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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXX
The Kongudēsarājākkaļ affirms that Aditya I after being crowned at Tañjāvūr-ppattanam came to Kongudëba, conquered the country and governed it in addition to his own (i.e. the Chola country). It is also stated therein that he took the town of Talaikkādu, implying that he gained a victory over the Western Gangas and captured their capital. This is not improbable as we find the Nolamba chief Mahendra I in occupation of Dharampuri (ancient Tagadūr) in the Salem District in 898 A.D.' which was then probably included in Nolambavādi, and as we know that the Nolam bas had long ceased to be an independent power and become subordinate to the Western Gangas who in turn were the subordinates of the Rashtrakūtas. The Anbil plates of Sundarachola, great-grandson of Aditya, say that the latter built temples along the entire course of the river Kāvēri from the Sahyadri to the sea. This statement seems to lend support to what is found in the Kongudēšarājakkaļ.
Nambi Āņdār Nambi, the author of the Tiruttondar-tirucantādi, in his verge on Idangali, a Vēļir chief of Kodumbāļūr and one of the sixty-three Saiva saints, incidentally refers to the chief as an ancestor of the family to which also belonged Aditya who covered the roof of the Chidambaram temple with gold (obtained) from Kongu. This statement is repeated by Sēkkilar in his Periyapurānamo and by Umāpati Sivācharya in his Tiruttondar-purāna-säram.. But the Tiruvālangadu plates and the Leyden grants ascribe this pious deed to Parāntaka I. The Tiruvitaippa of Gandarāditya on Köyil also confirms the statement of the copper-plate records and says that the sabha of Tillai was covered with gold by the Chõļa king who conquered with the valour of his arm the Pandya country and Ilam. Perhaps both Aditya and his son Parantaka were responsible for the pious deed or it might be that Aditya commenced the work which was finished by Parantaka.10 However, as the covering was stated to have been made with the gold obtained from Kongu, we may safely conclude that the conquest of Kongu was effected by Aditya I probably towards the end of his reign.
From that time onwards it appears that Kongu was under the rule of the Chölas. The expedition and conquest of Tondaimaņdalam towards the end of Parantaka's reign by the Rāghtrakūta king Krishna III does not seem to have affected the Chola occupation of the Kongu country. So far no inscription of the Rashtrakūta ruler is known to have been found from that area. On the other hand, Chõļa overlordsbip is acknowledged ih two of the records falling within this period and found in the region. A copper-plate grant from Tiruchchengodu," dated in the 5th year of the reign of the Chola king Rājakësarivarman, mentions the gift of lands to god Paramēsvara of the sacred Mülasthāna at Tusiyür by the chief Kolli-Malavan Orriyūrap Piridigandavarman. That this Rājakēsarivarman is to be identified with Sundarachoļa Parantaka II
1 Madras Govt. Oriental Series edition, p. 10. * Above, Vol. X, p. 57. Ibid., Vol. XV, p. 68, verse 18. Vorre 65.
· Periyapuranam, Idangali ndyandr-puranam, verse 3. Mr. K. V. S. Aiyar (Historical Sketches of Ancient Dekhan, p. 131) takes this as referring to a certain Aditys (of the Kodumbaur family) who gilded the dancing ball of a Nataraja temple in Kongu, which may be at Pērür, or Kodumudi or any other place in Kongu. This interpretation does not follow the tradition recorded. Further Sitrambalam can only mean Chidambaram and no other place.
• Verse 59. * SI1, Vol. III, No. 205, p. 386. . Above, Vol. XXII, p. 256, verse 17. • Tirweisaippa (9th Tirumurai), Koyil-padigan, verse 8.
10 It is also worth noticing that another achievement, viz, the conquest of Ceylon, claimed by Parantaks I in the inscriptions, is attributed to his father Aditya by Nambi Apdar Nabi in the Tiruffondar-firuuanladi, verse 50. [In the verses refernd to in footnotes 4 and 6 above, occur the phrases Aditta kulamudalon and Kokana dandthay, kulanudalon, wbich are too vagun to be taken as exclusively indicating Aditya I.--Ed.)
11 811, Vol. III, No. 213.