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No. 12.) TAKKOLAM INSCRIPTION OF RAJAKËSARIVARMAN (ADITYA I).
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Rāshtrakūta king) made the howdah of the elephant on which Rājāditya was mounted the battle-field, fought with Rājāditya, stabbed him with a dagger and killed him. In token of appreciation, Kțishna III gave Bütuga the Banavase 12,000, Belvola 300, Purigere 300, Kisukād 70 and Bāgenād 370. The same record further informgl us that Krishtia III having attacked Mummadi-Chola Rājāditya and having fought and killed him at Takkolam was going in triumph. Thus, it is clear that this entry into Tondai-mandalam which took place a few years after the Rashtrakūta occupation of that part of the Chōļa dominions was the faral triumphant march or state procession in the 'conquered territory when all obstacles had been overcome. It will be noted that Räjāditya died long before his father's death. Accordingly, we see that the Tiruvāla gādu plates do not state that he
became king while they do sey so with regard to his brothers. (5) Twelve yeats after Kțishņa III had this state entry into Tondai-mandalam, i.e., on the
9th day of March 959 A.D., he was encamped with his victorious army at Melpādi in the Chittoor district when he established his followers in the southern provinces, took possession of the estates of the provincial chiefs and began to construct temples
to Kālapriya, Gandamārtanda, Kộishņēśvara, etc. The events of the period, in the order of occurrence, may be given thus :1. Before A.D. 944 . . Parāntaka I fought with the Räshtrakūta king Krishna III and
gained victory. 2. A.D. 944 . . · Krishya III oocupied Tondai-mandalam. 3. A.D. 947. . Battle of Takkõlam : Rājāditya 'killed by Būtuga and the
triumphant march of Kộishna III into Tondai-mandalam. 4. A.D. 953 . . . Last year of Parāntaka's reign known so far. 5. A.D. 959 . . . Krishna III's encampment at Melpädi and the establishment of
Rashtrakūta subordinates in the several provinces of Tondai
mandalam. 6. A.D. 967, . Death of Krishna III.
The gubioined inscription is engraved on the west wall of the central shrine in the Jalapāthēs. vara temple at Takkõlam. It is written in the Tamil and Grantha characters of the ninth century and is in the Tamil language. The record is in a good state of preservation. The Grantha letters used are svasthi fri (1.1), süryya graha (1. 5) and mähesvarakshai (1. 11). The ou in Tiruvural (1. 6) is shaped as in Grantha. A careful comparison of the characters employed in this record with those of Parāntaka I found in the same place, shows that this inscription must belong to a slightly earlier period. It is worthy of note that while the Parāntaka inscriptions in this place do not use the puļli or virāma, it is invariably marked by a small vertical line over the letters throughout this inscription, wherever necessary. The characteristic Tamil letters that
1.Ibid., p. 55, L. 2.
South-Ind. Infcrs., Vol. III, p. 419, v. 54.
• Ep. Ind., Vol. IV, p. 281. It is stated in this inscription that Krishna III erected a high column of victory at Ramēśvaram after making the Chēra, Chöļa, and Pandya his tributaries (V. 35 of the Karhad plates).
• No. 5 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1897.
. It is also marked in the Tirukkalukkuprann icription of the same king (Ep. Ind., Vol. II, plate facing page 28-4).
