The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago/Chapter 6

by Visvanatha Kanakasabhai Pillai

PANDYA GENEALOGY.

NEDUNJ-CHELIYAN I

(A.D. 50—75)

(conquered an Aryan army: and died on his throne.)

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Verri-vèr-Cheliyan

(A.D. 75—90.)

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NEDUNJ-CHELIYAN II

(A.D. 90—128)

(victor at the battle of Alankanam: captured the Chera King Yanaik-kad-chêy: died at Velli-ambalam.)

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Ugrap-peru-valuti

(A.D. 128—140)

(captured the fortress Kânappêr: attended the Râjasûya sacrifice performed by the Chola king Peru-nar-killi.)

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Nan-mâran

(AD. 40—150)

(died at Ilavantikaip-palli.)

CHAPTER VI. 

The Pandyas.

Contemporary with Karikal Chola the Great was the Pandyan king Ariyap-padai-kadantha-Nedunj-Cheliyan “or the Neduuj-Cheliyan who bad defeated an Aryan army.”^[1] Some one of the Aryan kings of the Dekkan appears to have invaded the Tamil country during his reign, and the Pandyan king drove back the invaders, inflicting a signal defeat which earned from hhn the title of “Conqueror of the Aryan army.” No particulars whatever of this decisive engagement are to be found in the ancient Tamil works now extant. His memory is however preserved to posterity by his romantic death which is related ih the epic poem Chilapp-athikâram.^[2] It is said that he had ordered his palace guards to behead Kovilan, a merchant of Kavirippaddinam, on the suspicion that he had stolen one of the queen’s anklets. But the merchant’s wife Kannaki proved to the satisfaction of the king that the jewel was not the queen’s. Kannaki also spoke to the king of those Chola monarchs of her native country, one of whom had cut off his own flesh to satisfy an eagle, and had saved a dove, and of another king who had killed his own son for having rode in his chariot over a calf and caused its death. The Pandyan king stung with shame and remorse swooned and fell from his throne and never recovered his life. His queen ascended the funeral pyre. One of the verses composed by this king in which he extols the benefits of learning and exhorts his subjects to educate their children is preserved in the anthology called Pura-nauuru.^[3] It is as follows :—

“Help your teacher in his need, pay him amply, follow him faithfully, and acquire learning. Amongst her own children, a mother loves not the son who is illiterate. Of the members of the same family, the eldest is not always honored, but it is the wisest of them whose counsel even a king would seek. Of the four castes of men, if one of the lowest is learned, a man of even the highest caste would resort to him.”

On hearing of the sudden death of Nedunj-Cheliyan, the Pandyan prince Verri-vêr-Cheliyan who was then Viceroy of Kotkai hastened to Madura and ascended the throne.^[4] He appears to have died after a short reign and was succeeded by his son Nedunj-Cheliyan II who was then a boy of tender age. Soon after his accession, his kingdom was invaded by the Chola army which advanced up to Madura. Palayan-Mâran the commander of the Pandyan army was however able to gain a brilliant victory, and the invaders were forced to retreat into their country. The youthful Pandya was present at the engagement. When he heard of the invasion he is said to have vowed to drive the invaders out of his kingdom. The stanza uttered on this ocaasion. by the youthful king, who dabbled in verse like most of the Tamil kings of this period, is as follows :-^[5]

“My rival kings proud of their well armed soldiers, chariots and steeds and huge elephants which have legs like pillars and wear big bells which ever resound, have laughed at those who praised my kingdom, and scorning me as quite a youth, have too boldly marched against me, speaking words of menace and contempt. If I do not defeat them in a pitched battle and capture them with their war drums, let my subjects curse me as a cruel monarch, who too weak to save them has left them to the mercy of the enemy. May the poets honored by the whole world, chief among whom is the learned and wise Maruthan of Mankudy, quit me and my kingdom as unworthy of their song. May I become so utterly destitute that I may have nothing to give to the poor or to those who look to me for support.”

The bard Idaik-kunrûr-kilar who was with the Pandyan army during the battle describes the appearance of the young Pandya in the following verses :—^[6]

“Having bathed in the cool waters of the lake outside the gate of his ancient city, and wearing on his head a wreath of the bright leaves of the margosa, the gallant Cheliyan has come to the battlefield riding on an elephant with drums resounding before him. Countless are the warriors arrayed against him. Alas! how few will survive this short day’s fight.”

“On his feet which wore tinkling little bells, now shines the warrior’s anklet. On his forehead which was covered with luxuriant locks, are now worn the bright leaves of the margosa twined with the twigs of the Ulinjai. On his arms adorned with pretty bracelets is now seen the strong bow. Who is this youth that attired thus stands conspicuous on his high chariot? May he be blessed! Though a flower garland is on his chest, the necklace he wore as a boy has not been taken off. To-day his food was served without milk. Unmoved he saw column after column of the enemies’ forces as it advanced to the attack. Them he neither admired nor scorned; and when his own soldiers grappled with the foes and slaughtered them till their cries seemed to echo in the skies, neither glad nor proud was he of the victory achieved by his army.”

The Pandya was not satisfied with driving back the invaders but determined to carry the war into the Chola dominion. He collected a large army of skilled archers and lancers and led them into Milalai-kurram^[7] the southern province of the Chola kingdom, of which the ruler was Evvi, chief of an ancient clan of the Vellala tribe. He defeated Evvi and annexed Milalai-kiirram to his dominion. He annexed also Muttûrru-kûrram the eastern- most province of the Chera kingdom. These exploits naturally excited the envy of all the neighbouring kings. A formidable league was formed by the Chola and Chera kings who united their forces with those of five other kings, viz., Thithiyan, king of Pothiyam, Elini or Athikamân, chief of Thakadûr Erumaiyûran or the ruler of the Buffalo country (Mysore); Irunko Venmûn and Porunan.^[8] They expected to crush the power of the Pandya; but the latter rose equal to the occasion. He watched their movements closely and without giving them time to take any concerted action, or to enter and lay waste his territory, he boldly attacked them at their rendezvous at Thalai-âlankânam. Though taken by surprise, the allies offered a stout resistance and the battle raged fiercely one whole day before the Pandya could drive them from the field. All the kings and chieftains in the Tamil land and the flower of their troops had been engaged in this battle, and hence the victory gained by the Pandyan king was considered the most brilliant feat of arms of this period. The joy of his subjects knew no bounds. The poets and minstrels who crowded in his court extolled him as the greatest warrior of the age.

The Pandya next conducted an expedition personally into the Chèra territory and succeeded in capturing the king Chêy who was surnamed Yanaik-kan or “the elephant eye” from the peculiar form of his eyes. The Chêra king managed however to escape from custody^[9] and Nedunj-Cheliyan pursued him up to the shores of the Western sea, and defeated the Chêra army again in a battle near the town Muchiri.^[10] Alumbil Vel, one of the fudatory chiefs of the Chêra was dispossessed of his lands.^[11] The Pandya defeated also the chiefs of Kudda-nad and annexed the Nad to his kingdom. He captured the sea-port of Muthu-vellil from a tribe called “Tholuvar” and the famous emporium of Saliyur (in the Gulf of Manaar) from the Nagas.

Nedunj-Chelyan II ascended the throne a few years before the death of Karikal Chola. After his victory at Tnalai-alankânam, he appears to have been on terms of friendship with the great Chola, as may be seen from the stanza composed by the poet Karik-kannan of Kavirippaddinam, a translation of which has been already given in my account of Karikal^[12] Nedunj Cheliyan died in the Siva temple at Madura which was called the “silver shrine,” and he was therefore known in subsequent literature as Velli-amballathu-thunjchiya Peru Valuthi or “the great Valuthi who died in the silver shrine.” The period of his reign was most probably from about A.D. 90 to A.D. 128.

The poet whom Nedunj-Cheliyan II honored most was Maruthanar of Mankudi who composed the Idyll "Maduraik-kanchi" in his praise. The poet gives an excellent character of his patron :-^[13]

"Sincere art thou ever in thy friendship, though the gods themselves may tempt thee to be false offering thee paradise and ambrosia: thou wilt not obey another’s command though the most powerful kings of this earth attack thee: thou wilt not stoop to commit a wicked deed, though all the gold buried in the southern hills by Bana may be obtained thereby: thou delightest ever in doing good.”

The object of the poem was to wean the king’s mind from worldly ambition and to awaken in him a desire for the salvation of his soul. The concluding lines of the poem, in which the author reminds the king of his pious ancestors and prays that he may emulate their example are as follow :-^[14]

“Illustrious like Muthu-kudumi who performed many sacrifices, and like Nilan-tharu-thiruvin Nediyon whose praises were sung by eminent poets versed in the ancient lore of the land, thou art praised for thy prowess and thy virtues by many a sage; having conquered what was difficult to conquer and extended thy dominions, having learned all that the wisest know and established thy fame, thou art resplendent like the morning sun in the midst of the ocean, and like the full moon in the midst of stars, surrounded by princes of thy royal house, served by the Kosar renowned in war, chief amongst whom is the great Maran of everlasting fame, and honored by the five corporations and a host of vassal princes. Drink thou daily of the fragrant wine which thy handmaids wearing brilliant jewels present to thee in cups of gold: and live thou nobly thy full span of life !“

The king’s love of his soldiers and solicitude for the wounded in camp are well described in the poem Nedu-nal-Vâdai written by Nar-kirar.^[15] “In the midnight, though a chill north wind is blowing, the king leaves his pavilion with a few attendants who hold flaming torches, a noble steed saddled and adorned with little bells is led behind him: a white umbrella decked with strings Of pearls is held over him to keep off the drizzling rain: with his left hand he holds up his flowing robes, while his right hand rests on the shoulder of a stalwart youth who carries the king’s sword slung on his arm: and the king graciously enquires after each wounded soldier as one of the generals goes before him holding a lance, wreathed with garlands of the margosa and points out one by one the heroes wounded in the previous day’s fight.”

After Nedunj Cheliyan II succeeded the Pandyan king Ugraperu-valuthi whose name is well known to all the students of Tamil literature as that of the king in whose court Kural, the immortal work of Tiru-Valluvar was published in te presence of 48 poets. This king had the title of Kanapper-thantha-Ugrapperuvaluthi which meant that he conquered and annexed the fortified town of Kanapper which was then considered an impregnable fort. An ode addressed to the monarch praising his capture of the fort is as follows :-^[16]

"Hail monarch of fame eternal! Victorious king! Whom bards have praised for thy prowess in capturing the great fortress of Kanapper whose high walls seem to reach the sky, whose battlements gleam like the stars, the ditch surrounding which fort is as deep and fathomless as the sea, the thorny jungle beyond which is so dense that no ray of sunshine ever enters it; for the loss of which fort Venkai-marpan mourns daily as it is now hard to regain as the water poured on red-hot iron. May thy foes perish and be forgotten. May thy lance be victorious for ever!“

Nothing further is known of this king, and it appears most probable that his reign did not extend to more than a few years. He wa succeeded by the prince Nan-Maran or the “ Good Pandya.” Two of the stanzas addressed to this king by the poets of his court are as follow :_^[17]

“0 Mara! who wearest the garlands of flowers! like the matchless eye which shines in the forehead, adorned with the crescent, of that god, whose throat is black and who gave victory to the mighty immortals by destroying the three castles of the Asuras, using a mountain for his bow, a snake for the bow-string and a matchless arrow, thou art supreme amongst kings. Although a monarch’s power may seem to depend upon his ferocious battle elephants, fleet warsteeds, tall bannered chariots, and fearless soldiers, it has its real foundation on justice. Therefore be not partial to thy subjects nor deal unjustly with strangers; be valiant a the fierce sun, benevolent as the mild moon and gracious as the clouds which shower rain so that there may be no poverty in thy land. Long mayst thou live for many years as countless as the sands which strong winds heap up in hillocks in the beautiful harbour of Chenthil, sacred to the god Muruga, where the foam-crested waves of the sea ceaselessly break upon the shore.”

“In fierce wrath thou art like the god of death. In resistless strength thou art like Baladeva. In fame thou art like Vishnu who smites those who do not praise him. In carrying out whatever thou wishest thou art like Muruga. What is there that thou canst not achieve Therefore give alms freely to those who seek thy charity. Spend thy days joyously drinking daily of cool and fragrant wine brought by Yavanas in their good ships which thy handmaids who wear shining bracelets on their arms, present to thee in handsome cups of gold. Thou Mara, who wieldest the conquering sabre! like the sun whose fiery rays dispell darkness and like the moon whose mild beams brighten the evening, live for ever, and be eminent amongst the kings of this earth!"

This king died at a place called Ilavanthikaip-palli and hence he was called by subsequent writers Ilavanthikaip-palli-thunjchiya-Nan-Maran or "the good Mara who died at Ilavanthikaip-palli.”

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1. Chilapp-athikarm, Maduraik-kandam - 1:14
2. Ibid., canto xx.
3. Puram-183.
4. Chilapp-athikaram - xxvii. 127-135.
5. Puram-72.
6. Ibid.,-79-77
7. Ibid., 24
8. Akam-36
9. Puram-17
10. Akam-57
11. Maduraik-Kanchi-ii 344-345
12. Ante - Vol II p.323
13. Maduraik-kanchi - II, 190-205.
14. Ibid., II 759-782
15. Nedu-nal-vâdai, ii. 172-188
16. Puram-21.
17. Ibid., 55 and 56