Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I ( ta, முதலாம் சடையவர்மன் குலசேகரன்) was a Pandyan king, who ruled regions of

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

between 1190–1216.

Accession and background

Kulasekaran acceded to the Pandyan throne after his father Vikkirama Pandyan in 1190. Vikkirama Pandyan had gained the throne of

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

with the help of

Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from 1178 to 1218 CE, after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Hoysalas, ...

. Kulothunga had defeated the rebellion of Vira Pandyan and his Sri Lankan allies and awarded the throne to Vikkirama Pandyan. Vikkiraman's son Kulasekaran became the ruler in 1190. He was a brother-in-law of the Chera prince Kothai Ravivarman.

War and defeat

Kulasekaran was a vassal of the Chola empire. When Kulothunga was warring with

Hoysala The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...

s in the north, he refused to pay tribute to the Cholas. This led to a Chola invasion in retribution. In 1205, the Chola armies defeated the Pandyan army and sacked Madurai. The ancient coronation hall of Pandyan kings was destroyed, the remains plowed with asses and sowed with weeds. Inscriptions found at Kudimiyanmalai and Cheranur give graphic descriptions of the invasion and the sacking of Madurai. Kulasekaran and his younger brothers fled Madurai to the ''Palai'' (desert wastes) lands. The invaders looted Madurai and distributed the wealth to the destitute. Kulothunga performed a ''Virabhishekam'' (tribute of bravery) and crowned himself as ''Thiribhuvana veeran'' (Lord of Three Worlds). Kulasekaran surrendered to Kulothunga with his wife and son. Kulothunga acknowledged the surrender and gave his kingdom back. Madurai remained under Chola dominance until 1216. These excesses of Kulothunga directly led to the later Pandyan reprisal under Kulasekaran's younger brother and successor Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I.

Distinction from other Kulasekarans

There are records of at least three later Pandyan kings bearing the same name ''Jatavarman Kulasekaran''. This king is identified and distinguished using his ''

meikeerthi A meikeerthi ( ta, மெய் கீர்த்தி) 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 sourc ...

'' which starts with the words ''poovin kizhathi'' ( ta, பூவின் கிழத்தி). He is the Kulasekaran who donated the village ''"Rajaghambeeera Chathurvedi Mangalaam"'' to 1080 Brahmins in 1214 Bhadra, Prakash and Tharu, p.127

Notes

References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kulasekaran, Jatavarman, I Pandyan kings Tamil history Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown 12th-century Indian monarchs 13th-century Indian monarchs