Cheran Chenkuttuvan ( ml, ചേരൻ ചെങ്കുട്ടുവൻ ; ta, சேரன் செங்குட்டுவன்) (''c.'' 2nd century CE), literally 'the Alluring Kuttuvan Chera', identified with Katal Pirakottiya Vel Kezhu Kuttuvan,K.G. Sesha Aiyar, ''Chera Kings of the Sangam Period'', London, 1937. 21-23. was the most celebrated Chera dynasty ruler of the early land of

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 ...

in early historic

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 territ ...

. The Kuttuvan is eulogized by

Paranar Paranar (Tamil: பரணர்) (c. 1st century CE) was a poet of the Sangam period, to whom 84 verses of the Sangam literature have been attributed, besides verse 6 of the Tiruvalluva Maalai. Biography Paranar belonged to the Paanar caste. He ...

in the fifth decad of '' Patitrupattu'' of the '' Ettutokai'' anthology (early Tamil texts).Zvelebil, Kamil. ''The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India''. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1973. 52–53. The Kuttuvan successfully intervened in a succession dispute in the Chola country and established his relative on the Chola throne. The Kadambas ― helped by the

Yavanas The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit and Yavanar in Tamil, were words used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for " Ionians" ( grc, ...

(perhaps Greek or Roman mariners) ― attacked the kuttuvan by sea, but the Chera ruler destroyed their fleet. He is said to have defeated the Kongu people and a warrior called Mokur Mannan. Under his reign, the Chera territory included Kollimalai in the east and Vanchi,

Karur Karur () is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Karur is the administrative headquarters of Karur district. It is located on the banks of Amaravathi River, River Amaravathi, Kaveri and Noyyal. Karur is well known for the export of Home Te ...

, Tondi and Mantai on the western coast (

Kuttanadu Kuttanad ( ml, കുട്ടനാട്‌) is a region covering the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts, in the state of Kerala, India, well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. The region has the lo ...

in Kerala is after his name, which was one of his major capitals. The base of major ancient temples in land of Kerala was established by Cenguttuvan. He is being credited as the Creator of modern land of Kerala, on his actions on joining the various lands including western coast and southern parts of Western ghats speaking a common language and have similar lifestyle,

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

and customs. Military achievements of Cenkuttavan are described, albeit in an exaggerated manner, in the medieval Tamil epic poem '' Chilappatikaram.''Subbarayalu, Y. 2014. 'Early Tamil Polity', in ''A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations.'' ed. Noburu Karashima, pp. 50–51. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. A method, known as Gajabahu Synchronism/Triple Synchronism, based on text proper, canto 30:160 of the epic, is used by scholars to date Cenkuttavan Chera to ''c.'' 2nd century CE.

Early texts

The kuttuvan is eulogized by

in the fifth decad of '' Patitrupattu'' of the '' Ettutokai'' anthology. ''Purananuru'' 343 refers to the hill products and sea products, mainly pearls, of Cenkuttuvan and to the

Yavana The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit and Yavanar in Tamil, were words used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians" ( grc, ...

gold that reached ashore by boats, in exchange. The kuttuvan's mastery over the sea might have led to the often used title ''Katal Pirakottiya'', which translates as "One who Lagged the Sea Behind". Paranar praised the kuttuvan for his naval powers - Paranar also praised kuttuvan's military prowess - * Kuttuvan was the son of the Cera ruler Nedum Cheralathan and Nalconai (of the Cholas of Uraiyur). The wife of Cenkuttuvan was Illanko Venmal (the daughter of a Velir chief). *Cenkuttuvan ruled the Cera country for 55 years (''Patitrupattu''). *Warriors of the Kuttuvan used bull-hide shields to protect themselves from the enemy darts (''Patitrupattu'', 45'')''. * Kuttuvan successfully intervened in a succession dispute in the Cola territory and established his relative (brother-in-law)

Killi Killi ( ar, كللي) is a village in northern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located northwest of Idlib. It is situated just west of the A'la Mountains. Nearby localities include Kaftin to the southeast, Maarrat al-Ik ...

on the Cola throne. The rivals of Killi were defeated in the battle of Nerivayil, Uraiyur (leading to the death of nine other contenders to the throne). * The Kadambas are described as the arch enemies of the kuttuvan. The kuttuvan was able to defeat them in the battle of Idumbil, Valayur (Viyalur). The "fort" of Kotukur in which the Kadamba warriors took shelter was stormed. Later the Kadambas (helped by the Yavanas) attacked kuttuvan by sea, but the Cera ruler destroyed their fleet. * Kuttuvan defeated the

Kongu Kongu may refer to: * Kongu Nadu, a region of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and its inhabitants * Kongu Tamil, a dialect of Tamil language spoken in Western Tamil Nadu *Kongu vellala Gounder, a Dominant Landowning community in Western Tamil Nadu ...

people (''Cilappatikaram, XXV, 152-53)''. Kuttuvan defeated a warrior called Pazhaiyan Mokur Mannan (one of the Cera's allies was Arukai, an enemy of the Mokurs) (''Patitrupattu,'' 44 and 49). *The ''patikam'' to '' Patitrupattu,'' decad V mentions

Ilango Adigal Ilango Adigal ()() was a Jain monk and a poet, sometimes identified as a Chera prince. He is traditionally credited as the author of '' Cilappatikaram'', one of the Five Great Epics of Ancient Tamil literature. He is one of the greatest poets ...

and the expedition of Cenkuttuvan to north India to bring a stone from which to carve the Pattini idol (scholars are of the opinion that the ''patikam'' is a later interpolation to the text).

Cenguttavan Chera in ''Chilappatikaram''

Authorship of '' Chilappatikaram'' is traditionally ascribed to prince Ilanko Atikal (literally the Junior Prince), who appears in the work as the younger brother of Cenkuttuvan Cera. The third part of '' Chilappatikaram'' (the Vanci Kantham) deals with Cenkuttuvan's expedition to bring the virakkallu from the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

for an idol of Kannaki/Pattini. According to the patikam of ''Chilappatikaram'', the royal astrologer at the court of Cera king predicted that (the younger prince) Ilanko would succeed the king, which angered the elder prince Cenguttavan. Ilanko at once chose to renounce his claims to the throne and live a life of an

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

ascetic. He shifted to a monastery on the outskirts of Vanci, where he composed epic ''Chilappatikaram.'' The Bhagavati Temple, in Kodungallur, Kerala, is claimed to be the Kannaki temple thus consecrated.

Mangaladevi temple The Mangaladevi Temple is a Hindu temple at Bolara in the city of Mangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is situated about three kilometres southwest of the city centre. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shakti in the form o ...

located in Idukki, Kerala is also said as the temple thus constructed by Kuttuvan.

Dating Cenguttavan Chera

A method known as Gajabahu synchronism/Triple Synchronism is used by some scholars to date Cenkuttuvan Cera to 2nd century CE.Zvelebil, Kamil V., ''Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature'', Leiden, 1992. 110-111. * According to ''

Cilappatikaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...

'' (text proper, canto 30:160), severals neighbouring kings were invited by Cenkuttuvan to the installation of Kannaki-Pattini at Vanchi. **the Arya kings Kanaka and Vijaya **Kongu king of Kutaku **Kayavaku, the king of Lanka *Kayavaku,the king of Lanka is identified with

Gajabahu I Gajabahu I (lit. 'Elephant-Arm'), also known as Gajabahuka Gamani (c. 113 – 135 CE), was a Sinhalese king of Rajarata in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his military prowess, religious benefactions, extensive involvement in South Indian polit ...

, king of Sri Lanka (r. ''c.'' 171/73 - 193 CE). In this context, Cenkuttuvan can be dated to either the first or last quarter of the 2nd century CE. *Despite its dependency on numerous conjectures, the method is considered as the sheet anchor for the purpose of dating the events in the early historic Tamil texts.

References

Bibliography

* ** * {{cite book , last=Zvelebil, first=Kamil, title=The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India, year=1973 , publisher=Brill Academic Publishers , url = https://books.google.com/books?id=VF2VMUoY_okC&pg=PA38 , isbn= 978-90-04-03591-1 People of the Chera kingdom 3rd-century Indian Jains Chera kings