Irunkōvēl, also known asIrungkōvēl,Irukkuvēl, andIlangōvēlir, was a title of the Irunkōvēl line ofVelir kings. The Irunkovel line of kings ruled overKonadu identified with theKodumbalur and surrounding areas in ancientTamilakkam. They trace their lineage to the clan ofKrishna; one of the inscriptions at Kodumbalur belonging to one of the kings in the Irunkovel line, namely Tennavan Irunkōvēl alias Maravan Bhutiyar. They belong toKallar family,K. A. Nilakanta Sastri mentions in his study.[1]
The most famous among them was a contemporary ofKarikala Chola as well as poetKapilar and lived during theSangam era.[2] There is a song of Kapilar when Irunkovel would not acceptPari s daughters.[3]Sangam literature mentions a chieftain called Irunkovel who could trace his lineage back over 49 generations to residence inDvārakā.[4] He is later defeated byKarikala Chola and becomes a subordinate to theChola sovereign.[5]
The Irungovel chieftains were not merely feudatories but were related to theCholas through matrimony.[6][7] TheCholas considered the offspring of these unions as one of their own and referred to them asIrungolar meaning child or son in their epigraphs.[citation needed] These princes assumed both the Chola and Irungovel titles like for example there was one Adavallan Gangaikonda Cholan alias Irungolan during the time ofKulottunga I and then there was a certain Sendamangalam Udaiyan Araiyan Edirili Cholan alias Irungolan during the reign ofKulottunga III.[8]
Although the Irukkovels were calledYaduvamsaketu, Mr. V. Mahadevan has shown through the Tirupazhana inscription that they belonged to the Kallar lineage. The title “Irukkovel” is still the title of a section of the Kallar people living in Thanjavur, Trichy and Pudukkottai areas.[9]
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