| Official language | Tamil |
| Family name | |
| Capital | Paluvur |
The Pazhuvettaraiyar were feudatories of the medieval Cholas. They ruled over the areas of Kizha-Pazhuvur, Mela-Pazhuvur and Keezhaiyur in the Udaiyarpalayam taluk of the Ariyalur district. They were responsible for a number of benefactions to the temples at this place and were known to have been related to the Cholas by marriage. [1]
According to the Anbil plates of Sundara Chola, his paternal grandmother, that is the queen of Parantaka I and the mother of Arinjaya Chola was of Pazhuvettaraiyar family. [2] She is therein described as the daughter of a Chera mandala prince called Paluvettaraiyar. So it can be safely concluded that they were of Chera origin. However it is not clear if they were already in possession of the areas of Kilapaluvur, Melapaluvur and Keezhaiyur or if they were granted these dominions after their alliance with the Cholas. [1]
About a dozen records pertaining to this dynasty have been found. Pazhuvettaraiyar was a Kerala prince who figures largely in the inscriptions copied at Kila-paaluvur and Mela-paluvur in Tiruchirapalli district A.R. No. 231 of 1926 dated in te 12th year of Paranthaka. One of the records (A.R. No. 231 of 1926) dated in the 12th year of Parantaka, states that Paluvettaraiyar Kandan Amudanar fought, on behalf of his Chola overlord, a victorious battle at Vellur against the forces of the Pandya king and his Ceylonese ally, in which the Pandya lost his life. To commemorate this success the Commander Nakkan Sattan of Paradur made a gift of a perpetual lamp to the temple of Tiruvalandurai-Mahadeva at Siru-Paluvur.
It is perhaps this Amudanar who is referred to in the Anbil Plates of Sundara Chola as a Kerala prince whose daughter was married to Parantaka I and bore him prince Arinjaya. The term ‘Kerala prince’ probably meant that he was a relative of the Chera king. [3]
Other chiefs from this family include Kumaran Maravan and Kumaran Kandan. [4] They are credited with the building of the Twin Temples of Keezhaiyur, a 9th century temple complex. [5]
The Pazhuvettaraiyar regiment was a military regiment which was involved in the invasion of Sri Lanka by Cholas in the 10th century. [6] [ page needed ] [7] [ page needed ]
Uttama Chola also known as Madhurantaka, was a Chola Emperor who ruled from 970 CE to 985 CE in present-day Tamil Nadu, India. According to Tiruvalangadu plates of Rajendra Chola, Madhurantaka Uttama Chola's reign is placed after Aditya II. The latter may have been a co-regent of Parantaka II and seems to have died before he could formally ascend the throne. Uttama was the cousin of Parantaka II and was the son of the illustrious Sembiyan Mahadevi and Gandaraditya.
The Pandyan dynasty, also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the three great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other two being the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing since at least the 4th to 3rd centuries BCE, the dynasty passed through two periods of imperial dominance, the 6th to 10th centuries CE, and under the 'Later Pandyas'. The Pandyas ruled extensive territories, at times including regions of present-day South India and northern Sri Lanka through vassal states subject to Madurai.
Rajaraja I, often described as Rajaraja the Great, or Mummudi Chola as was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful king in South India during his reign and is remembered for reinstating the Chola influence and ensuring its supremacy across the Indian Ocean.
Jatavarman Sundara I, also known as Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan, was a emperor of the Pandyan dynasty who ruled regions of Tamilakkam and Andhra between 1250–1268 CE. He is remembered for his patronage of the arts and tamil architecture, along with refurbishment and decoration of many Kovils (temple) in the Tamil continent. He oversaw a massive economic growth of the Pandyan empire. On the eve of his death in 1268 CE, the second Pandyan empire's power and territorial extent had risen to its zenith.
The Chera dynasty, IPA: [t͡ʃeːɾɐ], was a Sangam age dynasty who are credited as the Creators of land of Kerala as they have unified various regions of the western coast and western ghats to form the early Chera empire.
Tamil copper-plate inscriptions are copper-plate records of grants of villages, plots of cultivable lands or other privileges to private individuals or public institutions by the members of the various South Indian royal dynasties. The study of these inscriptions has been especially important in reconstructing the history of Tamil Nadu. The grants range in date from the 10th century C.E. to the mid-19th century C.E. A large number of them belong to the pandyas, the Cholas. These plates are valuable epigraphically as they give us an insight into the social conditions of medieval South India; they also help us fill chronological gaps in the connected history of the ruling dynasties. For example, the Leyden grant of Parantaka Chola and those of Parakesari Uttama Chola are among the most important, although the most useful part, i.e., the genealogical section, of the latter's plates seems to have been lost.
Parantaka Chola I was a Chola emperor who ruled for forty-eight years, annexing Pandya by defeating Rajasimhan II and in the Deccan won the Battle of Vallala against Rashtrakutas which happened before 916 CE. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success and prosperity.
Gandaraditha Chola succeeded his father Parantaka I and became the Chola king about 955 CE. He was also a Tamil literary poet in the Thiruvisaippa Palandu. He had a son named Madurantaka Chola also known as Uttama Chola, who became Chola emperor after his cousin Sundara Chola.
Arinjaya Chola was a ruler of the Chola kingdom. He was the third son of Parantaka I and the younger brother of Gandaraditya Chola, whom he is thought to have succeeded in about 956. Arinjaya Chola was succeeded by his son Sundara Chola as Madurantaka Uttama Chola was not old enough to ascend the throne. Arinjaya seems to have ruled for a very short time.
Parantaka Chola II was a Chola emperor. He is also known as Sundara Chola as he was considered an epitome of male beauty. He was the son of Arinjaya Chola and queen Kalyani, a princess of Vaidumba family. Parantaka II ascended the Chola throne despite the fact that his cousin Madurantaka Uttama Chola, the son of Gandaraditya Chola(the elder brother of Arinjaya Chola) was alive and he had equal if not more claim to the Chola throne. During his reign, Parantaka Sundara Chola defeated the Pandyas and Ceylon and then recaptured the Tondaimandalam from Rashtrakutas.
The Early Cholas were a Tamil kingdom of the Chola Dynasty - pre and post Sangam period. It was one of the three main kingdoms of Tamilakam. Their early capitals were Urayur or Tiruchirapalli and Kaveripattinam. Along with Pandyas and Cheras, Chola history goes back to the period when written records were scarce.
Medieval Cholas or Imperial Cholas are part of Chola dynasty that rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century CE in Southern India and established one of the greatest maritime empires of the world. They successfully united South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influence in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and Maldives. They had trade contacts with the Arabs in the west and with the Chinese in the east.
The Chola military was the combined armed forces of the Chola Empire organized during two separate Tamil golden ages, the Sangam Period and the Medieval Era. The Chola military fought dozens of wars, it also underwent numerous changes in structure, organization, equipment and tactics, while conserving a core of lasting Tamil traditions.
Rajaditya Chola was a Chola prince, son of king Parantaka I and a Chera/Kerala princess, known for commanding the Chola troops in the battle of Takkolam (948–949).
Ponniyin Selvan is a Tamil language historical fiction novel by Indian author Kalki Krishnamurthy. It was first serialized in the weekly editions of Kalki, a Tamil magazine, from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954 and later integrated into five volumes in 1955. In about 2,210 pages, it tells the story of early days of Chola prince Arulmozhivarman. Kalki visited Sri Lanka three times to gather information and for inspiration.
The Battle of Takkolam (948–949) was a military engagement between a contingent of troops led by Rajaditya, crown prince and eldest son of the Chola king Parantaka I (907–955), and another led by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III (939–967) at Takkolam in southern India. The battle resulted in the death of Rajaditya on the battlefield and the defeat of the Chola garrison at Takkolam.
Ravivarman, styled Maharaja Ravivarman, Kulasekhara was the ruler of Venatu, with capital at port Kolambam (Quilon), southern India between 1299 – 1316/7. He – in all likelihood – was a descendant of the ancient Cheras through his father Jayasimhadeva and was the son-in-law of the Pandya ruler of Maravarman Kulasekhara. Ravivarman raided large parts of southern India in a short period by skillfully taking advantage of the weakening of the Pandya kingdom and the confusion prevailed after the Khalji raids (1311).
Ko Kizhan Adikal Ravi Neeli was the traditional title of the queens/princesses of the Chera Perumal kingdom in medieval south India. It was initially assumed that Kizhan Adikal was a proper given name.
Vellan Kumaran, diksa name Chaturanana Pandita, was a Kerala commander in the Chola army and a close confidant of prince Rajaditya. He was probably one of the few Chola commanders to have survived the battle of Takkolam in 948/49 AD. Kumaran is best known for engraving his own tragic autobiography in an inscription at Tiruvotriyur, Madras.
Kongu Chera dynasty, or Cheras of Kongu or Karur, or simply as the Chera dynasty, were a medieval royal lineage in south India, initially ruling over western Tamil Nadu and central Kerala. The headquarters of the Kongu Cheras was located at Karur in central Tamil Nadu. The Chera rulers of Kongu were subordinate to or conquered by Pallava, Pandya and Chola rulers are also said to have overrun the Kongu Chera country.