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| Parantaka I | |
|---|---|
| Parakesari Varman, Maduraium Eelamum Konda Parakesarivarman, Veera Cholan, Irumudi Cholan | |
 Chola Empire under Parantaka Chola I in 915 CE | |
| Chola Emperor | |
| Reign | 907–955 |
| Predecessor | Aditya I |
| Successor | Gandaraditya |
| Born | Veera Narayanan 873 Tiruvottiyur,Chola Empire (Modern dayChennaiTamil Nadu,India) |
| Died | 955(955-00-00) (aged 81–82) Tiruvottiyur,Chola Empire (Modern dayChennaiTamil Nadu,India) |
| Consorts | 11 Total[1] Including: Ko "Kizhan Adigal" Iravi Nili Solamadeviyar |
| Issue | Rajaditya Gandaraditya Uttamasili Arinjaya Viramadevi Anupama. |
| Dynasty | Chola |
| Father | Aditya I |
| Mother | Tribhuvanamadeviyar |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Parantaka Chola I (Tamil:பராந்தக சோழன்; 873–955) was theChola emperor from 907 until his death in 955. During his 48-year long reign, he annexed thePandyas by defeatingRajasimhan II, and in theDeccan won the Battle of Vallala againstRashtrakutas in 911.[2][3]
Parantaka I continued the expansion started by his father, and invaded thePandya kingdom in 915. He captured the Pandyan capitalMadurai and assumed the title Madurain-konda (Capturer of Madurai). The Pandyan rulerMaravarman Rajasinha II sought the help ofKassapa V ofAnuradhapura, who sent an army to his aid. Parantaka defeated the combined army at theBattle of Vellore, a decisive victory for the Cholas,[4] but this victory was narrow.[5] At the battle of Vellur, during the first attempt, Cholas defeated Pandyan army and slained the Lankan army. According to the Chronicles,[specify] Ceylon troops made the second attempt in this most of the Ceylonese troops have caught a plague and caused the death of most of the troops including the commander this causes the remaining Ceylonese troops to be recalled by King Kassapa V. This second attempt was not mentioned in Chola sources.[6][clarification needed] Then Pandya king fled into exile in Sri Lanka and Parantaka I completed his conquest of the entire Pandya country.[7][8]
Parantaka wanted to celebrate his victory by a coronation inMadurai in which he was to invest himself with the insignia ofPandyan monarchy.[citation needed] However he was failed in this attempt by the Pandyan king, who had carried them away and left them in the safe custody of the Lankan king.[citation needed]
Towards the end of his reign, Parantaka tried to capture Pandya regalia back by invading Lanka, although the Colas were victorious in battle and conquered the northern provinces, but failed to take them.[9][10][11][12][13] Now at that this time the Senapati here (in Ceylon) was absent in a rebellious border province. The king had him fetched and sent him forth to begin the war. The Senapati set forth, delivered battle and fell in the fight. Thereupon the king (Udaya) took the crown and the rest and betook himself to Rohana. The Chola troops marched but finding no way of entering Rohana, they turned and betook themselves from here to their own country but Chola troops made off with other booties allegedly there was a counter invasion by Ceylon and they were able to recover the loot but this is not mentioned by the Cholas.[13][14][15]Mahavamsa also records that the Lankan king Udaya IV took the Pandya crown and the jewels and hid himself in theRohana hills. After his exploits in the Pandya country and in Lanka, he took the title ofMaduraiyum Eelamum Konda Parakesarivarman – Parakesarivarman who conquered Madurai and Sri Lanka.
Aditya I had two sons namely Parantaka I and Kannara Deva. The eldest son was Parantaka, born to a Chera wife; the youngest son was Kannara Devan, born to a Rashtrakuta wife. After the death of Aditya I, Rashtrakuta kingKrishna II tried to exert his influence in the Chola country by placing his grandson Kannara Deva on the throne.[16]
In 907 CE, Parantaka became the king. Disappointed by this,Krishna II invaded the Chola country. On Rashtrakuta side, princeIndra III lead the battle, while the Chola side was led by King Parantaka and PrinceRajaditya. In the year 911, in the Battle of Vallala,[2][17] a large number of Rashtrakuta soldiers died and their army began to weaken. Krishna II withdrew and his forces retreated. The Cholas advanced further and attacked the Rashtrakutas and chased away from their territory. Eventually the Cholas defeated the Rashtrakutas. Parantaka Chola's early series of victories would also includes this Rashtrakuta War.[18]
Some historians note that the struggle between Parantaka I and the Rashtrakutas was not uniformly favourable to the latter. The Kanyakumari inscription of Virarajendra states that Parantaka I defeated Krishna III.[19] Historian A. S. Altekar interprets this reference as possibly relating to an earlier engagement prior to 944 CE, suggesting that Parantaka I achieved a temporary success against Krishna III before the renewed Rashtrakuta invasion that culminated in the Battle of Takkolam (c. 949 CE). K. A. Nilakanta Sastri also questioned the early dating of the Siddhalingamadam inscription attributing the conquest of Kanchi and Tanjavur to Krishna III in 944–45, arguing that firm Rashtrakuta occupation of Tondaimandalam occurred only after the Battle of Takkolam.[20][21]
Although Parantaka I was engaged for the greater part of his long reign in warlike operations, the internal administration of his country was a matter in which he took a keen interest. He laid out the rules for the conduct of the village assemblies in an inscription. The village institutions of South India date from a much earlier period than that of Parantaka I, but he introduced many salutary reforms for the proper administration of local self-government.
Thecopper-plate inscriptions detail Parantaka I's promotion of agricultural prosperity by the digging of numerous canals all over the country.
He also utilised the spoils of war to donate to numerous temple charities. He is reported to have covered theChidambaramSiva Temple with a golden roof. He was a devout Saiva (follower of Siva).
Parantaka had many wives, of whom no fewer than eleven appear in the inscriptions. He was religious but secular and encouraged various faiths. Various members of his family built temples and regularly donated to various shrines across the kingdom. Kotanta Rama, incidental with Rajaditya, was the eldest son of Parantaka I. There is an inscription of him from Tiruvorriyur making a donation for some lamps during the 30th year of his father.[22] Besides Kotanta Rama, Parantaka had several other sons;Arikulakesari,Gandaraditya and Uttamasili.
Parankata had theChera Perumals as his close allies and the relationship was further strengthened by two marriages. The king is assumed to have married two distinctChera princesses (the mothers of his two sons,Rajaditya andArinjaya).[23][24]
A member of the retinue ofpillaiyar (prince) Rajadittadeva gave a gift to theVishnu temple at Tirunavalur/Tirumanallur in the 32nd year of Parantaka I.[25] Tirunavalur was also known as "Rajadittapuram" afterRajaditya.[26] It is assumed that a large number of warriors from the aristocratic families of the Chera kingdom were part of the contingent of this Chera-Chola prince.[27] In the 39th year of Parantaka I, his daughter-in-law, Mahadevadigal, a queen of Rajaditya and the daughter of Lataraja donated a lamp to the temple of Rajadityesvara for the merit of her brother.[28] He had at least two daughters: Viramadevi and Anupama. Uttamasili does not appear to have lived long enough to succeed to the Chola throne.
He bore numerous epithets such asViranarayana,Virakirti,Vira-Chola,Vikrama-Chola,Irumadi-Sola (Chola with two crowns alluding to the Chola and the Pandya kingdoms),Devendran (lord of the gods),Chakravartin (the emperor),Panditavatsalan (fond of learned men),Kunjaramallan (the wrestler with elephants) andSurachulamani (the crest jewel of the heroes).[citation needed]
Parantaka I died in 955. His second sonGandaraditya succeeded him.
The following is an inscription of Parantaka I fromTiruvorriyur. It is important as it shows that his dominions included regions beyondThondaimandalam:
..record of the Chola king Maduraikonda Parakesarivarman(Parantaka) dated in his 34th year. Records gift of lamp to the temple of Tiruvorriyur Mahadeva by Maran Parameswaran alias Sembiyan Soliyavarayan of Sirukulattur in Poyyurkurram, a sub-division of Tenkarai-nadu. Refers to a military officer who destroyed Sitpuli and destroyed Nellore.[29]
This is of his sonArinjaya making a donation. Once again it is fromTiruvorriyur:
On the eleventh slab. Records in the 30th year of Maduraikonda Parakesarivarman(Parantaka) dated in his 30th year, gift of gold for a lamp by Arindigai-perumanar, son of Chola-Perumanadigal (i.e Parantaka), to the god Siva at Adhigrama.[30]
There are also several inscriptions of his sonRajaditya from Tirunavalur. One such inscription is the following from the temple of Rajadityesvara in Tirunavalur. The temple was also calledTiruttondîsvaram:[31]
A record in the 29th year of the Chola king Maduraikonda Parakesarivarman. Records gift of 20 sheep for offerings and of two lamps to the shrines of Rajadityesvara and Agastyesvara by a servant of Rajadityadeva.[32]
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{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)| Preceded by | Chola 907–955 CE | Succeeded by |
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