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NOVEMBER, 1890:}
THE KALINGATTU PARANI.
339
hitherto published. The usual mythological ancestors, commencing with Vishņu, and some of the famous kings of the Solar Race who ruled in Northern India, are mentioned. Then the first Chola, who formed the Chola mandala, is stated to be Sur&tiraja. He is more frequently mentioned in ancient Tamil poems as Suragarn; and he is alluded to by the same name, in the large Leiden grant, but the words tad-vansé Suragurur asta-vairi-varggó Rájéndro ravi-kula-létur of the grant have not been correctly rendered into English in the translation, annexed to a copy of the grant published in the Archeol. Surv. South, India, Vol. IV. Then followed the two Rajakesaris. Then certain kings who are described as follows:- He who dictated to Yama, the god of death, what he should do the Mrityujit of the Leiden grant); he who brought the Kaveri river (mentioned in Tamil poems as Kavêra); he who conquered Indra and placed him as the tiger in his standard; he who opened one ocean to flow into another; he who of his own will offered his blood to be drunk; he who conquered Varadaraja; he who stormed the aërial castles; he who rode in a self-moving chariot and ascended the sky; he who assisted the ocean-like army of Dharma in the Mahâbhârata war; he who married a Någa princess (his name is given as Killi-Valavan in ancient Tamil poems); he who knocked off the fetters from the feet of the Chêra, on hearing the poem Kalavoli recited by Poikai (this is the Koch-Chenkaņpân of the Leiden grant, see my translation of the poem Kalavali, ante, Vol. XVIII. p. 258). Then came Karikala, who constructed high banks along the course of the river Kåvêri, and captured Kurumi, aud in whose praise the Paddipappalai was composed. Karikåla is here placed after Kôch-Cherkaņņân; but I find from other poems, that Karikala was an earlier king. In the Leiden grant and in the grant of the Bâņa king Hastimalla, Karikala is correctly placed before KochChenkaņņân. The words Kávéri-Lira-bandhanam in the Leiden grant, have been translated as *the dam across the Kaveri ;" but I find that the Tamil poets bave always described Karikala 49 a king who constructed high banks along both sides of the bed of the Kavêri, and never as having built the dam or anicat, which appears to be the work of a much later king.
Subsequent to Karikala, the leading events are mentioned, instead of the kings; viz. the victory over the Pandya and the Chêra ; the conquest of Ceylon and Madura (this refers to the reign of Via-Narayana-Chola); the conquest of Uthakai ; the invasion of the northern countries up to Mannai, on the banks of the Ganges; the annexation of Kadaram; the planting of a pillar of victory at Kampili; the victory at Koppai; and the defeat of the Kuntalas at Kûdal-Sarigam. This last event appears to have taken place during the reign of Vîra-Rajendra alias Gangaikonda-Chôla, the founder of Gangaikonda-Chôlapuram, and the grandfather of Kulôttunga. The poem passes over the kings who succeeded Gangaikonda on the throne of the Chôlas, before the accession of Kulôttunga, because they do not come in the line of the ancestors of the latter.
From the description of the court of Kulottunga at Kanchi, we find that the empress Thiyakavalli, and the highest ladies of the land, appeared in pablic assemblies, and were not subject to the seclusion to which their sex is now doomed in Hindu society. We also find that tribute was paid in coins; as well as in kind, i. e. in costly jewels, gems, elephants and the like. From the account of the youth and education of Kulôttunga, we learn that the princes of that time were trained to arms at an early age, and loved manly sports and the pleasures of the chase. The religion of the Cholas was then Saivism, as will appear from stanza 68, canto 10.
Most of the localities mentioned in the poom, can be readily identified. The capital of the Chola empire was Gangapuri (xiii. 92). The full name of this town is GangaikondaChlapuram. It has now dwindled into a small village ; but a magnificent temple, --- as large as the big temple of Tanjore and of the same style of architecture, - defended by a wall and ditch, and the ruins of a palace and other massive buildings, still attest its former splendour. It is situated in the north-east corner of the Trichinopoly District. The next place of importance was Kanchi, now known as Conjeeveram. It is still a flourishing town, and is a station on the South Indian Railway, in the Chingleput District, Atikai, another large town, which
