Parantaka Chola II (
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
: இரண்டாம் பராந்தக சோழன்) (r. 958 – 973 CE) was a
Chola emperor. He is also known as Sundara Chola as he was considered an epitome of male beauty.
[''Early Chola temples:Parantaka I to Rajaraja I, A.D. 907-985''][''Journal of Indian museums, Volumes 14-16, page 35''][''A Topographical List of Inscriptions in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala States: Nilgiris District, Pudukkottai District, Ramanathapuram District, Salem District, page 41''] He was the son of
Arinjaya Chola
Arinjaya Chola was a chola ruler of the Chola kingdom. He was the third son of Parantaka I and the younger brother of Gandaraditya Chola, whom he is thought to have succeeded in about 956. Arinjaya Chola was succeeded by his son Sundara Chola ...
and queen Kalyani, a princess of Vaidumba family. Parantaka II ascended the Chola throne despite the fact that his cousin
Madurantaka Uttama Chola, the son of
Gandaraditya Chola(the elder brother of
Arinjaya Chola
Arinjaya Chola was a chola ruler of the Chola kingdom. He was the third son of Parantaka I and the younger brother of Gandaraditya Chola, whom he is thought to have succeeded in about 956. Arinjaya Chola was succeeded by his son Sundara Chola ...
) was alive and he had equal if not more claim to the Chola throne.
When Parantaka II became king, 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 ...
kingdom had shrunk to the size of a small principality. The
Pandyas in the south had revived their fortunes and had defeated the Chola armies and occupied their ancestral lands.
During Parantaka II's reign, the foundations were laid for the success of the Chola Empire a generation later. A few territories in the north were recovered. The
Pandyan ruler Vira Pandya was defeated and
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 ...
was taken. An expedition was made to gain control of Sri Lanka but it was not successful.Parantaka II waged war against
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 ...
and successfully regained Tondaimandalam.
Early life
According to the Anbil plates Arinjaya was succeeded by his son. After coming to power Sundara Chola aka Parantaka II first directed his attention to the south against Vira Pandya, who had repulsed Gandaraditya's attempt to restore Chola supremacy in the Pandya country.
Pandyan War
![Sundara territories](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Sundara_territories.png)
Immediately after becoming king, Parantaka II's attention was directed towards the growing strength of the
Pandyas in the south. Vira Pandya, having repulsed
Gandaraditya's attempts to restore Chola supremacy in the
Pandyan kingdom, was ruling as an independent potentate. The invading Chola army met the Pandyas at Chevur.
The Leyden
copperplate inscriptions tell us in that war, "Parantaka II caused rivers of blood to flow". Other inscriptions mention that Parantaka and his young son,
Aditya Karikalan
Aditya II (942 CE - 971 CE), commonly known as Aditya Karikalan was a Chola prince who lived in the 10th century in India. He was born in Tirukoilur and was the eldest son of Parantaka Chola II. He was the elder brother of Rajaraja Chola I a ...
(also referred to as Aditha II) defeated Vira Pandya and made him flee to the hills surrounding the battlefield. The young son Aditha, who took to the battlefield at the age of "twelve" and who was a "very abhimanyu" in valour, is profusely praised for having conducted himself in battlefield with as much ease as he was at "military training sessions".
It is also possible that
Aditya Karikalan
Aditya II (942 CE - 971 CE), commonly known as Aditya Karikalan was a Chola prince who lived in the 10th century in India. He was born in Tirukoilur and was the eldest son of Parantaka Chola II. He was the elder brother of Rajaraja Chola I a ...
killed Vira Pandya in that battle. Aditha's inscriptions use the epithet "''Vira Pandyan Thalai Konda Adithha Karikalan''" - "...took the head of Vira Pandya". After the battle of Chevur, Parantaka II's armies continued their thrust into the Pandya country. The Pandya king had the Sinhalese king
Mahinda IV as his ally and the Lankan troops supported the Pandya army in the battlefield c. 959 CE. Parantaka II's armies also invaded Lanka to neutralise this support. The especially wicked nature of this coalition is noted by chola panegyrists to be "wicked force of age of kali, that were duly uprooted by the king.". As a procedure for de-recognizing the rogue kingdoms Parantaka II also seized the royal insignia of pandyans like fish emblem, throne, gem studded crown and ancient pearl necklace.
Sundara Chola called himself ''Maduraikonda Rajakesari'', that is the Royal Lion who took Madurai and ''Madhurantaka'' (destroyer of Madurai) in order to commemorate his victories over the Pandyas.
Although the Chola armies won the battle, the war was still not won. Parantaka II did not succeed in re-establishing the Chola power over the Pandya lands.
Success against Rashtrakutas (Recovery of Tondaimandalam)
Parantaka II next concentrated in his war against
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 ...
. Some documents provide an interesting account of military acumen and gallantry exhibited during the war by a certain chola commander belonging to one of the 98 divisions of troop velaikkaras. The commander who is praised to be a devotee at feet of lord at thillai and who was "a very murugan at war", is credited to have on two occasions almost singlehandedly pulverized big battalions of the enemy thereby causing their defeat. This commander who is glorified in these deccan wars is at the instance of lord finally given up his uniform to become a saint at tirruvottriyur and take the name ottriyur atikalar there upon producing some very good works on saiva siddantam prior to attaining lord's beatitude.
![Devikarumari Amman temple Thiruverkadu3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Devikarumari_Amman_temple_Thiruverkadu3.JPG)
Sri Lankan Expedition
Sundara Chola Parantaka also waged war against the Sinhala ruler in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The expedition was led by his general and his relative the
Irukkuvel chief Parantaka Siriyavelar. However this expedition did not end well for 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 ...
s as both Siriyavelar and 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's brother in law, the Bana chief fell in battle.
Aditya II’s (Karikala's) Assassination
Parantaka II's last days appear to have been clouded by a personal tragedy. The heir-apparent
Aditya II
Aditya II (942 CE - 971 CE), commonly known as Aditya Karikalan was a Chola prince who lived in the 10th century in India. He was born in Tirukoilur and was the eldest son of Parantaka Chola II. He was the elder brother of Rajaraja Chola I ...
was assassinated by a group of conspirators.
There are other theories, claiming that the Pandyan spies were involved in the death of Aditya II and he was assassinated to avenge the death of Veerapandiyan in the battle of Chevur. There are however no direct evidence to support this theory. One of the inscriptions found at Udayarkudi temple in Tamil Nadu of
Rajaraja notes that the property of some persons were confiscated as punishment for their involvement in the plot.
Uttama’s ascension
After the assassination of Aditya II, it seems that
Uttama
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 ...
forced Parantaka II to make him the heir-apparent. Arulmozhivarman (or
Rajaraja I), Parantaka II's second son did not protest, anxious to avoid a civil war. It was apparently part of the compromise that Uttama was to succeed the throne only if he accepted to be succeeded, not by his own children but by Arulmolivarman. The Thiruvalangadu copperplate inscription states that Madhurantaka Uttama Chola made Arulmoli the heir-apparent.
Parantaka II's death and Legacy
Parantaka II, heart broken by the personal tragedy died in
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its temple ...
at his golden palace (c. 980 CE). He was thereafter known as "''Pon maligai thunjina thevar''" – "the king who died in the golden palace". Parantaka II continued the chola legacy of absolutely professional and democratic management. This is seen from many inscriptions of his and his illustrious son
Aditya II
Aditya II (942 CE - 971 CE), commonly known as Aditya Karikalan was a Chola prince who lived in the 10th century in India. He was born in Tirukoilur and was the eldest son of Parantaka Chola II. He was the elder brother of Rajaraja Chola I ...
, which describe reforms carried out professionally at universities, councils, military and navy. Parantaka was well supported by his management councillors. Thus we know from an inscription of his how a certain
aniruddha brahmarayan who was a follower of jaiminiya sutra of samaveda(''jaiminiya sutrattu aniruddha bhramarayar'') and who was a "servitor at the feet of lord of river girt arankam(srirangam),i.e lord vishnu", who belonged to royal council being felicitated for selfless service.
One of his queens, Vanavanmahadevi, a princess from the clan of
Malaiyaman, committed
sati
Sati or SATI may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Sati'' (film), a 1989 Bengali film by Aparna Sen and starring Shabana Azmi
* ''Sati'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Christopher Pike
*Sati (singer) (born 1976), Lithuanian singer
*Sati, a character in ''Th ...
at the king's death and her image was perhaps installed at the
Thanjavur
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 ...
Temple by her daughter Kundavai. Another queen, a
Chera princess survived him until 1001 CE.
During Parantaka II's reign, literature both
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
received encouragement. The
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
work on
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
grammar, ''Virasoliyam'' eulogises him as a patron of letters and of
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
. The eulogy furnishes evidence for the friendly relationship between the Chola monarchs and the Buddhists.
Inscriptions
The following is an inscription of Parantaka II from the
Sivayoginathar Temple
Sivayoginathar Temple also known as Yoganandeswarar temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in is located in Thiruvisanallur in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Sivayoginathar, and is represented by the ' ...
in
Thiruvisanallur
Thiruvisanallur also called Thiruvisalur (formerly known as Shahajirajapuram) is a village in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. The village is known for the Sivayoginathar Temple, a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The Tirundudevankud ...
,
![Thiruvisanallur (7)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Thiruvisanallur_%287%29.jpg)
The term ''foremost in the family of the king Pirantaka's daughter'' indicates the alliance between 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 ...
and
Irukkuvel families and the chief Siriyavela might have been the King's son-in-law or his daughter's father-in-law.
[
Here is another inscription of Parantaka II from the Vedapureeswarar temple in ]Tiruverkadu
Thiruverkadu (; literally 'a forest of holy herbs and roots') is a Western suburb of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It comes under Thiruvallur district administration. It is famous for its Devi Karumariamman Temple. There is also Vedapureeswarar Templ ...
(north wall of the central shrine),
In popular culture
* Sundara Chola, forms a main character in ''Kalki Krishnamurthy
, birth_name = Ramasamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Puthamangalam, near Manalmedu
, death_date =
, death_place = Chennai, India
, occupation = journalist, critic and writer
, nationality = Indian
, education = H ...
’s 1955 historical fiction novel Ponniyin Selvan
''Ponniyin Selvan'' () is a historical fiction novel by Indian author Kalki Krishnamurthy, written in Tamil. It was first serialized in the weekly editions of ''Kalki'', a Tamil magazine, from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954 and later integrat ...
.'' In his story, Kalki imagines Parantaka II to be a powerless ruler - handicapped by a debilitating illness. He is caught between opposing forces of his love for his children and his dependence on powerful courtiers.
* Indian actor Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam-language films, he is the recipient of several ...
plays his role in ''Mani Ratnam
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
's 2022 film'' ''Ponniyin Selvan: I'' which is based on Kalki's novel.
Notes
References
* Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. (1935). ''The CōĻas'', University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
* Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. (1955). ''A History of South India'', OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
* Early Chola temples: Parantaka I to Rajaraja I, A.D. 907-985 By S. R. Balasubrahmanyam
* Journal of Indian museums, Volumes 14-16 By Museums Association of India
* A Topographical List of Inscriptions in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala States: Nilgiris District, Pudukkottai District, Ramanathapuram District, Salem District By T. V. Mahalingam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parantaka Chola 02
Chola kings
970s deaths
Year of birth uncertain
10th-century Indian monarchs
10th-century Hindus