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Telugu Historyతెలుగు చరిత్ర

Karunakara Tondaiman

General and minister of the Chola king Kulottunga I, the hero of the Tamil poem Kalingattupparani, which describes how he marched an army north from Kanchi across the Penna, the Krishna and the Godavari to defeat the king of northern Kalinga. A Sanskrit inscription of 1103 at Draksharama, which K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyer identified as his, records the burning of Kalinga, a victory pillar on the borders of Orissa and his gifts in the Vengi country. The date of the war is disputed: about 1076–77, 1084–90, before 1095–96, or about 1111–12.

Karunakara, called Tondaiman and Vandaiyarkon, was a general and minister of the Chola king Kulottunga I.1 He is the hero of the Tamil poem Kalingattupparani, which tells of a war in northern Kalinga.1 His army marched through the Telugu country, and an inscription at Draksharama may record his gifts there.23 See the Cholas of Tanjore.

The poem

V. Kanakasabhai Pillai introduced the poem to English readers in 1890.1 He called it “a long poem, giving a graphic account of an expedition into the North Kalinga country”.1 It names Karunakara as “the Pallava king and prime-minister” of Kulottunga.1

The march to Kalinga

In the poem, Kulottunga is at Kanchi when he hears that the chief of northern Kalinga has twice failed to bring his tribute.2 The king of Vandainagara asks leave to invade “the seven Kalingas”.2 Kanakasabhai Pillai identified Vandai with Vandalur.4

The army’s march crosses many rivers.2 It passes the Palar and goes beyond the Pennai (the Penna).2 It “left behind the great river Krishna”, and then the Godavari.2 Villages are set on fire, and the people cry that the troops have come “like an ocean”.2 The 1942 Nellore gazetteer noted that several rivers and places of this march lie in the Nellore country.5 After the victory Tondaiman planted a pillar of victory and came home with the booty.6

Kanakasabhai Pillai noted that the poem names neither the Kalinga king, nor his capital, nor the place of the battle.7 It also says nothing of fighting in the Vengi country.8 He took this to show that Vengi was then part of the Chola empire.8

The Draksharama inscription

A Sanskrit inscription on the south wall of the Bhimesvara temple at Draksharama is dated in the 33rd year of Kulottunga I.9 It is the record of a chief called Vanduvaraja and Pallavaraja, from the Chola country.910 K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyer edited it in 1933–34.11

In his reading, the chief burnt the whole of Kalinga at the king’s command and set up a pillar of victory on the borders of the Odra country (Orissa).11 He also gave offerings to the god Panchavati-Hari on the bank of the Godavari, in the Vengi country, and built a pavilion at Draksharama.1112 Subrahmanya Aiyer identified this chief with the Karunakara of the poem.3 Both, he noted, are said to have planted a pillar of victory after burning Kalinga at the king’s command.3 See the Draksharama inscription of 1103.

Where the sources disagree

The date of the war is disputed.813141516

  • Kanakasabhai Pillai (1890) put it between 1084 and 1090.8
  • E. Hultzsch (1903) placed the conquest of Kalinga before Kulottunga’s 26th year, that is before 1095–96.13
  • S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar (1911) found two invasions of Kalinga, the first before 1095–96 and the great conquest “in or before A.D. 1112”.14
  • Robert Sewell (1932) gave the successful expedition of about 1111–12 to Karunakara Tondaman of Vandalur.15
  • Subrahmanya Aiyer argued from the name of the Kalinga king Devendravarman, given in the Draksharama inscription, that the war of the poem was fought about 1076–77.16

Footnotes

  1. V. Kanakasabhai Pillai, “The Kalingattu Parani”, Indian Antiquary XIX (1890), p. 329 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. Kanakasabhai Pillai, “The Kalingattu Parani” (1890), p. 334, canto XI (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  3. Subrahmanya Aiyer, “Draksharama Inscription”, Epigraphia Indica XXII, p. 140 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Kanakasabhai Pillai, “The Kalingattu Parani” (1890), p. 340 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  5. Gazetteer of the Nellore District, brought up to 1938 (1942), p. 39 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩

  6. Kanakasabhai Pillai, “The Kalingattu Parani” (1890), p. 336 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  7. Kanakasabhai Pillai, “The Kalingattu Parani” (1890), p. 337 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  8. Kanakasabhai Pillai, “The Kalingattu Parani” (1890), p. 338 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  9. K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyer, “Draksharama Inscription of Kulottunga I.: 33rd Year”, Epigraphia Indica XXII (1933–34, publ. 1938), pp. 138–139 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩ ↩2

  10. Subrahmanya Aiyer, “Draksharama Inscription”, Epigraphia Indica XXII, p. 144, translation (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩

  11. Subrahmanya Aiyer, “Draksharama Inscription”, Epigraphia Indica XXII, p. 139 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  12. Subrahmanya Aiyer, “Draksharama Inscription”, Epigraphia Indica XXII, p. 145, translation (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩

  13. E. Hultzsch, South-Indian Inscriptions, Vol. III, pt. II (1903), p. 130 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  14. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Ancient India (1911), p. 144 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  15. Robert Sewell and S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (1932), pp. 93–94 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩ ↩2

  16. Subrahmanya Aiyer, “Draksharama Inscription”, Epigraphia Indica XXII, pp. 141–142 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased. ↩ ↩2

References

Sources (6)
  1. J. F. Fleet and R. C. Temple (eds.), The Indian Antiquary, Vol. XIX (1890) (opens in a new tab), Education Society's Press, Bombay, 1890, pp. 329, 334, 336–338, 340. V. Kanakasabhai Pillai, 'The Kalingattu Parani' (1890). [Public domain]
  2. N. P. Chakravarti (ed.), Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XXII (1933–34) (opens in a new tab), Manager of Publications, Delhi, 1938, pp. 138–145. K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyer, Draksharama inscription of Kulottunga I (No. 23). Paraphrased. [Public domain in India]
  3. E. Hultzsch (ed. and tr.); introduction to the volume by H. Krishna Sastri (1929), South-Indian Inscriptions, Vol. III, Parts I and II: Miscellaneous Inscriptions from the Tamil Country (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras (scan of the Archaeological Survey of India facsimile reprint, 1987), 1903, pp. 130. E. Hultzsch (1903). [Public domain]
  4. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Ancient India (opens in a new tab), Luzac & Co., London; S.P.C.K. Depository, Madras, 1911, pp. 144. [Public domain]
  5. Robert Sewell (ed. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar), The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (Collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History (opens in a new tab), University of Madras, 1932, pp. 93–94. Paraphrased. [Public domain in India]
  6. W. E. Johns, Gazetteer of the Nellore District, brought up to 1938, Vol. A (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras, 1942, pp. 39. Paraphrased. [Public domain in India]

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