chola Successful North India Campaign and he received gifts from north Indian kingdoms by tributary it's follows:
"O king with the tumbai and the anklet, tokens of success in battle! Attended by these vanquished Arya kings we went to the ancient city of Sembiyan (Chola) and paid our respects to him through his officers. Seated in the ornamented mandapam constructed (with the materials received as gifts) from the Vaccira (Vatsa), Avanti and Magadha kings, he remarked to the commander of his chariot corps occupying the front rank of the army : ' it is no achievement to capture in the wide expanse of the battlefield those who, after displaying great military prowess, gave up their umbrellas and swords and fled in the disguise of non-combatants.”
— Cilappatikaram, Nadukarkadai 78 - 94[31]
After subduing the south Karikala went on an expedition to the north and engraved his tiger emblem in the Himalayas. The king of the great Vajra whose sway extended as far as the roaring sea (in the east), gave him a pearl canopy as a tribute while the king of Magadha famous for his sword-play, and his enemy a while ago, presented to him an audience hall (pattimandapam). The king of Avanti gave him a friendly present of a tall and beautiful arch on the gateway. Though all these were made of gold and gems, their technique was not known to human artists even of exceptional skill; they were long ago given to the ancestors of these three monarchs by the divine Maya in return for some valuable service rendered to him.[32]
Grand Anicut[edit | edit source]
Sometime between the reign of Sinhalese monarch Vankanasika Tissa, Karikala, with a large army, invaded the island and took away 12,000 Sinhalese men to work as slaves to build the Kaveri Dam.[33]
Later Chola kings attributed the building of dikes along the banks of the Kaveri to Karikala.[12][14][34][35] The raising of the banks of the river Kaveri by Karikala is also mentioned by the Malepadu plates (seventh century CE)[36] of the Telugu Chola sovereign of Renadu, Erigal-Mutturaju Punyakumara, who claims descent from Karikala: karuna – saroruha vihita – vilochana – pallava – trilochana pramukha kilapritvisvara karita kaveri tira (he who caused the banks of the Kaveri to be constructed by all the subordinate kings led by the Pallava Trilochana whose third eye was blinded by his lotus foot).
The Grand Anicut, also known as the Kallanai was built by Karikala[37] and is considered one of the oldest water-diversion or water-regulator structures in the world which is still in use.[38] The Kallanai is a massive dam of unhewn stone, 329 metres (1,080 ft) long and 20 metres (60 ft) wide, across the main stream of the Kaveri.[39] A later Chola record from Tiruvaduturai refers to this event that is raising the banks of the Kaveri by Parakesari Karikala Chola.[1][2]
Perur Patteeswarar Temple[edit | edit source]
After his victory over the Northern kingdoms of Vatsa, Magadha and Avantika, Karikala returned back to Tamil land and worshipped Lord Shiva at the Perur Pateeswarar Temple located at the banks of river Noyyal in present day Coimbatore. Karikala was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He is said to have done the Kumbhabhishekham (sanctification ritual) of the temple through hundred golden vessels. A famous text named Perur Puranam was composed by Kachiyappa Munivar in Tamil on the origin of the temple.[40]
Karikala Cholan Manimandapam[edit | edit source]
Karikala Cholan Manimandapam (memorial hall) was built in honour of the king who built the Grand Anicut. The hall designed as per Chola architecture style was built at a cost of ₹ 21 million. It features a bronze statue of the king.[41][42]
Dating Karikala[edit | edit source]
According to Nilakanta Sastri Karikala reigned in 90 CE.[43]
However, V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar states that the Karikala mentioned in Silappadikaram and Sangam literature are two different kings and the Karikala mentioned in Silappadikaram has nothing to do with Trilocana Pallava and nothing prevents another Karikala having flourished in Puhar a few centuries later.[44]
The copper-plate charters and stone inscription of the 10th and 11th centuries also mention two different Karikala thus unable to determine his exact reign.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rama Shankar Tripathi. History of Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass, 1967 - India - 605 pages. p. 478.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri. Studies in Cōḷa history and administration. University of Madras, 1932 - History - 210 pages. p. 68.
- ↑ Irāmaccantiran̲ Nākacāmi. Art and culture of Tamil Nadu. Sundeep Prakashan, 1980 - Art, Indic - 184 pages. p. 140.
- ↑ "The great Cholas through the ages".
- ↑ Hultzsch, Eugene (1911–1912). "Epigraphia Indica". Epigraphia Indica. 11: 339 – via Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India.
- ↑ Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Indian Antiquary, Volume 38. pp. 7–8.
- ↑ Andhra Pradesh (India), Bh Sivasankaranarayana. Andhra Pradesh district gazetteers, Volume 16. Printed by the Director of Print. and Stationery at the Govt. Secretariat Press; [copies can be had from: Govt. Publication Bureau, Andhra Pradesh], 1977 - Andhra Pradesh (India). p. 19.
- ↑ Purananuru – 266
- ↑ Spencer, George W. "The Politics of Plunder: The Cholas in Eleventh-Century Ceylon": 405.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ "Ettuthokai – Purananuru 1–200". Sangam Translations by Vaidehi. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta. A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 See Majumdar, p 137
- ↑ See Tripathi, p 458
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 See Kulke and Rothermund, p 104
- ↑ V., Balambal (1998). Studies in the History of the Sangam Age. New Delhi: Kalinga Publications. p. 21. ISBN 978-8185163871.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 See Nilakanta Sastri, A History of South India, p112-113
- ↑ Vaidehi Herbert. "Pathuppāttu – Pattinappālai". Sangam Poems Translated by Vaidehi. lines 274–285. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ K. A. Nilakanta Sastry. A History Of South India (K. A. Nilakanta Sastry).
- ↑ Mahajan, V. D. Ancient India. S. Chand Publishing. ISBN 978-93-5283-603-1.
- ↑ Kalidos, Raju (1976). History and Culture of the Tamils: From Prehistoric Times to the President's Rule. Vijay Publications.
- ↑ Srinivas Iyengar, P. T. (1929). History of the Tamils from the earliest times to 600 A.D.
- ↑ V. Kanakasabhai (1956). The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.
- ↑ Wijesekera, Nandadeva (1986). Contacts and Conflicts with Sri Lanka. N. Wijesekera.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ Subramaniam, N. (1962). History Of Tamilnad.
- ↑ REDDY, Prof P. CHENNA (9 January 2023). REVISITING INDIA’S PAST: Commemoration Volume to Prof. Vijay Kumar Thakur. Blue Rose Publishers.
- ↑ Navaratnam, C. S. (1958). Tamils and Ceylon: From the Earliest Period Up to the End of the Jaffna Dynasty with a Chart of Important Events Up to 1900.
- ↑ N., Venkata Ramanayya (1929). Trilochana Pallava And Karikala Chola. Madras: V. Ramaswamy Sastrulu & Sons. pp. 65–69.
- ↑ Dikshitar, V. R. Ramachandra (1939). "Indira Vilavureduttakadai, verses 89–110". The Silappadikaram. Oxford University Press, Humphrey Milford. p. 114. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Dikshitar, V. R. Ramachandra (1939). The Silappadikaram. Oxford University Press. p. 319. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- ↑ The Śilappadikāram by V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar, p114-115
- ↑ Walking to Kataragama. International Centre for Ethnic Studies. 2007. ISBN 9789555801102.
- ↑ History of ancient India, page 478: ..raising the banks of the Kaveri by Parakesari Karikala Chola
- ↑ Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Volume 39, page 156
- ↑ R. C. Majumdar, General Editor (1970). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 03, The Classical Age p.265. Public Resource. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
{{cite book}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ↑ Singh, Vijay P.; Ram Narayan Yadava (2003). Water Resources System Operation: Proceedings of the International Conference on Water and Environment. Allied Publishers. p. 508. ISBN 81-7764-548-X.
- ↑ "This is the oldest stone water-diversion or water-regulator structure in the world" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2007.
- ↑ "Cauvery River – Britannica Online Encyclopedia".
- ↑ "Arulmigu Patteeswarar Swamy Temple - History". Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ↑ "Karikalan cholan memorial inaugurated". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ↑ "Karikalan Manimandapam ready for inauguration". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ↑ A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar, page 119
- ↑ The Śilappadikāram by V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar, page 24
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta. A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar.
- Hermann, Kulke; Rothermund D (2001) [2000]. A History of India. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-32920-5.
- Majumdar, R.C (1987). Ancient India. India: Motilal Banarsidass Publications. ISBN 81-208-0436-8.
- Mudaliar, A.S (1984) [1931]. Abithana Chintamani. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services.
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A (1984) [1935]. The CōĻas. Madras: University of Madras.
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A (2002) [1955]. A History of South India. New Delhi: OUP.
- Tripathi, Rama Sankar (1967). History of Ancient India. India: Motilal Banarsidass Publications. ISBN 81-208-0018-4.
- Iyengar, P. T. Srinivasa (1929). History of the Tamils from the Earliest Times to the Present Day.
- Raghava Iyengar, R. (1951). Pattinapalai, Research Monograph. Chidambaram: Annamalai University Publications.