Rama Rajasekhara (''fl.'' 870/71 – c. 883/84 AD) was a

Chera Perumal Chera Perumals of Makotai, also known as the Perumal dynasty of KeralaThapar, Romila'', The Penguin History of Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300.'' Penguin Books, 2002. 331-32., or Cheraman Perumal dynasty of MahodayapuramNoburu Karashmia ...

ruler of medieval

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 ...

, south India. Rajasekhara is usually identified by historians with

Cheraman Perumal Nayanar Cheraman Perumal Nayanar (literally meaning Chera king the Nayanar) was a bhakti poet-musician and religious teacher (one of the sixty-three nayanars) of Tamil Shaiva tradition in medieval south India. The Cheraman Perumal's friendship with Chun ...

, the venerated

Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...

( Nayanar) poet-musician of the Bhakti tradition. Rajasekhara presumably succeeded Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara around 870 AD. "Tripuradahana" and "Saurikathodaya", Yamaka poems by Vasubhatta, were composed under the patronage of Rajasekhara. Two temple records, from Kurumattur, Areacode and Thiruvatruvay,

Vazhappally Vazhappally is a suburb of Changanasserry Municipality, Kottayam District, in central Kerala. The famous Vazhappally Shiva Temple is situated in Vazhappally. Vazhappally is a part of Changanacherry Taluk in Kottayam District. It is located in ...

, mention king Rajasekhara. The former contain the only available "prasasti" of a Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala. Rama Rajasehara probably abdicated the throne toward the end of his reign and became a

nayanar known as

. He was succeeded by

Vijayaraga Vijayaraga (''fl. c.'' 849—895 AD) was the Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala from ''c.'' 883/84—''c.'' 895 AD. The reign of Vijayaraga probably witnessed the expansion of Chera Perumal influence into the neighboring Ay and Mushika countries (sou ...

(''fl.'' c. 883/84-c.895 AD).

Sources

*''Shankaravijaya'' of Vidyaranya mentions one Kerala king "Rajasekhara" (who was a contemporary of Hindu philosopher Shankara). *''Shivanandalahari'', attributed to Hindu philosopher Shankara, indirectly mentions the Chera ruler as "Rajasekhara". * Rajasekhara is also tentatively identified with king "Co-qua-rangon" mentioned in the

Thomas of Cana copper plates The Thomas of Cana copper plates (Malayalam: Knai Thoma Cheppedu), or Knanaya copper plates, dated variously between 345 C.E. and 811 C.E., are a lost set of copper-plate grants issued by the unidentified Chera/Perumal king of Kerala "Co-qua-ran ...

Rama Deva

''Laghu Bhaskariya Vyakhya,'' a mathematical commentary composed in the court of king Ravi Kulasekhara in 869/70 AD, mentions a Chera Perumal royal called Rama Deva, who marched out to fight the enemies on getting information from the spies. A possibility identifies Rama Deva with Rama Rajasekhara. Rama Deva is described as a member of the Solar Dynasty ("ravi-kula-pati") in Chapter IIII, ''Laghu Bhaskariya Vyakhya''.

Patron of Vasubhatta

Vasubhatta, the famous Yamaka poet of medieval Kerala, names his patron king as "Rama" in his Tripuradahana and Saurikathodaya. Tripuradahana refers to Rama Rajasekhara as follows: Another poem by Vasubhatta, the Yudhisthiravijaya, says that "Kulasekhara" was the regnal title of his patron king. A later commentary on the poem Yudhisthiravijaya argues that "Rama" was the personal name of the king with regnal title "Kulasekhara". Modern scholars generally consider this a result of confusion on the part of the commentators (between Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara and Rama Rajasekhara) who were separated in time from the Perumals. Some scholars also identify king

Rama Kulasekhara Rama Kulasekhara (''fl.'' late 11th century CE) was the last ruler of the Chera Perumal dynasty of medieval Kerala. He was a contemporary to Chola kings Kulottunga I (1070–1120) and Vikrama Chola (1118–35 AD). Rama Kulaskehara is best known ...

as the patron of poet Vasubhatta (and thus placing Vasubhatta in 11th-12 centuries AD). This view is generally found unacceptable on several counts.

Epigraphic records

References

External links

* Mathew, Alex -
Political identities in History
' (2006) Unpublished Doctoral Thesis (M. G. University) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rajashekhara, Rama Nayanars 9th-century Indian monarchs People of the Kodungallur Chera kingdom Indian Shaivite religious leaders Kodungallur Chera kings