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THE CHOLAS
Rajendradeva.
34. A fragmentary record of his son Rājēndradēva (No. 528) which is
engraved on loose stones kept in the Vishṇu temple at Śiṅgavaram is dated in
the 11th year and 135th day of his reign. It
refers to a fatal assault made by a Brahman
on another Brahman named Perukkāḷan of Veṇbēḍu and to the penalty imposed
on the assailant, of burning a lamp in the temple of which the name is lost.
Veṇdēḍu is stated to be a hamlet of Rājēndra-chaturvēdimaṅgalam in Panaiyūrnāḍu.
Rajamahendra.
35. Of Rājakēsarivarman Rājamahēndra there is a sigle inscription
(No. 473) dated in his 2nd year, which comes from Elavānāśūr in the South
Arcot district. It contains a short introduction beginning with the word Tirumagaḷ
and records an endowment of lands for a flower-garden and for the conduct of a
festival in Paṅguni, by Paṭṭālakan Chintāmaṇi alias Narēndraśikhāmaṇi-
Mūvēndavēḷān, the headman of Karambiyam. Among the boundaries of the
land is mentioned a plot called Śrīpattini-Ālvār-tirunandavanam, which suggests
that a shrine dedicated to Pattini-Ālvār, the deified heroine of the Śilappadigāram had existed at this place.
Virarajendra.
36. Virarājēndra is represented by two stone inscriptions, one from Tinnanūr
(No. 170) in the Chingleput district and the other from Tuḍaiyūr in the Trichino-
poly district (No. 160). But the most
important of his inscriptions in this collection is a copper-plate grant (C. P. No. 1) secured from the village Chārāla in the
Punganur taluk of the Chittoor district. Its existence had been known as early
as 1933-34, but its whereabouts could not be definitely located. Subsequently,
however, at my request, Rao Saheb V. Totadri Aiyangar, Deputy Superintendent
of Police, kindly interested himself in the matter and secured this set for my
examination. It consists of 7 oblong plates held together by a ring with a
circular seal, which contains in relief, besides the usual Chōḷa royal emblems
similar to those found in the Tiruvālaṅgāḍu Plates of Rājēndra-Chōḷa and the
Madras Museum Plates of Uttama-Chōḷa, the Sanskrit legend in Grantha characters engraved round its margin. The legend reads :─
Viśvair=viśvambharādhīśair=nnanditair=vvanditam=idam |
Śāsanam Vīrarājēndra-Rājakēsarivarmmaṇaḥ ||
His Charala Copper-plate grant.
The records is dated in Śaka 991, Saumya, and the 7th year of the king,
The inscription comprises two parts, the Sanskrit portion (in Grantha) and the
Tamil. The former contains a long praśasti of the Chōḷa dynasty composed by a certain
Chandrabhūshaṇa-Bhaṭṭa, which is identical with the eulogy given in the Kanyākumāri inscription of the same king also dated in his 7th year. The Tamil
portion gives the historical introduction beginning with Vīramē tuṇai etc., and
some birudas of the king besides recording his military achievements. It
registers the gift of the village Chērām (same as Chārāla) alias Madhurāntaka-
chaturvēdimaṅgalam in Puli-nāḍu, a subdivision of Raṭṭapāḍikoṇḍaśōla-maṇḍalam,
on the occasion of the Uttarāyaṇa-saṅkrānti to three Brahman brothers named
Śrautriya-Kramavittan, Mundaya-Kramavittan and Pallaya-Kramavittan of the
Ātrēya-gōtra and of the lineage of a certain Rishikēśvara (Hṛishīkēśa)-Bhaṭṭa. This is the only copper-plate record known so far of this king. The
Sanskrit praśasti helps us to fill up the lacunae in the damaged portions of the
Kanyākumāri inscription. The Tamil portion here is more elaborate than in the
Kanyākumāri record and gives fuller details of the events connected withs his
reign. Among them may be mentioned the facts that Vīrarājēndra started on
his expedition against (the Western Chāḷukya) king Āhavamalla on the very day
of his coronation and that he defeated him in a battle at Kūḍal-Saṅgamam. It
also states that Āhavamalla suffered defeat at the hands of the hands of the Chōḷa as many as
five times*.
Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa I.
37. Of Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa I there are three inscriptions (Nos. 372, 429 and
430). Of these No. 372 beginning with the introduction Pugalmādu etc., is dated
in his 31st year. The other two contains no
introduction but have to be assigned to him
on account of the high regnal years given in them. No. 430, dated in his 46th
year records a gift of the pāḍikāval taxes due on the village Kuḷamaṅgalam alias Vīraśōlanallūr for the ardhayāma service in the temple at Jambai by the Kiḷiyūr
Malaiyamān chief Śagirayan Anuppūvan alias Kulōttuṅgaśōḷa-Malaiyakularāyan.
In No. 251 of 1902, dated in the 10th year of Kulōttuṅga I a certain chief
Śa[di]ran Malaiyan alias Rājēndraśōla-Malaiyamān figures, and he was probably
the father or elder brother of the chieftain mentioned in the present record dated
36 years later. It is noteworthy that this family of Malaiyamān chiefs of Kiḷiyūr
came into prominence as early as the reign of Kulōttuṅga-Chōḷa I.
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*The record has since been published in Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XXV, pp. 241 ff.
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