The war in which Cholas ravaged a Chera town in Kanniyakumari

The war in which Cholas ravaged a Chera town in Kanniyakumari

Though the Tamil country ruled by Chera, Chola and Pandya kings had been a land of great literature, art, culture and temple architecture, it had also witnessed fierce battles among them. One such battle was fought between the Cholas and the Cheras at Udagai, now known as Udayagiri in Kalkulam taluk of Kanniyakumari district, during the reign of Raja Raja I, the greatest of Chola kings. In this bloodiest war, the Cholas plundered Udagai and returned to their headquarters in Thanjavur with tonnes of gold and the best elephants.

The battle between the Cholas and the Cheras began with the conquest of Kanthalur Salai in the Chera Kingdom. There is an unending debate on the words about the Chola period inscription, Kanthalur Salai Kalamartharuliya Sree Raja Raja Devan. While it is certain that it talks about Raja Raja’s victory over the Chera king, there are differences of opinion among the historians over the geographical existence of the place, and the interpretation of the words, Salai and Kalam, still continues. Some opine that Kanthalur Salai existed near the Vizhinjam port in the present day Kerala and Kalam means sailing vessels. Tamil poet Kavimani, who was also an epigraphist, was of the opinion that Salai was a place where people were offered food regularly.

“But the discovery of a Chola period epigraphy a few years ago near Chengam proves without doubt that Salai was an army training centre run by the Cheras. The training centre remained a challenge to the Cholas. With the battle began the end of the relationship between the Cholas and the Cheras that had been established through marriages,” says R. Kalaikovan, founder, Rajamanickanar Centre for Historical Research.

In his book, Pazhuvur-Arasarkal, Kovilkal Mattrum Samuthayam (Pazhuvur-Kings, Temples and Society), Dr. Kalaikovan says Adityan Kothai Piratti, wife of Chola King Arinjaya, and Paranthagan Devi Ammal, wife of Sundar Chola, were the Chera princesses.

“The relationship deteriorated fast during the reign of Raja Raja. He decided to launch a battle after one of his messengers was detained by the Chera king at Udagai. A brutal battle followed,” says Dr. Kalaikovan. He reiterates that in this case, Raja Raja was not driven by any expansionist policy, but by the desire to secure his messenger.

“Udagai is the present day Udayagiri, where stands a huge fort constructed in the 18th Century by Eustachius de Lannoy, a Portuguese soldier, who later became the chieftain of the Travancore army after his defeat in the battle of Colachel,” said A.K. Perumal, author of Then Kumariyin Kathai. Historically, Kalkulam used to be the recruitment ground for the Chera army and subsequently for the Travancore army.

“Udagai was a big town, surrounded by huge walls with tall towers. There were palatial houses. The Chola army demolished the buildings, set the town ablaze and secured the messenger locked in prison,” said historian K.K. Pillai in his book Cholar Varalaru (The History of Cholas). K.K. Pillai, a student of historian K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, rejects his teacher’s suggestion that Udagai was a town near Coorg. However, epigraphist Chenthee Natarajan says the town was near Kollam in Kerala.