Legendary early Chola kings

Karikal Chola

The lists of legendary Early Chola kings are recorded in Tamil literature and in the inscriptions left by the later Chola kings.

Chola Empire[]

The genealogy of the Chola empire as found in the Tamil literature and in the many inscriptions left by the later Chola kings contains a number of kings recorded for whom there is no verifiable historic evidence. There are as many versions of this lineage as there are sources for them. The main source is the Sangam literature – particularly, religious literature such as Periapuranam, semi-biographical poems of the later Chola period such as the temple and cave inscription and left by medieval Cholas.

Irrespective of the source, no list of the kings has a high level of historic fact and, while they generally are similar to each other, no two lists are exactly the same. Modern historians^[who?] consider these lists not as historically reliable sources but as comprehensive conglomerations of various Hindu deities and Puranic characters attributed to local chieftains and invented ancestry of dynasty attempting to re-establish their legitimacy and supremacy in a land they were trying to conquer.

Prehistorical Cholas[]

A number of typical hero and demi-gods found their place in the ancestry claimed by the later Cholas in the long typical genealogies incorporated into the copper-plate charters and stone inscription of the tenth and eleventh centuries. The earliest version of this is found in the kilbil Plates which gives fifteen names before Chola including the genuinely historical ones of Karikala, Perunarkilli and Kocengannan. The Thiruvalangadu Plate swells this list to forty-four, and the Kanya Plate runs up to fifty-two.

The Cholas were looked upon as descended from the sun. These myths speak of a Chola king, supposed contemporary of the sage Agastya, whose devotion brought the river Kavery into existence. There is also the story of the king Manu Needhi Cholan who sentenced his son to death for having accidentally killed a calf. He was called thus because he followed the rules of Manu; his real name is not mentioned and is thought to be Ellalan according to Maha vamsam who was also attributed with a similar story. King Shivi who rescued a dove from a hunter by giving his own flesh to the hungry and poor hunter was also part of the early Chola legends. King Shivi was also called Sembiyan, a popular title assumed by a number of Chola kings.

Cholas of the Sangam period[]

The early Chola kings of the Sangam period and the life of people contributed much to the cultural wealth of the Tamil country. The Sangam literature is full of legends about the mythical Chola kings. However, there is no basis for this list of Kings either by way of inscriptions or by way of literary evidence (even in Sangam literature). The dates of accession are approximate interpolation of the Chronological standpoints in Tamil history.^{[citation needed]}

Eri Oliyan Vaendhi C. 3020 BCE
Maandhuvaazhi C. 2980 BCE
El Mei Nannan C. 2945 BCE
Keezhai Kinjuvan C. 2995 BCE
Vazhisai Nannan C. 2865 BCE
Mei Kiyagusi Aerru C. 2820 BCE
Aai Kuzhi Agusi Aerru C. 2810 BCE
Thizhagan Maandhi C. 2800 BCE
Maandhi Vaelan C. 2770 BCE
Aai Adumban C. 2725 BCE
Aai Nedun jaet chozha thagaiyan C. 2710 BCE
El Mei Agguvan a.k.a. Keezh nedu mannan C. 2680 BCE
Mudiko Mei Kaalaiyam Thagaiyan C. 2650 BCE
Ilangok keezh kaalaiyan thagaiyan a.k.a. Ilangeezh nannan C. 2645 BCE -start of Kadamba lineage by his brother Aai Keezh Nannan
Kaalaiyan gudingyan C. 2630 BCE
Nedun gaalayan dhagayan C. 2615 BCE
Vaengai nedu vael varaiyan C.2614 BCE
Vaet kaal kudingyan C. 2600 BCE
Maei Ila vael varaiyan C. 2590 BCE
Sibi Vendhi C. 2580 BCE
Paru nonji chaamazhingyan C. 2535 BCE
Vaeqratrtri chembiya chozhan C. 2525 BCE
Saamazhi chozhiya vaelaan C. 2515 BCE
Uthi ven gaalai thagan C. 2495 BCE
Nannan that kaalai thagan C. 2475 BCE
Vel vaen mindi C. 2445 BCE
Nedun jembiyan C. 2415 BCE
Nedu nonji Vendhi C. 2375 BCE
Maei Vael paqratrtri C. 2330 BCE
Aai Perun thoan nonji C. 2315 BCE
Kudiko pungi C. 2275 BCE
Perun goep poguvan C. 2250 BCE
Koeth thatrtri C. 2195 BCE
Vadi sembiyan C. 2160 BCE
Aalam poguvan C. 2110 BCE
Nedun jembiyan C. 2085 BCE
Perum paeyar poguvan C. 2056 BCE
Kadun jembiyan C. 2033 BCE
Nedun kathan C. 2015 BCE
Paru nakkan C. 1960 BCE
Vani sembiyan C. 1927 BCE
Udha chira mondhuvan C. 1902 BCE
Perun kaththan C. 1875 BCE
Kadun kandhalan C. 1860 BCE
Nakka monjuvan C. 1799 BCE
Maarko vael Maandhuvan Aaththikko C. 1786 BCE
Musukunthan Vaendhi C. 1753 BCE
Peru nakkan Thatrtri C. 1723 BCE
Vaer kaththan C. 1703 BCE
Ambalaththu Irumundruvan C. 1682 BCE
Kaari mondhuvan C. 1640 BCE
Vennakkan Thatrtri C. 1615 BCE
Maarko chunthuvan C. 1565 BCE
Vaer parunthoan mundruvan C. 1520 BCE
Udhan kaththan C. 1455 BCE
Kaariko sunthuvan C. 1440 BCE
Vendri nungunan C. 1396 BCE
Mondhuvan Vendhi C. 1376 BCE
Kaandhaman C. 1359 BCE
Mundruvan Vendhi C. 1337 BCE
Kaandhaman C. 1297 BCE
Monjuvan Vendhi C. 1276 BCE
Ani sembiyan C. 1259 BCE
Nungunan Vendhi C. 1245 BCE
Maarkop perum Cenni C. 1229 BCE
Monjuvan Nanvendhi C. 1180 BCE
Kop perunar chenni C. 1170 BCE
Monthuvan jembiyan C. 1145 BCE
Narchenni C. 1105 BCE
Caet chembiyan C. 1095 BCE
Nakkar chenni C. 1060 BCE
Parun jembiyan C.1045 BCE
Venjenni C. 998 BCE
Musugunthan C. 989 BCE
Maarkop perun jembiyan C. 960 BCE
Nedunjenni C.935 BCE
Thatchembiyan C. 915 BCE
Ambalaththu iruvaer chembiyan C. 895 BCE
Kaariko chenni C. 865 BCE
Venvaer chenni C. 830 BCE
Kaandhaman, C. 788 BCE
Kaandhalan C. 721 BCE
Caetchenni C. 698 BCE
Vani nungunan C. 680 BCE
Mudhu sembiyan Vendhi C. 640 BCE
Peelan jembiyach chozhiyan C. 615 BCE
Maeyan gadungo C. 590 BCE
Thiththan C. 570 BCE
Perunar killi Porvaiko C. 515 BCE
Kadu mundruvan C. 496 BCE
Kopperunjozhan C. 495 BCE
Narkilli Mudiththalai C. 480 BCE
Thevvan go chozhan C. 465 BCE
Naran jembiyan C. 455 BCE
Nakkam peela valavan C. 440 BCE
Iniyan thevvan jenni C. 410 BCE
Varcembiyan C. 395BCE
Nedun jembiyan C. 386 BCE
Nakkan aran jozhan C. 345 BCE
Ambalathu irungoch chenni C. 330 BCE
Perunar killi C. 316 BCE
Kochaet Cenni C. 286 BCE
Cerupazhi Erinda Ilanjaetcenni, C. 275 BCE
Nedungop perunkilli C. 220 BCE
Cenni Ellagan C. 205 BCE
Perun gilli C. 165 BCE
Kopperun jozhiyav ilanjaetcenni C. 140 BCE
Perunar killi Mudiththalai ko C. 120 BCE
PerumpootCenni C. 100 BCE
Ilam perunjenni C. 100 BCE
Perungilli Vendhi aka Karikaalan I C. 70 BCE
Nedumudi Killi C. 35 BCE
Ilavanthigaipalli Thunjiya Maei Nalangilli Caet Cenni, C. 20 BCE
Aai Vaenalangilli C. 15 BCE
Uruvapakraer Ilanjaetcenni, C. 10 – 16 CE
16–30 CE Kingdom ruled by a series of Uraiyur chieftains
Karikaalan II Peruvalaththaan, C. 31 CE
Vaer paqradakkai Perunar killi, C. 99 CE
Perun thiru mavalavan, Kuraapalli Thunjiya C. 99 CE
Nalangilli C. 111 CE
Perunarkilli, Kula mutrtraththu Thunjiya C. 120 CE
Perunarkilli, Irasasuya vaetta C. 143 CE
Vael kadunkilli C. 192 CE
Kochenganaan C. 220 CE
Nalluruththiran C. 245 CE

Genealogy from Chola inscriptions[]

The genealogy of the Chola family conveyed by the Thiruvalangadu copperplate grant consists of names that corroborate the historic authenticity of legends.^[1]

Manu
Ikshvaku
Vikukshi
Puranjaya
Kakutstha
Kakshivat
Aryaman
Analapratapa
Vena
Prithu
Dhundhumara
Yuvanasva
Mandhata
Muchukunda
Valabha
Prithulaksha
Parthivachudamani
Dirghabahu
Chandrajit
Sankriti
Panchapa
Satyavrata
Rudrajit
Sibi
Marutta
Dushyanta
Bharata
Cholavarman
Rajakesarivarman
Parakesarin
Chitraratha
Chitrasva
Chitradhanvan
Suraguru (Mrityujit)
Chitraratha
Vyaghraketu
Narendrapati
Vasu (Uparichara)
Visvajit
Perunatkilli
Karikala
Kochchengannan

References[]

^ http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_3/no_205_aditya_ii_karikala.html

[1] ttp://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_3/no_205_aditya_ii_karikala.html

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