Cenkuttuvan
| Chenkuttuvan | |
|---|---|
| Kadal Pirakottiya Kadalottiya | |
| Chera ruler | |
| Reign | c. 180 CE[1] |
| Spouse | Illanko Venmal |
| House | Chera |
| Father | Nedum Cheralathan[2] |
| Mother | Chola Manakkilli[3] |
| Chera dynasty |
|---|
  |
Chenkuttuvan (c. 180 CE[1]), literally 'the Righteous Kuttuvan'[4], title Kadal Pirakottiya[5], identified with Kadalottiya Vel Kezhu Kuttuvan,[6] was the most celebrated Chera ruler of early historic South India.[7][8] The Chera ruler is eulogized by poet Paranar in the fifth decade of Pathitrupathu Collection of the Ettuthokai anthology of the early Tamil texts.[9] He is also celebrated in Chilappathikaram, the Tamil epic by Chera prince Ilanko Adikal.[6] The flow of Yavana or Graeco-Roman gold, via Indian Ocean spice trade, to South India under Chenkuttavan is vividly described in ancient Tamil poems.[5]
According to early Tamil literature, the Chera ruler successfully intervened in a succession dispute in the neighboring Chola country and established his relative on the Chola throne. He is said to have defeated the Kongar people (Chilappathikaram), the powerful chieftain Nannan[8], and another chieftain called Mokur Mannan.[10] He probably was a member of the Muchiri-Karur branch of the Chera family.[1] Under his reign, the Chera territory included the Malabar Coast (present-day Kerala) and interior Kongu country.[11][12]
Military achievements of Chenkuttavan are described - albeit in an exaggerated manner - in the medieval Tamil epic poem Chilappathikaram.[2] A method, known as Gajabahu Synchronism/Triple Synchronism, based on text proper, canto 30:160 of the text, is used by scholars to date Chenkuttavan Chera to c. 2nd century CE.[13]
Early Tamil texts
[edit]Chenkuttavan is praised by poet Paranar in the fifth decade of Pathitrupathu Collection of the Ettuthokai anthology.[9]
Chenkuttavan was the son of the Chera ruler Imayavaramban (Nedum Cheralathan) and a princess from family of the Cholas of Uraiyur.[7][6] The wife of Chenkuttuvan was certain Illanko Venmal, the daughter of a Velir chieftain.[11][12] According to Pathitrupathu, Chenkuttuvan ruled the Chera country for 55 years.[14]
The patikam to Pathitrupathu, decad V, mentions Chera prince Ilanko Adikal and the expedition of Chenkuttuvan to bring the sacred stone from which to form the Pattini idol (scholars are of the opinion that the patikam is a later interpolation to the text).[14][4]
Relation with maritime trade
[edit]Poet Paranar praised the Chera ruler for his naval powers -
"Kuttuvan not finding an enemy worthy to fight with became angry, with martial might besieged the sea and with magnificent spear drove back the sea whose wave rose high".[15]
Early Tamil poems Purananuru 343 refer to the "hill products" and "sea products", later mainly being precious pearls, of Chenkuttuvan and to the Yavana or Graeco-Roman gold that "reached ashore by boats", in exchange.[5] Chenkuttuvan's mastery over the sea might have led to the often used title Kadal Pirakottiya, which roughly translates as "One who Lagged the Sea Behind".[5]
Martial achievements
[edit]Poet Paranar also praised Chenkuttuvan's military prowess -
"Kuttuvan of the Gold Garland, whose army destroyed the beauty of many lands, till the noise rose loud of the drums used in numerous battles with the monarchs of the country between Comorin (Cape Comorin) on the south and Himalayas, the mountain that rises high as the northern boundary."[15]
It is recorded that Chenkuttuvan successfully intervened in a succession dispute in the Chola territory and established his relative (brother-in-law) Killi on the Chola throne. The rivals of Killi were later defeated in the battle at a location known as "Nerivayil" (leading to the death of nine other contenders to the throne).[7] Chenkuttuvan also defeated a chieftain called "Pazhaiyan" Mokur Mannan (one of the Chera's allies was Arukai, an enemy of the chief of Mokur) (Pathitrupathu, 45, V Pathikam and Chilappathikaram, XXVIII, 124-26)[7][6] He also conquered the Kongar people (Kongu people) in a martial campaign (Chilappathikaram, XXV, 152-53).[7]
The Chenkuttuvan was able to defeat Nannan, another powerful chieftain, in a battle at a location called "Viyalur" (in the country of Nannan).[8][4] The "fort" of Kodukur, in the Kongu country, was also destroyed.[7][8]
According to a few verses in Pathitrupathu, the warriors of the Chenkuttuvan used bull-hide shields to protect themselves from the enemy darts (Pathitrupathu, 45).[7]
Chenguttavan Chera in Chilappathikaram
[edit]Authorship of the Tamil epic Chilappathikaram is traditionally ascribed to prince Ilanko Adikal (literally the junior prince), who appears in the work as the younger brother of Chenkuttuvan Chera.[16] The third part of Chilappathikaram (the Vanchi Kantham) deals with Chenkuttuvan's expedition to bring the virakkallu (sacred stone) from the Himalayas for an idol of goddess Kannaki or Pattini.[2][13]
According to the patikam of Chilappathikaram, the royal astrologer at the court of Chera king predicted that (the younger prince) Ilanko would succeed the king, which angered the elder prince Chenkuttuvan. Ilanko at once chose to renounce his claims to the throne and live a life of an ascetic. He shifted to a monastery on the outskirts of Vanchi, where he composed epic Chilappathikaram.[13]
Chera king Senguttuvan's wife Illango Venmal was moved by Kannagi's tragic story and wanted her to be worshipped as a goddess of chastity. Senguttuvan agreed and asked his court at Vanji for advice, which suggested to carve out a stone block from the Himalayas for the virakkallu. The king then ordered the march to the Himalayas by the royal sword and umbrella pointing northwards.[16]
Senguttuvan first moved to the Nilgiris mountains of Odisha by sea, where he was welcomed by Sanjcharya, a general of Magadha.[16] Sanjcharya informed Senguttuvan, that he was sent by Nuruvar Kannar to inquire about the needs of the Chera king for the campaign to the Himalayas. Senguttuvan responded, that he needed ships to travel through the River Ganges. With Sanjcharya's ships the army sailed to Magadha, where they were received by the Magadha king.[16] The expedition ended at Uttarai, where the Arya princes led by Kanaka, Vijaya and allied princes Uttara, Vichitra, Rudra, Bhairava, Chitra Singha, Dhanuttara and Sveta encountered the forces of Senguttuvan with a huge army. After a long battle, the Arya alliance was defeated. Kanaka and Vijaya were caught and brought back to Magadha, where Senguttuvan honoured the warriors of the battle. Two-and-half months after his departure Senguttuvan victoriously returned to Vanchi, where the temple for Kannagi (Pattini) was consecrated with the virakkallu from the Himalayas.[16]
The Bhagavati Temple, in Kodungallur, Kerala, is claimed to be the Kannaki temple thus consecrated.[13]
Dating Chenkuttavan Chera
[edit]A method known as Gajabahu Synchronism/Triple Synchronism is used by some scholars to date Chenkuttavan Chera to 2nd century CE.[14]
According to Chilappathikaram (text proper, canto 30:160), several neighboring kings were invited by Chenkuttavan to the installation of Kannaki-Pattini at Vanchi.[14] This included the "Arya" kings Kanaka and Vijaya, [14] the Kongu king of Kudaku, [14] and "Kayavaku", the king of Lanka.[14] Kayavaku, the king of Lanka, can be is identified with Gajabahu I, king of Sri Lanka (r. c. 1773 — 195 CE[1]). In this context, Chenkuttavan can be dated to either the first or last quarter of the 2nd century CE.[13]
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.[13][17][18]
In popular culture
[edit]Films
[edit]- The film 1956 Tamil film Raja Rani (1956) by A. Bhimsingh features actor Sivaji Ganesan playing the role of Chenkuttavan in a play within the film.
- Chenkuttavan is briefly portrayed by an uncredited actor at the beginning of the Tamil-language film Poompuhar (1964).
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Subbarayalu 2014, p. 49-50.
- ^ a b c Subbarayalu 2014, p. 50–51.
- ^ Sastri 1957, p. 504-18.
- ^ a b c Sastri 1958, p. 114-115.
- ^ a b c d Gurukkal 2013.
- ^ a b c d Aiyar 1937, p. 4-5 and 21-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g Aiyar 1937, p. 21-23.
- ^ a b c d Singh 2008, p. 384-85.
- ^ a b Zvelebil 1973, p. 52–53.
- ^ Aiyar 1937, p. 21-24.
- ^ a b Menon 1967.
- ^ a b Menon 2007, pp. 67–68.
- ^ a b c d e f Shulman 2016, p. 99–101.
- ^ a b c d e f g Zvelebil 1992, p. 110-111.
- ^ a b Menon 1987, p. 24–25.
- ^ a b c d e Tikkanen 2015.
- ^ Zvelebil 1973, pp. 37–39: The opinion that the Gajabahu Synchronism is an expression of genuine historical tradition is accepted by most scholars today
- ^ Zvelebil 1973, p. 38.
Bibliography
[edit]- Aiyar, K. G. Sesha (1937). Chera Kings of the Sangam Period. London: Luzac and Co.
- Gurukkal, Rajan (2013). "Classical Indo-Roman Trade: A Misnomer in Political Economy". Economic and Political Weekly. 48 (26–27).
- Menon, A. Sreedhara (1967). A Survey of Kerala History. Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society. OCLC 555508146.
- Menon, A. Sreedhara (2007) [1967]. A Survey of Kerala History. Kerala, India: D C Books. ISBN 978-8126415786.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
- Menon, A. Sreedhara (2007) [1967]. A Survey of Kerala History. Kerala, India: D C Books. ISBN 978-8126415786.
- Menon, A. Sreedhara (1987). Kerala History and its Makers. Kottayam: D C Books.
- Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta (1958). A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
- Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta (1957). Comprehensive History of India, Vol. 2: The Mauryas and Satavahanas. Bombay: Orient Longman.
- Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: from the Stone Age to the 12th century. New Delhi: Pearson Longman. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0.
- Shulman, David (2016). Tamil: A Biography. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
- Subbarayalu, Y. (2014). "Early Tamil Polity". In Karashima, Noburu (ed.). A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 49–50.
- Tikkanen, Amy, ed. (2015). "Silappathikaram". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- Zvelebil, Kamil V. (1992) [1991]. Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature. Leiden: Brill.
- Zvelebil, Kamil (1973). The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India. Leiden: E. J. Brill.