Maaravaramban Kulasekara Pandyan I
Encyclopedia
Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I was a Pandyan king, who ruled regions of South India
between 1268–1308 CE. His death lead to the Pandyan Civil war of 1308-1323 CE.
. During the middle part of the 13th century, Pandya kingdom was ruled by many princes of the royal line. This practice of shared rule with one prince asserting primacy was common in the Pandyan Kingdom. The other princes of the Pandyan royal family with whom Kulasekara Pandyan I shared his rule were Jatavarman Vira Pandyan I
(1253-1275 CE), his brother Maravarman Vikkiraman III (acceded 1283 CE)and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan II(acceded 1277 CE). Marco Polo
refers to him as the "eldest of five brother kings".
. He defeated them both in 1279 CE and ended the three century long Chola rule. The defeat of Ramanatha ended the Hoysala control of Tamil Nadu. He also fought a war in Kerala near Travancore and captured Kollam
.
under his minister Kulasekara Cinkaiariyan
Aryacakravarti in the late 1270s, defeating Savakanmaindan
, a tributary to the Pandyans on the Jaffna kingdom
. This expedition plundered the fortress of Subhagiri (Yapahuwa
) and returned with the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
. This expedition took place near the end of the Sri Lankan king Bhuvanaikabâhu I's reign (1272-1285 CE). Bhuvanaika Bahu's successor Parâkkamabâhu III went on a personal embassy to Kulasekaran's court and persuaded him to return the tooth relic. Sri Lanka
was under Pandyan Suzerainty for the next twenty years and only regained its independence during the Pandyan Civil war of 1308-1323 that followed Kulasekaran's death.
of Shiraz
describes Pandyan country under Kulasekaran as the most agreeable abode on earth and the most pleasant quarter of the world. He also claims that an Arab Muslim named Takiuddin Abdur Rahman, son of Muhammadut Tibi was appoonted by Kulasekara Pandyan as the prime minister and adviser. He was also bestowed with the coastal cities of Kayalpattinam
, Fitan and Mali Fitan for his services to the crown. Wassaf's accounts which refer to Kulasekaran as Kales Dewar say he ruled for forty and odd years and during which time neither any foreign enemy entered his country, nor any severe malady confined him to bed. and treasury of the city of Mardi (Madurai
) had 1,200 crores of gold not counting the accumulation of precious stones such as pearls, rubies, turquoises, and emeralds.. The Mahavamsa
while describing the Pandyan plunder of the tooth relic, describes kulasekaran as like a sun expanding the lotus-like race of the great Pandyan kings.
Marco Polo
visited the Pandyan country during his reign and wrote about the wealth and social customs of Pandyan people. His accounts refer to Kulasekaran as Asciar or Ashcar. Marco Polo describes the Pandyan port city of Kayal as it is at this city that all the ships touch that come from the west, as from Hormos and from Kis and from Aden, and all Arabia, laden with horses and with other things for sale. And this brings a great concourse of people from the country round about, and so there is great business done in this city of Cail..
He also wrote about the pearl fisheries, horse trade, Sati
and devadasi
s.
Kulasekaran built the Manivanneswaram temple in Tharangambadi.He also built the outer wall of the Thirunelveli Nellaiappar temple. He was given the titles of Kollamkondan meaning "Conqueror of Kollam
" and Konerinmaikondan meaning "King without equal". Except the Alwar Thirunagari inscription, all of Kulasekaran's inscriptions do not contain any Meikeerthi
. The Alwar Thirunagari inscription from his fourth year of reign (1272 CE) praises him as Sri Ko Maravanman Thiribhuvana Chakravarthi Sri Kulasekara Devar .
, the Pandyan capital was subjected to repeated invasions and plunder by Delhi Sultanate's
armies under Malik Kafur
in 1311, Khusrau Khan in 1314 CE and Ulugh Khan
in 1323 CE. Pandyas were reduced to minor princes and Pandyan country came under the rule of Madurai Sultanate
ending 1600 years of Pandyan rule over south Tamil Nadu.
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
between 1268–1308 CE. His death lead to the Pandyan Civil war of 1308-1323 CE.
Accession and shared rule
Kulasekara Pandyan I acceded to the Pandyan throne in the year 1268 CE after his father Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan IJatavarman Sundara Pandyan
Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I was king and Lord Emperor of the Pandyan dynasty, ruling regions of Tamilakkam Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I was king and Lord Emperor of the Pandyan dynasty, ruling regions of Tamilakkam Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I was king and Lord Emperor of the Pandyan...
. During the middle part of the 13th century, Pandya kingdom was ruled by many princes of the royal line. This practice of shared rule with one prince asserting primacy was common in the Pandyan Kingdom. The other princes of the Pandyan royal family with whom Kulasekara Pandyan I shared his rule were Jatavarman Vira Pandyan I
Jatavarman Vira Pandyan I
Jatavarman Vira Pandyan I was a Pandyan Prince and co-King, who ruled regions of Tamilakkam between 1253–1275 CE.- Shared Rule :Jatavarman Vira Pandiyan I was coronated between the 22nd and 27th June 1253...
(1253-1275 CE), his brother Maravarman Vikkiraman III (acceded 1283 CE)and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan II(acceded 1277 CE). Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
refers to him as the "eldest of five brother kings".
Wars against Cholas and Hoysalas
Kulasekara Pandyan presided over the second Pandyan empire at its height of power and extension. He warred against the Hoysalas under Ramanatha and the Cholas under Rajendra Chola IIIRajendra Chola III
Rajendra Chola III was the son of Rajaraja Chola III who came to the Chola throne in 1246 CE. Although his father Rajaraja III was still alive, Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration...
. He defeated them both in 1279 CE and ended the three century long Chola rule. The defeat of Ramanatha ended the Hoysala control of Tamil Nadu. He also fought a war in Kerala near Travancore and captured Kollam
Kollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
.
Invasion of Sri Lanka
Kulasekara Pandyan sent an expedition to Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
under his minister Kulasekara Cinkaiariyan
Kulasekara Cinkaiariyan
Kulasekara Cinkaiariyan is considered to be the first of the Aryacakravarti dynasty kings to establish his rule over the Jaffna Kingdom in modern Sri Lanka...
Aryacakravarti in the late 1270s, defeating Savakanmaindan
Savakanmaindan
Savakanmaindan was a monarch of the kingdoms of Tambralinga and Jaffna. He was the son of the Savakan king Chandrabhanu of Tambralinga who usurped the Tamil throne in 1255...
, a tributary to the Pandyans on the Jaffna kingdom
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
. This expedition plundered the fortress of Subhagiri (Yapahuwa
Yapahuwa
Yapahuwa was one of the ephemeral capitals of medieval Sri Lanka. The citadel of Yapahuwa lying midway between Kurunagala and Anuradhapura was built around a huge granite rock rising abruptly almost a hundred meters above the surrounding lowlands....
) and returned with the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
The Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism.-The relic in India:...
. This expedition took place near the end of the Sri Lankan king Bhuvanaikabâhu I's reign (1272-1285 CE). Bhuvanaika Bahu's successor Parâkkamabâhu III went on a personal embassy to Kulasekaran's court and persuaded him to return the tooth relic. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
was under Pandyan Suzerainty for the next twenty years and only regained its independence during the Pandyan Civil war of 1308-1323 that followed Kulasekaran's death.
Rule, titles and patronage
Kulasekaran's long rule of about four decades was one of peace and prosperity according to the foreign travelers who visited the Pandyan country during his reign. The Persian historian Abdulla WassafWassaf
Wassaf or Vassaf or Toghril Beg Abdallah ibn Faḍlallah Sharaf al-Din Shīrāzī was a 14th-century Persian historian of the Ilkhanate...
of Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
describes Pandyan country under Kulasekaran as the most agreeable abode on earth and the most pleasant quarter of the world. He also claims that an Arab Muslim named Takiuddin Abdur Rahman, son of Muhammadut Tibi was appoonted by Kulasekara Pandyan as the prime minister and adviser. He was also bestowed with the coastal cities of Kayalpattinam
Kayalpattinam
Kayalpattinam is a Municipality in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.- Geography :Kayalpattinam is located at . It has an average elevation of 6 metres .- Demographics :...
, Fitan and Mali Fitan for his services to the crown. Wassaf's accounts which refer to Kulasekaran as Kales Dewar say he ruled for forty and odd years and during which time neither any foreign enemy entered his country, nor any severe malady confined him to bed. and treasury of the city of Mardi (Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
) had 1,200 crores of gold not counting the accumulation of precious stones such as pearls, rubies, turquoises, and emeralds.. The Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
while describing the Pandyan plunder of the tooth relic, describes kulasekaran as like a sun expanding the lotus-like race of the great Pandyan kings.
Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
visited the Pandyan country during his reign and wrote about the wealth and social customs of Pandyan people. His accounts refer to Kulasekaran as Asciar or Ashcar. Marco Polo describes the Pandyan port city of Kayal as it is at this city that all the ships touch that come from the west, as from Hormos and from Kis and from Aden, and all Arabia, laden with horses and with other things for sale. And this brings a great concourse of people from the country round about, and so there is great business done in this city of Cail..
He also wrote about the pearl fisheries, horse trade, Sati
Sati (practice)
For other uses, see Sati .Satī was a religious funeral practice among some Indian communities in which a recently widowed woman either voluntarily or by use of force and coercion would have immolated herself on her husband’s funeral pyre...
and devadasi
Devadasi
In Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
s.
Kulasekaran built the Manivanneswaram temple in Tharangambadi.He also built the outer wall of the Thirunelveli Nellaiappar temple. He was given the titles of Kollamkondan meaning "Conqueror of Kollam
Kollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
" and Konerinmaikondan meaning "King without equal". Except the Alwar Thirunagari inscription, all of Kulasekaran's inscriptions do not contain any Meikeerthi
Meikeerthi
A Meikeerthi is the first section of Tamil inscriptions of grant issued by ancient Tamil kings of South India. Meikeerthis of various stone and metal inscriptions serve as important archaeological sources for determining Tamil History.-Description:...
. The Alwar Thirunagari inscription from his fourth year of reign (1272 CE) praises him as Sri Ko Maravanman Thiribhuvana Chakravarthi Sri Kulasekara Devar .
Death and civil war
On the death of Kulasekara Pandyan I in 1308 CE, a conflict stemming from succession disputes arose amongst his sons. Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan III the legitimate & younger son and Jatavarman Veera Pandyan II, the illegitimate older son (who was favoured by the king) fought each other for the throne. Accounts of Muslim historians Wassaf and Amir Khusrow say he was killed by Sundara Pandyan in 1310 CE. This led to a long protracted civil war. MaduraiMadurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, the Pandyan capital was subjected to repeated invasions and plunder by Delhi Sultanate's
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
armies under Malik Kafur
Malik Kafur
Malik Kafur, General , or Chand Ram as his name was originally, was a slave who became a head general in the army of Alauddin Khilji, ruler of the Delhi sultanate from 1296 to 1316 AD. He was originally seized by Alauddin's army after the army conquered the city of Khambhat...
in 1311, Khusrau Khan in 1314 CE and Ulugh Khan
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Turkic Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.He was born in Kotla Tolay Khan in Multan. His wife was daughter of the raja of Dipalpur...
in 1323 CE. Pandyas were reduced to minor princes and Pandyan country came under the rule of Madurai Sultanate
Madurai Sultanate
The Madurai Sultanate or the Ma'bar Sultanate was a short lived independent Muslim kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India during the 14th century CE. It lasted from 1335 until 1378...
ending 1600 years of Pandyan rule over south Tamil Nadu.