Epigraphia Indica Vol 25

Author(s): Sten Konow, F W Thomas
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 53

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. XXV.
this Chõla king was, who was killed by Vira-Pāņdy: the Chöjantaka, has not been specified by name in any of his records. Sundara-Chõļa was called Ponmāļigait-tuñjina-dēva' (the king who died at the golden palace or at Chidambaram known as the Kanakasabhā ?)', but he could not have been the victim, because records going up to the 17th year (A.D. 973) are found for bim Ariñjaya, the predecessor of Sundara-Chõļa, was called Aprūr-tuñjina-dēva' (he who died at Artūr); but the circumstances that led to his death at that place are not known. As a pallippadai was erected for him at Mélpádia in the Chittoor District, it may be inferred that he fell fighting in one of the skirmishes with the army of the Rashtrakūta king Krishna III in that locality. There is reason to believe that he lived a few years later than A.D. 953. Gandarāditya was called Mērkclundarulina-deva' (he who proceeded west), but he could not have been Vira-Pandya's adversary, because, having probably succeeded as yuvarāja-coregent soon after the death of prince Räjāditya in A.D. 949-50 and with records of the 8th year definitely assignable to him, he would have lived up to A.D. 957-8 at least. In addition to all these, there was another Choļa prince of this time called Uttamasili, who is mentioned in two records dated in the 24th and 26th years of his father Parantaka's reign ; but we know next to nothing about him and his career, except that a village and a cbannel in the Trichinopoly District were named after him.
According to the calculation arrived at above, Vira-Pandya must have assumed the title of Solan-ralai-konda from about A.D. 953-54 ; and this date coincides with the 46th or 47th year of the reign of Parantaka I. Parantaka's records of the 46th year are only two in number and none of his 47th year has been discovered yet. It is therefore tempting to conclude that it was the last year of the Chõļa king's reign and that it was Parāntaka bimself who had lost his life at the hands of Vira-Pandya,' thus giving the latter an opportunity to avenge the defeat and possibly the death of his father (?) Rājasimha at the Chola king's hands, some years earlier. It was left to Aditya II to follow up the family vendetta by killing Vira-Pāndya in his turn in about A.D. 966. These conclusions appear to be warranted by the sequence of events that happened in the eventful half-a-century preceding the accession of Rājarāja I in A.D. 985.
There is, however, one solitary Kannada record at Vanamaladinne in the Punganur taluk of the Chittoor District, situated in the northern-most border of the Chõļa dominion of the time, wbich quotes the 48th year of Parantaka's reign; and this bas perhaps to be explained by sup. posing that the recent news of the death of the Chola king had not percolated so far north, at the time that record was incised. This need not surprise ns, as such instances are not unknown in the history of this period.
As regards the subject-matter of the record, it is stated that in the 15+5th year of SolanFalai-konda Vira-Pandya, Choļāntaka-Brahmamārāyar, the officer of the king (adikāramšeykinra) receiving the royal order relating to a gift of 10 vēli of land as kudininga-dēvadānam
1 That tribute ' he who died in the Ponmäligai' has no point, unless it be that some important fact connected with Sundara-Chola's death was sought to be expressed by it. Could Uttama Chola have had any hand in his removal as certainly he must have had in Aditya Il's death?
28. 1. I., Vc!. III, No. 17.
No. 540 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1920. • Nos. 570 and 574 of 1908. The dates suggested in The Colas, Vol. I, have been followed.
Nos. 446 of 1917 and 19 of 1895. • Uttamablli-chaturvedimangalam (No. 359 of 1924) and Uttamastli-väykkal (No. 169 of 1907).
* Vira-Pandya must have encountered the Chola king in some southern campaign only. It may also have to be noted that Vira-Pandya's records are not found very much to the north of Madura.
. In No. 122 of 1905 from Tiruppudaimarudúr in the Tinnevelly District dated in the 2+18th year of a Sadaiya-Måran (Rajasimba), a servant of a Vira-Pandya is mentioned.
This record (No. 200 of 1931-32) reads thus in its date portion-Madura-gonda Go-Parakesari nälvattentage