The Flag of Chola or Tiger Flag () was used by the Tamil
Chola dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic 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 to the 3rd century BCE ...
. The Tiger or Jumping Tiger was the royal emblem of the Cholas and was depicted on coins, seals and banners. On the coins of
Uttama Chola
Uttama was a Chola Emperor who ruled from 973 CE to 985 CE in present-day Tamil Nadu, India. According to Tiruvalangadu plates of Rajendra Chola, Madurantaka Uttama Chola's reign is placed after Aditya II. The latter may have been a co-regent ...
, the Chola Tiger was shown sitting between the twin fish of
Pandya and the bow of
Chera. The flag of Chola is mentioned in
Periya Puranam
The ''Periya purāṇam'' (Tamil: பெரிய புராணம்), that is, the ''great purana'' or epic, sometimes called ''Tiruttontarpuranam'' ("Tiru-Thondar-Puranam", the Purana of the Holy Devotees), is a Tamil poetic ...
,
[Sekkizhar: “Chola of Cauvery country](_blank)
/ref> which was compiled during the 12th century by Sekkizhar
Sēkkilān Mādēvadigal Rāmadēva (12th century CE), known popularly by his family name as Sekkizhar, was a saint and a contemporary of Kulottunga Chola II. He compiled and wrote the ''Periya Puranam'' (Great Story or Narrative) in 4253 vers ...
.
The Periya Puranam
The ''Periya purāṇam'' (Tamil: பெரிய புராணம்), that is, the ''great purana'' or epic, sometimes called ''Tiruttontarpuranam'' ("Tiru-Thondar-Puranam", the Purana of the Holy Devotees), is a Tamil poetic ...
has following mention about Chola flag:
Contemporary derivatives
The Flag of Tamil Eelam
The flag of Tamil Eelam was designated as the national flag of the aspirational state in 1990. The tiger symbol of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was created in 1977, differentiating it from the LTTE's emblem by leaving out the letters ...
was inspired by the Chola flag.[Daya Somasundaram (11.02.2014) ''Scarred Communities: Psychosocial Impact of Man-made and Natural Disasters on Sri Lankan Society'', SAGE Publications India, p. 73.]
See also
* Flag of Pandya
* Flag of Pallava
* Flags of Tamils
This is a list of historical and modern flags used by the Tamil people.
Modern Tamil flags
Indian Tamil flags
Sri Lankan Tamil flags
Historical Tamil flags
See also
* Proposed flag of Tamil Nadu (1970)
References
{{reflist
...
References
Chola
Chola
Flags displaying animals
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