No.
207 Tirukkalar Plate of Rajendra Chola I
No.
206 Two Pandya copper-plate grants from Sinnamanur
No.
209 Tirukkalar Plate of Kulottungs-Chola I
No.
211 Tirukkalar Plate of Kulottunga-Chola III & Rajakesarivarman
No.
207.â Tirukkalar plate of
Rajendra-Chola I
These
are five copper-plates belonging to the Parijatavanesvara temple at
Tirukkalar, a village ten miles south-east of Mannargudi in the
Tanjore district.
A short notice of these appeared in Dr. Hultzschâs Annual
Report on Epigraphy for 1902 â
03, paragraph 17. The report also contains a list of 23 stone inscriptions
which were copied from the same temple.
These five copper-plates, strung on a copper-ring of 5â
diameter, have flat rims, measure 1â 7/8â x 5 ½ â each, weigh
together 566 tolas and have ring-holes bored in the middle of the
left margin about an inch from the edge.
They contain in them five complete inscriptions of different
Chola kings. The first
of them, which is also the earliest, is a record of Parakesarivarman
Rajendra-Chola I who ascended the Chola throne in A.D. 1012.
It begins with the kingâs usual historical introduction
commencing with the words Thiru manni valara, enumerates his
conquests up to the capture of Kadram, is dated in the 18th
year of his reign and registers the extent of the devadana
lands belonging to the temple of Mahadeva at Tirukkalar which is
said to be a village in Purangarambai-nadu, a subdivision of
Arumolideva-valanadu.
Compared
with the inscription of this king found at Tirumalai
dated in the 13th year of reign and his Tanjore epigraph,
dated in the 19th year of reign, the present inscription
furnishes a few differences in reading which are noticed in
foot-notes.
The
identification of all the place names occurring in the historical
introduction has been made by Professor Hultzsch,
and it remains to note here only a few facts in this connection.
Idaiturai-nadu which has been taken to be Yedatore, a small
village in the Mysore district by Mr. Rice, has since been shown by
Dr. Fleet to be identical with the territorial division Ededore, two
thousand, a tract of country lying between the rivers Krishna on the
north and Tungabhadra on the south, comprising a large part of the
present Raichur district.
The Kanyakumar inscription of Virarajendra shows that
Mannaikadakkam is not to be identified with Manne in the Nelamangala
taluk of the Bangalore district but is the same as Manyakheta, which
Rajendra-Chola is said to have made a playground for his armies
Chakkara-kottam has been satisfactorily identified by Rai
Bahadur Hira Lal with Chitrakuta or kota, eight miles from Rajapura
in the Bastar State : he has also adduced epigraphical evidence to
show that its king was really Dharavarsha in A.D. 1111,
as stated in the epigraphs of Kulottunga I.
Dakshina-Ladam has been taken to be Dakshina-Virata or
Southern Berars ; but it looks likely that it is identical with
Dakshina-Radha in Bengal.
Sri-Vijaya appears under the form Sri-Vishaya in a Kandiyur
inscription
of the same king ; and the large Leyden grant states that
Maravijayotungavarman was the overlord of this territory.
This has been taken to be the same as San-fotsai of the Chinese
annals and has been identified with Palembang, a residency of
Sumatra.
Hail
! Prospertiy ! In the eighteenth year (of the reign of) king
Parakesarivarman alias UdaiyarSri-Rajendra-Choladeva, in (his)
life of high prosperity, while Tiru (Lakshmi), having become
constant, was increasing, (and) while the goddess of the
great earth, the goddess of victory in battle, and the matchless
goddess of fame rejoiced to have become this great queens,â
conquered with (his) great, warlike army (the following):-
Idaidurai-nadu,
Vanavasi, whose unbroken hedge of forest (trees) was
extending; Kollippakkai, whose walls were surrounded with brushwood
; Mannaikkadakkam, whose fortification was unapproachable ; the
crown of the king of Ilam who came to close quarters in fighting ;
the exceedingly fine crowns of the queens of that (king) ;
the beautiful crown and Indraâs pearl necklace, which
the king of the south (i.e., the Pandya) had
previously deposited with that (king of Ilam) ; the
whole Ila-mandala (on) the transparent sea ; the crown
praised by many and the garland emitting beautiful rays, family
treasures, which the (kings of) Kerala, whose armies
possessing missle weapons, rightfully wore ; many ancient islands
whose old, great guard was the ocean which resounds with its conches
; the crown of pure gold, worthy of Tiru (Lakshmi) which
Parasurama, having considered the fortifications of Sandimattivu,
impregnable, had deposited (there), when, in anger (he)
bound the kings twenty-one times in battle ; the seven and a half lakshas
of Irattapadi (which was) strong by nature, (and which he
took), together with immeasurable fame, (from) Jaysimha,
who, out of feat, turned his back at Musangi and his himself (thus
earning) great infame ; the principal great mountains (which
contained) the nine treasures (of Kubera) ; Sakkarakottam (guaraded
by) brave warriors ; the ancient andstrong northern
Madura-mandala ; Namanaikkonam, which was surrounded by dense groves
; Panchapalli (protected by) warriors (who bore) cruel
bows ; the moth (-grown) ancient Masunidesa ;
a large heap of family-treasures, together with many (other)
treasures (which he carried away) after having captured
Indraratha of the old race of the moon, together with (his)
family, in a fight which took place in the beautiful city of
Adinagar, filled with unceasing abundance ; Odda-vishaya, which was
difficult to approach, (and which he subdued in) close fight
; the good kosalai-nadu, where Brahmanas abounded ; Dandabutti, in
whose gardens beetles abounded (and which he acquired) after
having destroyed Dharmapala (in) a hot battle ; Takkana-Ladam,
whose fame reached (all) directions (and which he occupied)
after having forcibly attacked Ranasura ; Vangaladesa, where the
rain-wind never stopped (and from which) Govindachandra fled,
having descended (from his) male elephant ; elephants of rare
strength and treasures of women, (which he seized) after
having been plased to put to fright on a hot battle-field, Mahipala,
decked (as he was) with ear-rings, slippers and bracelets ;
Uttira-Ladam in the neighbourhood of the expansive ocean abounding
in pearls ; and the Gangal whose waters dashed against the banks
filled with fragrant flowers ; and (who), having dispatched
many ships in the midst of the rolling sea and having caught
Samgrama-Vijayaottungavarman, the king of Kadaram, along with (his)
rutting elephants, which put up rare fight and brought victory,â (took)
the large heap of treasures, which (that king) had rightfully
accumulated ; the (arch called) Vidyadhara-torana put up at
the âgateâ of his wide inland city provided with accoutrements
of war ; the âjewel-gateâ, adorned with great splendour ; the
âgate of large jewelsâ the prosperous Sri-Vishaiya ; Pannai with
a ghat of (bathing) water ; the ancient Malaiyur (with)
a fort situated in a fine hill ; Mayirudingam, surrounded by the
deep sea (as) a moat ; Ilangasogam (i.e., Lankasoka)
undaunted (in) fierce battles ; mappappalam, having aundant
high waters as defence ; Mevilimbangam, having fine walls as defence
; valaippanduru, possessing (both) cultivated land (?) and
jungle ; the principal (city of) Takkolam, praised by great
men (versed in) the sciences ; the island of Madamalingam, of
strong battlements ; Ilamuri-desam, provided with scientifically
ripe excessive strength ; the great Nakkavaram, whose gardens (abounded
in) flowers dribbling honey ; and Kadaram, of fierce strength,
protected by foot-soldiers wearing kalal ; the devadana
lands (belonging to the temple) of the Mahadeva at
Vengurkkala-Tirukkalar in Purangarambai-nadu (a sub-division)
of Arumolideva-valanadu, measured ½ (veli) 19 ¼ , 1/160 and
. . . . . This land was inclusive of excess and deficiency (in
measurement) of the surrounding parts.
No.
208.â TIRUKKALAR PLATE OF RAJADHIRAJA I
This
inscription in six lines is engraved on the second plate of the
Tirukkalar set. It is
dated in the 31st year of the reign of the Chola king
Rajakesarivarman Rajadhiraja I and registers an arrangement made, by
a certain Tirumanappichchan, who bore the double surname Araiyan
Nagaraiyan and Mahipalakulakalapperaraiyan, whereby one Brahmin had
to perform worship in the temple at Tirukkalar in addition to
another who was doing that service till then.
From the short historical
introduction which states that the king with the help of his army
took the head of Vira-Pandya, Salai of the Chra king and Ilangai, it
is clear that âSalai is an important place in the Chera dominions
and not a feeding houseâ as the late Mr. T.A. Gopinatha Rao had
taken to be.
In
the 31st year of (the reign of) king
Rajakesarivarman alias Udaiyar Sri-Rajadhirajadeva, who, with
his army, had taken the head of Vira-Pandya, Salai of the Chera king
and Ilangai (i.e., Ceylon), Araiyan Nagaraiyan alias
Mahipalakulakalapperaraiyan alias Tirumanappichchan
gave
1 ¼
(veli of) land for (yielding an income of) 150 (kalam
of paddy) for the expenses of two Brahmins, viz., one
Brahmin, performing the worship of the god from of old and one
Brahmin who is to perform (the same) receiving the income
provided for by Tirumanappichchan at the rate of (one) tuni
and (one) kuruni
of paddy per day for 360 days.
Those who destroy this (shall incur the sin of
acting against) the sacred (or royal) order.
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