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The early Cheras controlled a large territory of the [[Kongu Nadu]] region. They also ruled the Kodunthamizh regions of [[Travancore]] (Venadu) and the [[Malabar]] (Kudanadu) west coast through a [[viceroy]] <ref name="books.google.co.in"/> who oversaw the local [[kshatri]]s. |
The early Cheras controlled a large territory of the [[Kongu Nadu]] region. They also ruled the Kodunthamizh regions of [[Travancore]] (Venadu) and the [[Malabar]] (Kudanadu) west coast through a [[viceroy]] <ref name="books.google.co.in"/> who oversaw the local [[kshatri]]s. |
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Throughout the era trade continued to bring prosperity to the area with [[spices]], [[ivory]], [[timber]], [[pearl]]s and [[Gemstone|gems]] being exported to [[Mesopotamia]], [[Egypt]], [[Greece]], [[ancient Rome|Rome]], [[Phoenicia]] and [[Arabia]].[[Sangam]] Chera coins are found in [[Karur]], [[Namakkal]], [[Erode]], [[Dindigul]] and [[Coimbatore]] regions of modern-day [[Tamil Nadu]]. These foreigners were called ''[[Yavana]]'' in the ancient times</ref> Trade flourished overseas and there was a considerable exchange of [[gold]] and coins, as seen by archaeological evidence and literature. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] brought vast amounts of gold in exchange of '[[Kari]]' ([[Black pepper|Pepper]]) from Malainadu.<ref>http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007012800201800.htm&date=2007/01/28/&prd=th&</ref> [[ |
Throughout the era trade continued to bring prosperity to the area with [[spices]], [[ivory]], [[timber]], [[pearl]]s and [[Gemstone|gems]] being exported to [[Mesopotamia]], [[Egypt]], [[Greece]], [[ancient Rome|Rome]], [[Phoenicia]] and [[Arabia]].[[Sangam]] Chera coins are found in [[Karur]], [[Namakkal]], [[Erode]], [[Dindigul]] and [[Coimbatore]] regions of modern-day [[Tamil Nadu]]. These foreigners were called ''[[Yavana]]'' in the ancient times</ref> Trade flourished overseas and there was a considerable exchange of [[gold]] and coins, as seen by archaeological evidence and literature. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] brought vast amounts of gold in exchange of '[[Kari]]' ([[Black pepper|Pepper]]) from Malainadu.<ref>http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007012800201800.htm&date=2007/01/28/&prd=th&</ref> [[Musiri]] has been referred to by the author of the ''[[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]]'' as an inland port probably near [[Musiri]]. |
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===Religion=== |
===Religion=== |
Revision as of 07:32, 23 April 2011
Chera Kingdom சேரர் | |
---|---|
c. 5th century BCE–c. 10th century CE | |
Capital | Early Cheras: (Vanchi Muthur modern Karur Vanchi |
Religion | Hinduism |
Government | Sabhā |
Historical era | Middle Ages |
• Established | c. 5th century BCE |
• Disestablished | c. 10th century CE |
Today part of | India |
The term Chera Dynasty (Tamil: சேரர் refers to the Sangam period dynasty that ruled before the Sangam era until the tenth century.
The early Cheras ruled Kongu Nadu[1] from time immemorial. The dynasty probably added the Southern Nagapattanam and Thiruvarur districts after the marriage of the second king of the first Chera Dynasty into the royal family of the Cholas. Musiri or Muziris, the famous sea port, was in the Chera kingdom and throughout the reign of the Cheras, trade continued to bring prosperity to Kongu Nadu, with spices, ivory, timber, pearls and gems being exported to the Middle East and to southern Europe. Evidence of extensive foreign trade from ancient times can be seen throughout the Karur and Coimabtore districts. Their ancient capital was Vanchi Muthur or modern Karur. King Senguttuvan was the most famous and powerful Chera king.
Origins
In the Sangam Tamil lexicon the word Chera meaning "hill country", derived from Cheral, meaning "declivity or mountain slope" in Classical Tamil language The sources available regarding the early Chera Kings are the anthologies of Sangam literature, coins from Kongu Nadu and other literature. The Chera country had four Vanchis (capitals), the prime at Karur and the later ones at Dharapuram, Mulanur and Vilangil Rasipuram. The Chera and Chola Nadu were separated by the Karaipottanaru and Madukkarai wall.
The Cheras, the Pandyas and the Cholas are the three ruling dynasties of the southern region (Bharatavarsha) in the Hindu epic of the Ramayana.[2][3] They are also mentioned in the Aitareya Aranyaka, and the Mahabharata, where they take the side of the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War.[4][5][6][7] Ashoka's edicts mention an independent dynasty known by the name Ketalaputho who were outside Ashoka's empire in 261 BC. Pliny, the Roman historian of the 1st century, who probably visited Kerala, called the area Caelobothras in his Natural History.[8] The unknown author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions Chera as Cerobothra whose capital is Karur.
Archaeology has found epigraphic evidence of the early Cheras in the recorded history of South India:[9] some inscriptions trace the dynasty from the Puranic kings of the Lunar dynasty. The most important inscription is that at Pugalur (Aranattarmalai) which refers to three generations of Chera Rulers; Athan Cheral Irumporai, his son Perumkadungo and his grandson Ilamkadungo when Perumkadungo was ruler and Ilamkadungo appointed prince.
Sangam literature is full of names of kings and princes, along with the poets who extolled them but these are not worked into connected history so far and the chronology is not settled. Their then capital is believed to be modern Karur in Tamil Nadu.
The Satyaputras are an offshoot of the Chera dynasty and they ruled the opposite bank of the Kaveri which was called Mazha Kongu Nadu.
History
The origin and seat of the Sangam period Cheras is Kongu Nadu.[10][11] Chera is also referred to as Kongan many times. His mountains are the Kolli Malais and his seat Karuvur on the banks of Anporunai.
The Chera, Chola and Pandya are traditional Tamil siblings and descendants of the Kings of ancient Tamilakam, Chera and Pandya meaning old country, Cheras ruled Kongu Nadu, Chola meaning new country. The Cholas ruled in the eastern Coromandel Coast and the Pandyas in the South Central Peninsula. Chera rulers engaged in frequent intermarriage as well as warfare with the Pandyas and Cholas.
In early Tamil literature the great Chera rulers are referred to as Cheral, Kuttuvan, Irumporai, Kollipurai and Athan. Chera rulers were also called Kothai or Makothai. The nobility among the Cheras were called Cheraman in general. Each King is praised in ten songs sung by the Court Poet and the Kings are in the following order:
- Imayavaramban Kudako Nedum Cheralathan
- Palyane Chel Kezhu Kuttuvan
- Kalankai Kanni Narmudi Cheral (son of Nedum Cheralathan)
- Chenkuttuvan Cheran or Kadal Pirakottiya Vel Kezhu Kuttuvan (son of Nedum Cheralathan)
- Attu Kottu Pattu Cheralathan (son of Nedum Cheralathan)
- Chelva Kadunko Azhi Athan
- Thakadur Erintha Perum Cheral Irumporai
- Kudako Ilam Cheral Irumporai
His queen was Veliyan Nallini. Their son Imayavaramban Kudako Nedum Cheralathan is praised in the second pathu of Pathirruppaththu, the pathikam of this decade refers to his parents, though they are not praised in the first pathu which is blank. The third, fourth and fifth kings were sons of Nedum Cheralathan, while the mother of fourth King (also known as Chenkuttuvan) was Chola Princess Manikilli. Chelva Kadunko Vazhiyathan was the son of Anthuvan Cheral Irumporai and Porayan Perumthevi. Perum Cheral Irumporai was the son of Aazhiyathan and Ilam Cheral Irumporai was the son of a Chera ruler Kuttuvan Irumporai,son of Mantharan Cheral Irumporai, the celebrated ancestor of ninth King Ilam Cheral Irumporai.
Illango Atikal wrote the legendary epic Silapathikararam sitting at a Jain monastery in Trikkanamathilakam. Silapathikararam describes the Chera king Senguttuvan's decision to propitiate a temple (Veerakallu) for the Goddess Pattini. 'Purananuru' refers to a certain Udiyan Cheral. It is said that he fed the rival armies during the Kurukshetra war. Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan, another Sangam Age King claimed to have conquered Bharatavarsha up to the Himalayas and to have inscribed his emblem on the face of the mountains. Senguttuvan was another famous Chera, whose contemporary Gajabahu I of Sri Lanka of Lanka according to Mahavamsa visited the Chera country.[12] Manimekalai written by Chathanar describes the city of Vanchi as Buddhist centre.
Extent and trade
The early Cheras controlled a large territory of the Kongu Nadu region. They also ruled the Kodunthamizh regions of Travancore (Venadu) and the Malabar (Kudanadu) west coast through a viceroy [10] who oversaw the local kshatris.
Throughout the era trade continued to bring prosperity to the area with spices, ivory, timber, pearls and gems being exported to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Phoenicia and Arabia.Sangam Chera coins are found in Karur, Namakkal, Erode, Dindigul and Coimbatore regions of modern-day Tamil Nadu. These foreigners were called Yavana in the ancient times</ref> Trade flourished overseas and there was a considerable exchange of gold and coins, as seen by archaeological evidence and literature. The Romans brought vast amounts of gold in exchange of 'Kari' (Pepper) from Malainadu.[13] Musiri has been referred to by the author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as an inland port probably near Musiri.
Religion
It is believed that the Cheras were Shaivite Hindus .[14] Some kings of the dynasty referred to themselves as Vanavaramban, Imayavaramban etc.[15] While Cheras had their own 'Kottravai' (Kali) as Madukkarai Sellandiyamman. Other religious traditions like Jainism and Buddhism came to this area during the period of the Chera Kings.
List of kings
Sangam Age Chera Kings
- Perumchottu Uthiyan Cheralathan (Contemporary to Karikala Chola)
- Antuvancheral
- Imayavaramban Nedun-Cheralatan or Imayavaramban Kudako Nedum Cheralathan (Son of Uthiyan Cheralathan)
- Cheran Chenkutuvan or Senguttuvan
- Palyanai Sel-Kelu Kuttuvan
- Poraiyan Kadungo
- Kalankai-Kanni Narmudi Cheral
- Vel-Kelu Kuttuvan
- Selvak-Kadungo
- Adukotpattu Cheralatan
- Kuttuvan Irumporai
- Tagadur Erinda Perumcheral
- Yanaikat-sey Mantaran Cheral
- Ilamcheral Irumporai
- Perumkadungo
- Ilamkadungo
- Kanaikal Irumporai
Bhakti era Cheras
Kulashekhara Alwar and Cheraman Perumal (Nayanar) are famous Bhakti era Cheras.
Notes
- ^ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pRNIffvzoII/TZwHynIIPwI/AAAAAAAABIE/IOunDaXTaGk/s1600/knl+%25282%2529.jpeg
- ^ "The Ramayana and Mahabharata: Book VII: In the Nilgiri Mountains". Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ V.Jayaram (2007-01-09). "The Ramayana Kishkindha". Hinduwebsite.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Britannica Article on Dravidian". Ccat.sas.upenn.edu. 2004-01-09. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "Mahabharata: The Great War and World History". Bvashram.org. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "The Sampradaya Sun - Independent Vaisnava News - Feature Stories - October 2007". Harekrsna.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ Cerobothra
- ^ See report in Frontline, June/July 2003
- ^ a b http://books.google.co.in/books?id=FnB3k8fx5oEC&pg=PA156&dq=coimbatore+salem+chera+sovereign&hl=en&ei=GTOgTcriOonxrQfO0aj-Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=coimbatore%20salem%20chera%20sovereign&f=false
- ^ http://books.google.co.in/books?id=FnB3k8fx5oEC&pg=PA230&dq=chera+nerumangalam&hl=en&ei=bTOgTY-hJcyHrAfig9n0Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=chera%20nerumangalam&f=false
- ^ See Mahavamsa – http://lakdiva.org/mahavamsa/. Since Senguttuvan (Kadal pirakottiya Vel Kezhu Kuttuvan) was a contemporary of Gajabahu I of Sri Lanka he was the Chera King during 170–185 AD.
- ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007012800201800.htm&date=2007/01/28/&prd=th&
- ^ P. 104 Indian Anthropologist: Journal of the Indian Anthropological Association By Indian Anthropological Association
- ^ P. 15 The Ācārya, Śaṅkara of Kāladī: A Story By Savita R. Bhave, M. G. Gyaltsan, Muṣṭafá Amīn, 1933– Madugula, I S Madugula
See also
Kongu Nadu Cheraman Perumal Ilango Adigal
References
- Mahavidwan R.Raghava Iyengar, Vanjimanagar (1918, 1932) University of Madras
- Inscriptions of India – Complete listing of historical inscriptions from Indian temples and monuments
- Tamil Coins, R. Nagasamy – http://tamilartsacademy.com/books/coins/chapter01.html
- A magnum opus on Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions – Book review – http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2013/stories/20030704000207100.htm
- Mahavamsa – http://lakdiva.org/mahavamsa/
- Aihole Inscription of Pulakesi II – http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/HISTORY/primarydocs/Epigraphy/AiholeInscription.htm
- Asoka's Rock Edicts – http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/AshokanEdicts/rockedicts.htm