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Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s4: 4.3 The Cēras

Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s4

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4.3 The Cēras

4.3.1 Irumporais of the Pugalur inscriptions

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Two near-identical inscriptions (Nos. *61* and *62*, ca. 2nd century A.D.) at Pugalur are grants of the Irumporai line of the Cēra dynasty ruling from Karur. The inscriptions record the construction of a rock shelter for Ceṅkāyapaṉ, a senior Jaina monk, on the occasion of the investiture of Iḷaṅkaṭuṅkō (Kaṭuṅkōṉ Iḷaṅkaṭuṅkō in No. *62*), the son of Peruṅkaṭuṅkōṉ, the son of King Ātaṉ Cel Irumporai (-Irumpuṟai in No. *62*) as the heir apparent (*iḷaṅkō*).

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The genealogy of three generations of the Irumporai line recorded in the inscriptions can be compared with the historical data found in the *Patikams* of *Patiṟṟuppattu* resulting in the following identifications: ¹

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¹ R. Panneerselvam 1968. I. Mahadevan 1971.

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| Inscriptions | *Patiṟṟuppattu* |
| I. Kō Ātaṉ Cel Irumporai | Celva-k-kaṭuṅkō Vāḻi-y Ātaṉ (7th decade) |
| II. Peruṅkaṭuṅkōṉ | Peruñ-cēral Irumporai (8th decade) |
| III. Kaṭuṅkōṉ Iḷaṅkaṭuṅkō | Iḷañ-cēral Irumporai (9th decade) |

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Though Ātaṉ is a recurring name in the Cēra dynasty, this name is borne by only one ruler in the Irumporai line. Further, the prefixed attributes *peru-* and *iḷa-* in the names of the next two generations of princes in the inscriptions are also found likewise in *Patiṟṟuppattu*. The evidence can be interpreted as indicating that Peruṅkaṭuṅkōṉ assumed the royal title Peruñcēral Irumporai when he ascended the throne, and that when Iḷaṅkaṭuṅkō ascended the throne in his turn, he assumed the royal title Iḷañcēral Irumporai. According to tradition, the Caṅkam poets, Pālai Pāṭiya Peruṅkaṭuṅkō and Marutam Pāṭiya Iḷaṅkaṭuṅkō, are identified with these two princes.² On the whole, the evidence is cogent that the Irumporai princes mentioned in the Pugalur inscriptions are the same as those celebrated respectively in the 7th to 9th decades of *Patiṟṟuppattu*.

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² M.S. Venkataswamy 1983b: pp. 230-232 & 248.

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Peruñcēral Irumporai, the hero of the 8th decade, is famous for his victory over Atiyamāṉ Neṭumāṉ Añci of Takaṭūr ³ (whose inscription at Jambai is also included as No. *59* in the present Corpus). Peruñcēral Irumporai held the learned in high esteem. In a famous poem, the poet Mōci Kīraṉār records the incident that once when he climbed unwittingly on the vacant platform of the royal drum and fell asleep, the king, instead of putting him to death for his unpardonable crime, fanned him gently so as not to disturb him in his sleep.⁴ The identification of the Irumporai princes of the Pugalur inscriptions with those celebrated in *Patiṟṟuppattu* yields one of the most important synchronisms found so far to determine the dates of the contemporary princes and poets of the Caṅkam Age from about the middle of the 1st century to the middle of the 3rd century A.D.

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³ *Patiṟ. Patikam* 8.

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⁴ *Puṟa.* 50.

4.3.2 Coins of the Irumporais

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Copper coins with the insignia of bow and arrow, and bearing the Tamil-Brāhmī legends *kol-i-p-puṟai* or *kol-irumpuṟai-y* ('Poṟai/Irumpoṟai of Kolli') have been found in the Amaravathi river bed at Karur.¹ The coins may be assigned to ca. 1st century A.D. on palaeographic evidence. While these are obviously the issues of the Irumpoṟais of Karur, it is not possible, in the absence of more specific evidence, to attribute the coins to particular rulers of the dynasty.

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¹ See Nos. 7 & 8, Table 1.6 and Figs. 1.22 B & C.

4.3.3 Cēra inscriptions from Kerala

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The Edakal inscriptions (Nos. **80** & **82**, ca. 3rd century A.D.) in Kerala are the only records of the Cēras of the Caṅkam Age found so far in the western region of ancient Tamil country. Unlike the Irumpoṟai inscriptions at Pugalur, those at Edakal are very brief and mention only the names of the Cēra kings. Inscriptional and literary evidence points to the existence of two branches of the Cēra dynasty, one on the west coast and the other ruling from Karur. The mention of the name *cēra* and the absence of the name *irumpoṟai* in the Edakal records would appear to indicate that they refer to the Cēra line ruling from the west coast.

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One of the inscriptions (No. **80**) reads *kaṭummiputa cēra* (Kaṭumiputta Cēra). The hybrid expression in the first part of the name seems to be a title comprising *kaṭumi-* 'the ferocious one' and *-puta* = *-makaṉ* > *-māṉ* 'man'. The expression may thus be equated with *kaṭumān*, a title borne by the Cēra kings, Kuṭṭuvaṉ Kōtai ² and Māntarañcēral Irumpoṟai.³ The title *kaṭummiputa* resembles *satiyaputō* borne by the Atiyamāṉs of Takaṭūr (No. **59**).

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² *Puṟa*. 54.

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³ *Puṟa*. 53.

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The other inscription (No. **82**) reads *kō-v-ātaṉ* (kō Ātaṉ) 'King Ātaṉ'. The name Ātaṉ is especially associated with the Cēra dynasty; but the Cēra king mentioned in this record cannot be identified in the absence of details.

4.3.4 Silver portrait coins of the Cēras

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Silver portrait coins with the names Kuṭṭuvaṉ Kōtai and Mākkōtai have been published by Krishnamurthy.⁴ The coins may be assigned to ca. 3rd century A.D. on palaeographic evidence. Perhaps Kaṭumiputta Cēra mentioned at Edakal is the same as Kuṭṭuvaṉ Kōtai who had the title Kaṭumān; but the data is insufficient to make a positive identification.

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⁴ See Nos. 11 & 12, Table 1.6 and Figs. 1.22 D & E.

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