The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c9.s2.t19: Chera Kings
The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c9.s2.t19
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Chera Kings
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They were early kings of Kēraḷa, with capital Vañji on the Periyār river near Cochin, now called Tiru-Karūr. There is a difference of opinion in the matter of dates. My chronology is roughly based on the assumption that the date of Gajabāhu I king of Ceylon, who was a guest of the Chēra king Śenguṭṭuvan, was A.D. 173–195. Burnell gives dates nearly a century earlier. For kings after the last in this table see Table of Kēraḷa kings (below).
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CHŌḶA KINGS—contd.
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Genealogical chart of Chōḷa kings
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*Note.—Rājēndra II of the Eastern Chāḷukyas claimed the throne in right of his mother Ammaṅgā. He was opposed by the male heirs, fought them and defeated them, killing Adhi-Rājēndra. He seized the Chōḷa throne, united the two crowns, and was crowned as Chōḷa king on June 28, 1070, under the name of Kuḷōttuṅga-Chōḷa I, having been already E. Chāḷukya king since 1063.*
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*(The relationship of the remaining kings has not yet been established.)*
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21. *Rāja. Rājadhirāja II.* A.D. 1163-1178.
22. *Para. Kuḷōttuṅga III.* 1178-1216. ‘Kōnērinmaikoṇḍān,’ ‘Vīra-Rājēndra,’ ‘Tribhuvana-Vīra.’
23. *Rāja. Rājarāja III,* 1216-1246. ‘Arumoḷi.’ Taken captive by the powerful noble, Pallava Peruñjiṅga II (see Pedigree of pallavas). Liberated by the Hoysala king of Mysore Narasimha II, whose daughter he had married.
24. *Para. Rājēndra III,* 1246-1267. Probably son of No. 23. Helped to the Chōḷa throne by Hoysala Vīra-Sōmēśvara. But the kingdom broke up and the fragments were seized by local nobles, the Telugu-Chōḍa family who bore the title ‘Gaṇḍagōpāla’ (see Pedigree of Telugu-Chōḍas), the Śambuvaraiyan chiefs of the Śeṅgēṇi family, and others of lesser note. The Chōḷa kingdom was extinct in 1267.
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NOTES
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For the early Chōḷa kings see the Anbil and Udayēndiram plates (*E.I. viii, App. ii, p. 21; xv, 46; S.I.I., ii, 152 375*; Krishnaswami Aiyangar’s, ‘*Ancient India*’ p. 90 f; *S.I.I., i, 112*; iii, 196. *T.A.S. iii. 101*; *I.A., xviii, 259 f*; *E.I. xv. 46*). My dates for them are tentative. They depend largely on the assumption that Śeṅguṭṭuvan Chēra’s guest Gajabāhu I of Ceylon came to the throne in A.D. 173. Śeṅguṭṭuvan was contemporary with Neḍumuḍi-Kiḷḷi.
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Parāntaka I began to reign between January 15 and July 25, 907 (*E. I. viii*, 261). Rājarāja I's reign began between June 25 and July 12, 985. Rājēndra I's reign began on May 30, 1012 (341 of 1917). Rājādhirāja I began to reign as co-regent with his father between May 10 and November 22, 1018. He was killed at Koppam on May 28, 1052 (*S.I.I. ii*, 303). Rājēndradeva's reign began May 23, 1052. Vīra Rājēndra's reign began in the year following March 13, 1063. Kulōttunga I's reign as Chōḷa king began on June 9, 1070 and ended on June 29, 1118 (386, 389 of 1893; *E. I. vi*, 221; *vii*, 7, *n* 5; *S.I.I. iii*. 190, 192). The order of birth of his sons as given in the above pedigree is taken from the Chellūr and Tēki plates. (*S.I.I. i*, *p*. 31f, corrected by Dr. Hultzsch in *E. I. vi*. 335.) Rājarāja, second son of Kulōttunga I was 'crowned,' or installed as Viceroy of Vengi on July 27, 1076. (*A. R. 1921-22, p. 116.*) Vikrama-Chōḷa's reign began on June 29, 1118. Kulōttunga II's reign began between May 10 and July 14, 1136. Rājarāja II's reign began between May 22 and June 26, 1146. Rājādhirāja II's reign began between March 7 and 30, 1163. (*Prof. Jacobi in E. I. xi*, 123.) Kulōttunga III's reign began on July 6, 7 or 8, 1178. Rājarāja III's reign began on June 27, 28 or 29, 1216. Rājēndra III's reign began between March 28 and April 20, 1246.