Vijayalaya Chola
Encyclopedia
Vijayalaya was the Chola king of South India
Thanjavur during c. 848 C.E. and re-established the Chola dynastic rule.
and in the writings of Greek merchants
and geographers
faded in to darkness after c 300 C.E. Cholas during this period almost completely disappeared from their native land. They seem to have held on to their old capital city of Urayur
. This 'dark' age of Tamil history came to an end with the ascendency of the Pandyas and the Pallavas. The Cholas had to wait for another three centuries until the accession of Vijayala in the second quarter of the ninth century to re-establish their dynasty. It should not be assumed, however, that the new Chola dynasties were necessarily related to the ancient Chola dynasties of the early centuries AD.
It is not stated in any of the records, how Vijayalaya defeated to capture Thanjavur. During the 8th century Tanjore was ruled by a family of chiefs known as the Mutharaiyars. Historians have suggested that they may have belonged to the Pandya clan. At this time there was a great struggle going on between the Pallavas and the Pandyas for the political supremacy of South India. In this disturbed state of affairs, Vijayalaya seems to have found a good opportunity to defeat the Muttaraiyan chiefs, and make himself the ruler of Thanjavur and the surrounding Chola country.
Vijayala Chola conquered Thanjavur from Elango Mutharaiyar who was the final ruler of Mutharaiyar dynasty. It is said that in the year A.D.852 Vijayalaya Chola waged war with the Muttaraiyar king Sattan Paliyilli (A.D.826-852) in the neighbouring east, and captured his territory of Thanjavur. While Vijayalaya Chola was a Pallava feudatory, the Muttaraiyan chief was a Pandya feudatory. Making use of the opportunity during a war between Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya rose out of obscurity and captured Thanjavur. As a result of this defeat of Muttarayar chiefs, Cholas became so powerful that Pallavas were also wiped out from Thanjavore region at a later stage.
(c. 862 C.E. – 885 C.E.) became a subordinate ally of the Pallava Nandivarman III (c. 846 C.E. – 869 C.E.). Nandhivarman wished to curtail the growing influence of Chola power under Vijayalaya and called upon the Varagunavarman to help suppress Vijayalaya. Varaguna led an expedition into the Chola country. The Pandyan army reached the north bank of the Kaveri near Thanjavur and for a while the Chola revival looked short lived. Vijayalaya, by this time a veteran of many battles, was aging and was an invalid. The crown prince Aditya I took control of the army in the defence of the Chola kingdom. Vijayalaya was succeeded after his death c 871 C.E. by his son Aditya I.
state that Vijayalaya captured the city of Tanjavur and made it his capital and that he also built in it a temple to the goddess Nisumbhasudani (Durga
). The Kanyakumari inscription states that he renovated the city of Tanjore.
Vijayalaya took the title of Parakesarivarman. Chola kings succeeding him took the titles of Parakesari and Rajakesai in turns. This is probably to acknowledge their supposed ancestors
Parakesari and Rjakesari.
Narttamalai, Pudukkottai
has a solesvara
temple attributed to Vijayalaya.
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...
Thanjavur during c. 848 C.E. and re-established the Chola dynastic rule.
Dark age of Cholas
The ancient Chola kingdom once famous in Tamil literatureTamil literature
Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution...
and in the writings of Greek merchants
Periplus
Periplus is the Latinization of an ancient Greek word, περίπλους , literally "a sailing-around." Both segments, peri- and -plous, were independently productive: the ancient Greek speaker understood the word in its literal sense; however, it developed a few specialized meanings, one of which became...
and geographers
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
faded in to darkness after c 300 C.E. Cholas during this period almost completely disappeared from their native land. They seem to have held on to their old capital city of Urayur
Urayur
Urayur , located near the city of Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, India, was the capital of the early Cholas, who were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country. Sometimes spelled as Uraiyur, this location is also known as Thirukkozhi, Nikalaapuri, Uranthai, and Kozhiyur. It has a...
. This 'dark' age of Tamil history came to an end with the ascendency of the Pandyas and the Pallavas. The Cholas had to wait for another three centuries until the accession of Vijayala in the second quarter of the ninth century to re-establish their dynasty. It should not be assumed, however, that the new Chola dynasties were necessarily related to the ancient Chola dynasties of the early centuries AD.
Cholas under Pandyas and Pallavas
We know very little of the fate of the Cholas in this long interval. What is certain however is that when the power of Cholas fell to the lowest ebb and that of the Pandyas and Pallavas rose the north and South of them, this ancient dynasty was compelled to seek refuge and patronage under their more successful rivals. The Cholas, though not prominent or powerful as they were earlier were not completely in danger of extinction and continued to hold sway over a limited area consisting of what are the districts of Mayiladuturai, Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Tiruchy and Pudukkottai in modern Tamil Nadu .Rise of Vijayalaya
Making use of the opportunity during a war between Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya rose out of obscurity and captured Thanjavur in 848 C.E.It is not stated in any of the records, how Vijayalaya defeated to capture Thanjavur. During the 8th century Tanjore was ruled by a family of chiefs known as the Mutharaiyars. Historians have suggested that they may have belonged to the Pandya clan. At this time there was a great struggle going on between the Pallavas and the Pandyas for the political supremacy of South India. In this disturbed state of affairs, Vijayalaya seems to have found a good opportunity to defeat the Muttaraiyan chiefs, and make himself the ruler of Thanjavur and the surrounding Chola country.
Vijayala Chola conquered Thanjavur from Elango Mutharaiyar who was the final ruler of Mutharaiyar dynasty. It is said that in the year A.D.852 Vijayalaya Chola waged war with the Muttaraiyar king Sattan Paliyilli (A.D.826-852) in the neighbouring east, and captured his territory of Thanjavur. While Vijayalaya Chola was a Pallava feudatory, the Muttaraiyan chief was a Pandya feudatory. Making use of the opportunity during a war between Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya rose out of obscurity and captured Thanjavur. As a result of this defeat of Muttarayar chiefs, Cholas became so powerful that Pallavas were also wiped out from Thanjavore region at a later stage.
Pandyan invasion
After Vijayalaya’s capture of Thanjavur, the Pandya king Varagunavarman IIVaragunavarman II
-Death:Varagunavarman tried to assert his independence but suffered defeat at the handsof Apaajita, the son of Pallava king Nripatunga at Sri Purambiyam near Kumbhakonam. He died shortly after and was succeeded by his younger brother Parantaka Viranarayan Sadaiyan in 880 AD.-References:...
(c. 862 C.E. – 885 C.E.) became a subordinate ally of the Pallava Nandivarman III (c. 846 C.E. – 869 C.E.). Nandhivarman wished to curtail the growing influence of Chola power under Vijayalaya and called upon the Varagunavarman to help suppress Vijayalaya. Varaguna led an expedition into the Chola country. The Pandyan army reached the north bank of the Kaveri near Thanjavur and for a while the Chola revival looked short lived. Vijayalaya, by this time a veteran of many battles, was aging and was an invalid. The crown prince Aditya I took control of the army in the defence of the Chola kingdom. Vijayalaya was succeeded after his death c 871 C.E. by his son Aditya I.
Inscriptions of Vijayalaya
The Tiruvalangadu platesTamil Copper-plate inscriptions
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...
state that Vijayalaya captured the city of Tanjavur and made it his capital and that he also built in it a temple to the goddess Nisumbhasudani (Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
). The Kanyakumari inscription states that he renovated the city of Tanjore.
Vijayalaya took the title of Parakesarivarman. Chola kings succeeding him took the titles of Parakesari and Rajakesai in turns. This is probably to acknowledge their supposed ancestors
Legendary Early Chola Kings
The lists of legendary early Chola kings are recorded in Tamil literature and in the inscriptions left by the later Chola kings.- Chola Empire :...
Parakesari and Rjakesari.
Narttamalai, Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai is a town and a municipality in Pudukkottai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Pudukkottai District was carved out of Tiruchirappalli and Thanjavur districts in January 1974.It is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai District....
has a solesvara
Solesvara
The Solesvara temples were in honor of the Chola kings, who were believers in Shiva, the Hindu god.Other Shiva temples built by Chola:* Sundaresvara temple at Tirukattalai * Komganatha temple at Srinivasanallur...
temple attributed to Vijayalaya.
External links
- http://www.varalaaru.com