Parantaka I
Encyclopedia
Parantaka Chola I (907–955) ruled the Chola kingdom in southern India
for forty-eight years. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success and prosperity.
and assumed the title Madurain-konda (Capturer of Madurai). The Pandyan ruler Maravarman Rajasinha II sought the help of Kassapa V, the king of Sri Lanka
, who sent an army to his aid. Parantaka defeated the combined army at the battle of Vellore
. The Pandya king fled into exile in Sri Lanka and Parantaka completed his conquest of the entire Pandya country.
Parantaka spent many years in the newly conquered country reducing it to subjugation, and when he felt he had at last achieved his aim, he wanted to celebrate his victory by a coronation in Madurai in which he was to invest himself with the insignia of Pandyan monarchy. However he was foiled in this attempt by the Pandyan king carried them away and left in the safe custody of the Lankan king. Towards the end of his reign, Parantaka tried to capture them by invading Lanka. Mahavamsa
records that the Lankan king Udaya IV took the Pandya crown and the jewels and hid himself in the Rohana hills. Parantaka’s armies had to return empty handed.
After his exploits in the Pandya country and in Lanka, Parantaka I took the title of Maduraiyum Elamum Konda Parakesarivarman – Parakesarivarman who conquered Madurai and Sri Lanka.
. Parantaka made his ally the Ganga king Prithvipati II the overlord of the conquered Bana country
. Soon after this battle, Parantaka had to wage battles against some of his smaller neighbours such as Vaidumbas and Sitpuli kings in the region of Andhra Pradesh
.
in Andhra Pradesh. It is clear from other chola grants that parantaka was a great militarist who had made extensive conquests. He may have had it recorded , but those records are lost to us. He is known to have defeated the kings of deccan kingdoms by 912.C.E and completed at least temporarily the conquests started by his father Aditya. He had the Cheras as his close ally and the relationship were further strengthened during this reign. Villavan Mahadeviyar, one of the queens of Parantaka who bore him the son Arinjaya was a daughter of the Kerala prince Paluvettaraiyar.
The copper-plate inscriptions
detail Parantaka's promotion of agricultural prosperity by the digging of numerous canals all over the country.
He also utilised the spoils of war to donate to numerous temple charities. He is reported to have covered the Chidambaram
Siva
Temple with golden roof. "Thillaiyambalathhukku pon koorai veiyntha thevan" He was a devout Saiva (follower of Siva) in religion.
, Gandaraditya
, Rajaditya and Uttamasili. A member of the retinue of Pillaiyar(prince) Rajadittadeva gave a gift to the Vishnu
temple at Tirunavalur in the 32nd year of Parantaka. Tirunavalur was also known as Rajadittapuram after Rajaditya. In the 39th year of Parantaka, his daughter-in-law, Mahadevadigal, a queen of Rajaditya and the daughter of Lataraja donated a lamp to the temple of Rajadityesvara for the merit of her brother. He had at least two daughters: Viramadevi and Anupama. Uttamasili does not appear to have lived long enough to succeed to the Chola throne.
Parantaka I bore numerous epithets: Viranarayana, Virakirti, Vira-Chola, Vikrama-Chola, Irumadi-Sola (Chola with two crowns alluding to the Chola and the Pandya kingdoms), Devendran (lord of the gods), Chakravartin (the emperor), Panditavatsalan (fond of learned men), Kunjaramallan (the wrestler with elephants) and Surachulamani (the crest jewel of the heroes).
Parantaka died in 955. His second son Gandaraditya
succeeded him.
. It is important as it shows that his dominions included regions beyond Thondaimandalam:
Here we have his son Arinjaya
making a donation. Once again it is from Tiruvorriyur
:
We also have several inscriptions of his son Rajaditya from Tirunavalur. One such inscription is the following from the temple of Rajadityesvara in Tirunavalur. The temple was also called Tiruttondîsvaram:
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for forty-eight years. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success and prosperity.
The Invasion of the Pandya Kingdom
Parantaka continuing the expansion started by his father, invaded the Pandya kingdom in 910. He captured the Pandyan capital 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...
and assumed the title Madurain-konda (Capturer of Madurai). The Pandyan ruler Maravarman Rajasinha II sought the help of Kassapa V, the king of 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...
, who sent an army to his aid. Parantaka defeated the combined army at the battle of Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
. The Pandya king fled into exile in Sri Lanka and Parantaka completed his conquest of the entire Pandya country.
Parantaka spent many years in the newly conquered country reducing it to subjugation, and when he felt he had at last achieved his aim, he wanted to celebrate his victory by a coronation in Madurai in which he was to invest himself with the insignia of Pandyan monarchy. However he was foiled in this attempt by the Pandyan king carried them away and left in the safe custody of the Lankan king. Towards the end of his reign, Parantaka tried to capture them by invading Lanka. Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
records that the Lankan king Udaya IV took the Pandya crown and the jewels and hid himself in the Rohana hills. Parantaka’s armies had to return empty handed.
After his exploits in the Pandya country and in Lanka, Parantaka I took the title of Maduraiyum Elamum Konda Parakesarivarman – Parakesarivarman who conquered Madurai and Sri Lanka.
Other Wars of Parantaka
The intervals between Parantaka’s Pandyan campaigns were occupied by a number of minor wars. He defeated the Banas (c. 910) who ruled over the area in the north of KanchipuramKanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
. Parantaka made his ally the Ganga king Prithvipati II the overlord of the conquered Bana country
Bana Kingdom
The Banas were a dynasty of South India, who claimed descent from the asura Mahabali. The dynasty takes its name from Bana, the son of Mahabali. The Banas faced opposition from several neighbouring dynasties and served some major dynasties such as the Cholas and Pandyas as feudatories, sometimes...
. Soon after this battle, Parantaka had to wage battles against some of his smaller neighbours such as Vaidumbas and Sitpuli kings in the region of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.
Extent of Parantaka's Influence
At the height of his successes, Parantaka I's dominions comprised almost the whole of the Tamil country right up to NelloreNellore
Nellore , is a city and headquarters of Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District, formerly Nellore district.And in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri"....
in Andhra Pradesh. It is clear from other chola grants that parantaka was a great militarist who had made extensive conquests. He may have had it recorded , but those records are lost to us. He is known to have defeated the kings of deccan kingdoms by 912.C.E and completed at least temporarily the conquests started by his father Aditya. He had the Cheras as his close ally and the relationship were further strengthened during this reign. Villavan Mahadeviyar, one of the queens of Parantaka who bore him the son Arinjaya was a daughter of the Kerala prince Paluvettaraiyar.
Civic and Religious Contributions
Although Parantaka I was engaged for the greater part of his long reign in warlike operations, yet he was not unmindful of the victories of peace. The internal administration of his country was a matter in which he took a keen interest. He laid out the rules for the conduct of the village assemblies in an inscription. The village institutions of South India, of course, date from a much earlier period than that of Parantaka I, but he introduced many salutary reforms for the proper administration of local self-Government.Indian copper plate inscriptions
Indian copper plate inscriptions play an important role in the reconstruction of the history of India. Prior to their discovery, historians were forced to rely on ambiguous archaeological findings such as religious text of uncertain origin and interpretations of bits of surviving traditions,...
detail Parantaka's promotion of agricultural prosperity by the digging of numerous canals all over the country.
He also utilised the spoils of war to donate to numerous temple charities. He is reported to have covered the Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
Temple with golden roof. "Thillaiyambalathhukku pon koorai veiyntha thevan" He was a devout Saiva (follower of Siva) in religion.
Personal life
From his inscriptions we can gather a few details about Parantaka's personal life. He had many wives, of whom no fewer than eleven appear in the inscriptions. He was religious but secular and encouraged various faiths. We find various members of his family building temples and regularly making donations to various shrines across the kingdom. Kodandarama was the eldest son of Parantaka. There is an inscription of him from Tiruvorriyur making a donation for some lamps during the 30th year of his father. Besides him he had several other sons; ArikulakesariArinjaya
Arinjaya Chola succeeded Gandaraditya Chola c. 956 C.E. Arinjaya was the third son of Parantaka I and the younger brother of Gandarditya. Arunjaya seems to have ruled for a very short time.- Other names :...
, Gandaraditya
Gandaraditya
Gandaraditya Chola succeeded his father Parantaka I and became the Chola king c. 955 C.E.-Turbulent period:From the death of Parantaka I, to the accession of Rajaraja I in 985 C.E., Chola history is obscure. During this period of 30 years there were five princes who must have occupied the throne...
, Rajaditya and Uttamasili. A member of the retinue of Pillaiyar(prince) Rajadittadeva gave a gift to the Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
temple at Tirunavalur in the 32nd year of Parantaka. Tirunavalur was also known as Rajadittapuram after Rajaditya. In the 39th year of Parantaka, his daughter-in-law, Mahadevadigal, a queen of Rajaditya and the daughter of Lataraja donated a lamp to the temple of Rajadityesvara for the merit of her brother. He had at least two daughters: Viramadevi and Anupama. Uttamasili does not appear to have lived long enough to succeed to the Chola throne.
Parantaka I bore numerous epithets: Viranarayana, Virakirti, Vira-Chola, Vikrama-Chola, Irumadi-Sola (Chola with two crowns alluding to the Chola and the Pandya kingdoms), Devendran (lord of the gods), Chakravartin (the emperor), Panditavatsalan (fond of learned men), Kunjaramallan (the wrestler with elephants) and Surachulamani (the crest jewel of the heroes).
Parantaka died in 955. His second son Gandaraditya
Gandaraditya
Gandaraditya Chola succeeded his father Parantaka I and became the Chola king c. 955 C.E.-Turbulent period:From the death of Parantaka I, to the accession of Rajaraja I in 985 C.E., Chola history is obscure. During this period of 30 years there were five princes who must have occupied the throne...
succeeded him.
Inscriptions
The following is an inscription of Parantaka from TiruvorriyurTiruvottiyur
Tiruvottiyur is located within the city premises of Chennai. It is located to the north of Chennai. Due to its proximity to Parrys and Chennai Central, it is fast becoming a sought after residential destination...
. It is important as it shows that his dominions included regions beyond Thondaimandalam:
Here we have his son Arinjaya
Arinjaya
Arinjaya Chola succeeded Gandaraditya Chola c. 956 C.E. Arinjaya was the third son of Parantaka I and the younger brother of Gandarditya. Arunjaya seems to have ruled for a very short time.- Other names :...
making a donation. Once again it is from Tiruvorriyur
Tiruvottiyur
Tiruvottiyur is located within the city premises of Chennai. It is located to the north of Chennai. Due to its proximity to Parrys and Chennai Central, it is fast becoming a sought after residential destination...
:
We also have several inscriptions of his son Rajaditya from Tirunavalur. One such inscription is the following from the temple of Rajadityesvara in Tirunavalur. The temple was also called Tiruttondîsvaram: