The Battle of Takkolam (948–949) was a military engagement between a contingent of troops led by
Rajaditya
Rajaditya Chola (''fl.'' mid-10th century AD) was a Chola prince, son of king Parantaka I (r. 907–955) and a Chera/Kerala princess ( the Ko Kizhan AdigalNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 96- ...
, crown prince and eldest son of the
Chola
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
king
Parantaka I
Parantaka Chola I (Tamil : பராந்தக சோழன் I) (873 CE–955 CE) was a Chola emperor who ruled for forty-eight years, annexing Pandya by defeating Rajasimhan II. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success ...
(907–955), and another led by the
Rashtrakuta king
Krishna III
Krishna III whose Kannada name was Kannara (r. 939 – 967 C.E.) was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring b ...
(939–967) at
Takkolam
Thakkolam is a panchayat town in Ranipettai district, Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu, India. In Thakkolam there is a famous Siva temple, named Jalantheeswarar Temple, Jalanatheeswarar Temple, the main lord is Jalanaatheeshwaran. It is one among ...
in southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The battle resulted in the death of Rajaditya on the battlefield and the defeat of the Chola garrison at Takkolam.
[Ali, Daud. "The Death of a Friend: Companionship, Loyalty and Affiliation in Chola South India." ''Studies in History'', vol. 33, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 36–60.]
The battle is considered as the climax of the confrontation between the two imperials powers, the
Cholas and the
Rashtrakutas
Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...
, for mastery of south India.
[Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 100-101.] The death of prince Rajaditya is unusually commemorated by the Cholas. The Chola version of the events can be found in Larger Leiden Grant (1006 AD) of
Rajaraja I and Tiruvalangadu Plates (1018 AD) of
Rajendra Chola
Rajendra Chola I (; Middle Tamil: Rājēntira Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Rājēndradēva Cōla; Old Malay: ''Raja Suran''; c. 971 CE – 1044 CE), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, and also known as Gangaikonda Chola (Middle Tami ...
.
An account of the battle, which differs in some details from the Chola version, is found in the Atakur inscription issued by
Krishna III
Krishna III whose Kannada name was Kannara (r. 939 – 967 C.E.) was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring b ...
and prince
Butuga II
Butuga II (938–961 CE) became the ruler of the Western Ganga Dynasty after his elder brother Rachamalla III.
Relations with Rashtrakutas
In order to ascend the throne he had to first seek help from the Rashtrakutas who were hitherto their a ...
(a young underlord of Krishna III
[Ali, Daud. “The Death of a Friend: Companionship, Loyalty and Affiliation in Chola South India.” ''Studies in History'', vol. 33, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 36–60.]) of the
Western Ganga family.
The Sravana Belgola record of Ganga king Marasimha (963 - 975 AD) also claims victory of the king for his predecessor Bhutuga II.
Background
It seems that king Parantaka I anticipated a climatic battle with the Rashtrakutas and their allies in Tirumunaippati Nadu.
Sometime in the 930s, or perhaps as early as 923 AD, prince Rajaditya was sent with a substantial military contingent, including elephants and horses, as well as his entire household, to the region (to protect the northern edges of a nascent Chola state).
The prince was joined in Tirumunaippati Nadu by his mother and his half-brother Arinjaya (whose mother also might have been from the Chera Perumal family).
Battle at Takkolam
The Rashtrakuta contingent at Takkolam included a collection of feudal militias and royal soldiers (from
Western Gangas
Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (mo ...
,
Banas and Vaidumbas among others).
Prince Rajaditya was supported by a number of military personnel from
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
(Chera) chiefdoms.
An account of the battle, which differs in some details from the Chola version, is found in the Atakur inscription issued by
Krishna III
Krishna III whose Kannada name was Kannara (r. 939 – 967 C.E.) was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring b ...
and prince Butuga (a young underlord of Krishna III
) of the Western Ganga family. According to the inscription, during the battle, Rajaditya was struck while seated atop his war elephant by an arrow from prince Butuga. The Chola prince died instantly. The Chola army was subsequently defeated and retreated in disorder.
Consequences
The collapse of the Chola resistance after the battle of Takkolam lead to the virtual destruction of the Chola empire. The Rashtrakutas conquered eastern and northern parts of the Chola empire and advanced to
Rameswaram
Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kil ...
. As per the Karhad copper plates of Krishna II, dated 959 AD, the king "uprooted the Cholas, distributed their territory among his followers, and extracted tribute from the Chera (Kerala) and
Pandya kings" during his campaign.
The epithet ‘Tanjaiyunkonda’ or the 'conqueror of
Tanjore
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
' was given to Krishna III as mentioned in many records found in Tondai-Mandalam, that the conclusion becomes inevitable that he had conquered and occupied the Chola capital at least for some time. The statements in the Karhad plates states that Krishna defeated the Pandyas and the Keralas, exacted tributes from the king of Ceylon and planted the creeper of his fame at
Ramesvara
As per historians, the defeat at Takkolam reversed the substantial political gains made by Parantaka Chola in previous decades. It opened the way for a period of multiple (and perhaps even disputed) Chola accessions.
[Nilakantha Sastri, ''Cōḷas'', 140–67.] The Chola royals remained in confusion, and perhaps continued a precarious political existence under the threat of Rashtrakuta invasion.
See also
*
Krishna III
Krishna III whose Kannada name was Kannara (r. 939 – 967 C.E.) was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring b ...
*
Parantaka I
Parantaka Chola I (Tamil : பராந்தக சோழன் I) (873 CE–955 CE) was a Chola emperor who ruled for forty-eight years, annexing Pandya by defeating Rajasimhan II. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success ...
References
{{Reflist
10th century in India
Rashtrakuta dynasty
Western Ganga dynasty
949
Takkolam
Thakkolam is a panchayat town in Ranipettai district, Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu, India. In Thakkolam there is a famous Siva temple, named Jalantheeswarar Temple, Jalanatheeswarar Temple, the main lord is Jalanaatheeshwaran. It is one among ...