South Indian Inscriptions Volume_3 - Inscriptions of Kulottunga-Chola I @ whatisindia.com

Eleven years ago the Chalukya-Chola king Kulottunga I. was known only from the Chellur plates of his son Vira-Choda.[1] Since then a considerable number of other records has become accessible. Further versions of the pedigree of the last eastern Chalukya kings are contained in the Pithapuram plates of Vira-Choda[2] and in two of the Pithapuram pillar inscriptions.[3] In his valuable paper on the Kalingattu-Parani[4] Mr. V. Kanakasabhai Pillai gave an abridged translation of this Tamil poem and identified its hero with the Kulottunga I. of the Chellur plates. Dr. Fleet�s paper on the chronology of the Eastern Chalukya kings contains an account of the reign of Kulottunga I.[5] based on all the materials which were available at the time.

The chief source for the history of Kulottunga I. are of course his own inscriptions. I subjoin a list of those which have been discovered so far, grouping them under eight heads for the sake of convenience.

I. Sanskrit and Telugu inscriptions in the country.[6]

II. Two inscriptions in the Mysore State.[7]

III. Three Sanskrit inscriptions at Chidambara,Tiruvengadu and Tiruvorriyur.[8]

IV. Tamil inscriptions without historical introduction.

1. 23^rd year : Tiruvallam, No. 59 above.

2. 39^th year : Pallavaram, No. 312 of 1901.

3. 44^th year : Chidambaram, Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 105 f.

4. 48^th year : Manimangalam, No. 32 above.

V. Tamil inscriptions opening with the words thiru mani vilankum

1. 2^nd year : Tiruvorriyur, No. 64 below.

2. 2^nd year : Tiruvalangadu, No. 65 below.

3. 2^nd year : Kolar, No. 66 below.

4. 3^rd year : Somangalam, No. 67 below.

5. 4^th year : Kavantandalam, No. 77 below.

VI. A mutilated Tamil inscription of the 6^th year at Tirukovalur, which opens with the words Poomelarivaiyum (No. 125 of 1900).

VII. Tamil inscriptions opening with the words pugazh suzhntha punari.

1. 5^th year : Conjeeveram, No. 68 below.

2. 6^th year : Conjeeveram, No. 1 of 1893.

3. 11^th year : Perumber, No. 78 below.

4. 14^th year : Tirukkalukkunram, No. 69 below.

5. 14^th year : Ammundi, No. 325 of 1901.

6. 15^th year : Tanjore, above, Vol. II. No. 58.

7. 18^th year : Srirangam, No. 70 below.

8. 20^th year : Kilappaluvur, No. 71 below.

9. 26^th year : Tiruvidaimarudur, No. 72 below.

10. 30^th year : Cholapuram, No. 73 below.

11. Date lost : Simhachalam, No. 363 of 1899.

12. 39^th year : Conjeeveram, No. 74 below.

13 42^nd year : Tirukkalukkunram, No. 75 below.

14. 45^th year : Alangudi, No. 44 of 1891.[9]

15. 47^th year : Jambukesvara temple, No. 76 below.

VIII. Tamil inscriptions opening with the words pugazhmadhu vilanga.

1. 7^th year : Tiruvorriyur, No. 401 of 1896.

2. 10^th year : Tirukkovalur, No. 121 of 1900.

3. 15^th year : Srirangam, No. 61 of 1892.

4. 16^th year : Tindivanam, No. 145 of 1900.

5. 20^th year : Conjeeveram, above, Vol. II. No. 77.

6. 20^th year : the smaller Leyden grant.

7. [2]1^st year : year : Uttaramallur, No. 66 of 1898.

8. 23^rd year : Tirukkalukkunram, No. 180 of 1894.

9. 25^th year : Tiruppulivanam, No. 45 of 1898.

10. 26^th year : Tiruvallam, No. 58 above.

11. 28^th year : Gangaikondan, No. 163 of 1895.

12. 29^th year : Kadapperi near Madurantakam, No. 135 of 1896.

13. 31^st year : Draksharama, No. 196 of 1893.

14. 31^st year : Tirukkovalur, No. 122 of 1900.

15. [32]nd year : Tirukkovalur, No. 130 of 1900.

16. 34^th year : Conjeeveram, above, Vol. II. No. 78.

17. 35^th year : Kadapperi near Madurantakam, No. 136 of 1896.

18. 3[6]th year : Takkolam, No. 18 of 1897.

19. 3[9]th year : Cholapuram, No. 46 of 1896.

20. 40^th year : Draksharama, No. 197 of 1893.

21. 43^rd year : Little Conjeeveram, No. 49 of 1893.

22. 45^th year : Tirumalavadi, No. 80 of 1895.

23. 46^th year : Conjeeveram, No. 35 of 1888.

24. 48^th year : Manimangalam, No. 31 above.

25. 48^th year : Conjeeveram, No. 36 of 1888.

26. 48^th year : Mannargudi, No. 103 of 1897.

27. 49^th year : Gangaikondacholapuram, No. 80 of 1892.

28. Date lost : Tinnevelly, No. 145 of 1894.

29. Date lost : Pallavaram, No. 316 of 1901.

The parents of the king�s father were the Eatern Chalukya king Vimaladitya, who ascended the throne on the 10^th May A.D. 1011,[10] and Kundava[11] or Kundava,[12] the daughter of the Chola king Rajaraja I. (whose reign commenced between the 25^th June and the 25^th July A.D. 985)[13] and the younger sister of his successor Rajendra-Chola I.[14] (whose reign commenced between the 26^th November A.D. 1011 and the 7^th July 1012)[15]. The parents of the king were the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja I., who ascended the throne on the 16^th August A.D. 1022,[16] and Ammangadevi[17] or Ammangayamba,[18] the daughter of the Chola king Rajendra-Chola I.[19] Thus he was a descendant of the lunar race on his father�s side and of the solar race on that of his mother and grandmother.[20] A younger sister of his, named Kundavai after her grandmother, is known from an inscription at Chidambaram.[21] The Kalingattu-Parani, which unfortunately is very averse to mentioning proper names, records at least the name of Kulottunga�s maternal grandfather, Gangaikonda-Chola,[22] i.e., Rajendra-Chola I.,[23] and that of his father, the Eastern-Chalukya king Rajaraja I. The verse (x. 3) which contains the second reference has been hitherto misunderstood and �Rajaraja� has been considered a mistake for the Chola king Rajendra-Chola I.[24] Now Mr. Venkayya has found that Mr. Kanakasabhai�s translation of the verse may be modified as follows : - �Vishnu appeared again in the royal womb of the queen of him of the race of the Moon which dispels all darkness, - Rajaraja�s gracious Lakshmi (who was) of the rival race of the Sun.� Here both �the queen� and �Lakshmi� refer to Ammangadevi, and her husband is the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja I.

[1] Above, Vol. I. p. 49 ff.

[2] Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 70 ff.

[3] Ibid. Vol. IV. P. 36 and p. 227 f.

[4] Ind. Ant. Vol. XIX. P. 329 ff.

[5] Ibid. Vol. XX. P. 276 ff.

[6] Ep. Ind. Vol. VI. P. 219 ff.

[7] Ibid. Vol. IV. P. 70, No. 6, and p. 72, No. 9.

[8] Ibid. Vol. V. No. 13, A, B and D.

[9] This inscription contains a long passage which describes Kulottunga�s conquest of Kalinga, but which cannot be published until a second, independent copy of it has been found. The date portion is given in Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. P. 70 f.

[10] This date is calculated by Prof. Kielhorn from the Ranastipundi grant, which will be published by Mr. Venkayya in Ep. Ind. Vol. VI.

[11] Ibid. Vol. IV. P. 302.

[12] Ind. Ant. Vol. XIV. P. 50.

[13] Ep. Ind. Vol. VI. P. 24.

[14] Above, Vol. I. p. 51 f.

[15] Ep. Ind. Vol. VI. P. 24.

[16] Ind. Ant. Vol. XIX. P. 129 f.

[17] Above, Vol. I. No. 39, verse 7, and Ep. Ind. Vol. V. No. 10, verse 6.

[18] Ep. Ind. Vol. IV. No. 4, verse 20.

[19] Above, Vol. I. p. 51 f.

[20] Compare Kalingattu-Parani, x. verse 7.

[21] Ep. Ind. Vol. V. p. 105.

[22] Canto x. verse 5.

[23] See above, p. 62, note 1.

[24] Ind. Ant. Vol. XX. P. 279 f. and Vol. XXI. P. 323.

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