Epigraphia Indica Vol 31

SR No.: 032585
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1955
Total Pages: 506
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 30 MB

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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXI inconsistenoy would be to take Neriyudaipperumal as a daughter of Vikramachola and Kulöttunga II as her son (putrika-putra) adopted and hence called son. The princess had apparently married a Pandya or Hoysala prince and thus belonged to a lunar family. There is a significant passage in the Kulottunga golan-ula (verse 112) desoribing him as follows: Mudukula mannar mudi-vananga vanda Vidukula-näyaki=běy-enbar .............. "He is (said to be) the son of a noble queen belonging to the lunar race, to whom (all) the kings of the ancient families made obeisance." It is worthy of note that no other king of the Chola line or, for that matter, of any royal family in South India, is referred to as the son of his mother. This is probably due to the fact that his mother had some pretensions to the Chola throne.
One other point of similarity in the nomination and coronation of both Kulõttunga II and Rajadhiraja II has to be noted. Kulottunga II counts his regnal years from some time in May-July, 1133 A.D. But his predecessor Vikramachoļa seems to have lived for a period of about two years thereafter as his inscriptions (which began about the 29th June 1118 A.D.)' go up to his 17th regnal year, i.e. 1135 A.D. It will thus be seen that Kulõttunga II was selected as successor to the throne and entrusted with the administration of the kingdom by Vikramachõla himself in his life-time. The selection of Rājādhirāja II by Rājarāja II was also made in the same way. Inscriptions of Rājarāja II which oount some date after the 6th April 1146 A.D. as the starting point of his reign are found up to the 28th year of his reign. It ie true that his records in the Tamil oountry go only up to his 19th year,' i.e. up to 1165 A.D., and no inscription of his bearing a date after that year has so far been traced in the Tamil area. But we have many inscriptions of his up to the 28th regnal year in the Telugu country and almost all of them, registering gifts by the local rulers acknowledging the suzerainty of the Chõļa overlord Rājarāja, are coupled with the corresponding Saka dates, olearly showing that his reign continued up to 1173 A.D. But Rajadhiraja II Was already selected and crowned by him. We know that two sets of dates are found for Rājādhirāja II in his inscriptions, one set containing some date between the 28th February and the 30th Maroh 1163 A.D. as the initial date, and the other set having some date in the first half of 1166 A.D. as its starting point. This well fits with the statement in the Pallavarāyappēttai record that Rājādhiraja was crowned on the fourth annual asterism, i.e." on the completion of three years after his selection. Thus it will be seen that hoth Kulottunga II and Rajadhiraja II were selected as heirs-apparent to the throne and crowned by their predecessors in their own life time and that these predecessors did live some time after such selection,
* Above, Vol. X, p. 138; Vol. XI, p. 287. • Ibid., Vol. VII, pp. 4-5. • 811, Vol. VI, No. 123 ; also A. R. Ep., No. 165 of 1906. • Abovo, Vol. IX, p. 210.
A.R. Ep., No. 89 at 1928. • 811, Vol. VI, No. 620 (No. 181 of 1899); also Rangacharya's List, No. Gt. 888.
Abovo, Vol. IX, p. 211.
• Above Vol. X. Pp. 126-7; L. D. Swamikanga Pillai, The Indian Ephemeris, Vol. I, part ti, p. 70; also K. A. N. Bastrl. The Offas, Vol. II, p. 93.