Kulothunga Chola III
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 Chola territories c. 1218 CE |
|
| Reign | 1178 C.E. - 1218 C.E. |
| Title | Parakesari |
| Capital | Gangaikonda Cholapuram |
| Queen | Unknown |
| Children | Rajaraja Chola III |
| Predecessor | Rajadhiraja Chola II |
| Successor | Rajaraja Chola III |
| Father | Sangamaraja |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 1218 C.E. |
| List of Chola kings | |
|---|---|
| Early Cholas | |
| Ilamcetcenni | Karikala Chola |
| Nedunkilli | Nalankilli |
| Killivalavan | Kopperuncholan |
| Kocengannan | Perunarkilli |
| Interregnum - c 200-848 | |
| Medieval Cholas | |
| Vijayalaya Chola | 848-871(?) |
| Aditya I | 871-907 |
| Parantaka Chola I | 907-950 |
| Gandaraditya | 950-957 |
| Arinjaya Chola | 956-957 |
| Sundara Chola | 957-970 |
| Uttama Chola | 970-985 |
| Rajaraja Chola I | 985-1014 |
| Rajendra Chola I | 1012-1044 |
| Rajadhiraja Chola | 1018-1054 |
| Rajendra Chola II | 1051-1063 |
| Virarajendra Chola | 1063-1070 |
| Athirajendra Chola | 1067-1070 |
| Chalukya Cholas | |
| Kulothunga Chola I | 1070-1120 |
| Vikrama Chola | 1118-1135 |
| Kulothunga Chola II | 1133-1150 |
| Rajaraja Chola II | 1146-1163 |
| Rajadhiraja Chola II | 1163-1178 |
| Kulothunga Chola III | 1178-1218 |
| Rajaraja Chola III | 1216-1256 |
| Rajendra Chola III | 1246-1279 |
| Chola Society | |
| Chola Government | Chola Military |
| Chola Art | Chola Literature |
| Poompuhar | Urayur |
| Gangaikonda Cholapuram | Thanjavur |
| Telugu Cholas | |
| edit | |
Kulothunga Chola III ruled the Chola empire after Rajadhiraja Chola II. His long reign was marked by Kulothunga's abilities to bring order in the besieged kingdom and by his successes in reversing the growing weakness. However towards the end of his reign, the Pandya Maravarman Sundara Pandya defeated Kulothunga and made the Chola subordinate to Pandya rule, thus marking the beginning of the final demise of the Cholas.
Kulothunga III is also renowned for his patronage of art and literature. He is credited with the building of numerous temples.
Contents |
[edit] Accession
The inscriptions of Kulothunga show that his rule commenced around July 8, 1178 CE. Kulothunga was recognised as the next sovereign even before the death of his predecessor Rajadhiraja Chola II. Kulothunga did not belong to the direct line of the Cholas. Rajadhiraja III either did not have any children or they must have predeceased him. The poetic work Kulothungan Kovai marks Kulothunga III as the son of one Sangamaraja. There is no means available at present of ascertaining the exact relation of Sangamaraja to the Chola line.
[edit] Military Campaigns
The reign of Kulothunga III is a remarkable example of the triumph of the personal ability of the monarch against the forces of disruption that were steadily increasing in their number and in the intensity of their action. The civil war in the Pandya country had not yet settled when he came to the throne and the Chola forces were still involved in active fighting there. Kulothunga succeeded for the best part of his reign to continue the Chola superiority in the Pandya kingdom.
Some of his feudatories were preparing to break off from the Chola empire and Kulothunga had to deal with them.
[edit] Pandyan wars
From the inscriptions of Kulothunga we can gather that he was involved in three campaigns in the Pandya country.
The first campaign began in 1182 CE at the request of Vikrama Pandya, a rival of Vira Pandya. We have no confirmed information on the causes of this request. The campaign ended with the deposition of Vira Pandya.
The second campaign occurred in the year 1187 CE when Vira Pandya, with the help of the king of Kerala and the Sinhala Parakrama Bahu tried to regain the Pandya throne. Kulothunga again sent his troops to battle Vira Pandya and in the battle at Nettur, Vira Pandya was defeated and sent into exile in the Keral country.
The third campaign occurred during the thirty-fourth year of Kulothunga (1212 CE). This expedition seems to have been instigated by Kulothunga himself against Pandya Jatavarman Kulasekara. Although the Chola inscriptions state that the Pandya suffered heavy defeat, Kulasekara was restored to the throne after the battle. The Chola forces vandalised and looted the Pandya country, showing the growing weakness of Chola administration in that country and the resultant harshness of the Chola treatment of the Pandya subjects.
The results of these campaigns did not improve the Chola position and suzerainty, rather it accelerated the nascent Pandya revival which was witness in the decades to come.
[edit] Northern battles
In the north, the Chalukya kingdom had grown weak and the Hoysalas had begun to rise in power. The Telugu Cholas of Velanadu, who had been subordinate to the Western Chalukyas had began to entertain plans of growth. The Telugu Cholas had been in friendly terms with the Chola kingdom well into Kulothunga's reign. However they began to revolt and even occupied Chola territories up to Kanchipuram. Kulothunga sent his army into the Vengi country between 1208 and 1213 CE to quell this revolt and recover the lost territories.
[edit] Pandyan invasion
Towards the end of Kulothunga's reign, Maravarman Sundara Pandya, a brother of Jatavarman Kulasekara, came to the Pandya throne (1216 CE). The Pandya power had been growing during the past decades and Sundara Pandya wanted to take revenge for the looting and destruction caused by the last Chola invasion . During 1216 – 1217 CE, Sundara Pandya invaded the Chola country reaching as far north as Chidambaram. He caused considerable damage to life and property along the route. Kulothunga was completely defeated and sought refuge in flight. He had to negotiate his restoration with the Pandya only on the condition of his accepting the soverignty of the Pandyas over the Chola land. The tables were thus completely turned.
[edit] Hoysala intervention
The Hoysalas who had been growing in power, had some marital relationship with the Cholas. Hoysala Ballala II had a Chola princes for a wife. When the Pandaya army invaded the Chola country, Ballala sent an army into the Chola country in support of the Cholas. Kulothunga possibly went into refuge into the Hoysala country.
[edit] Kulothunga's buildings
Kulothunga III was a great builder and his reign is a noteworthy period in Chola architecture. Beautiful temples such as the Kampahareswara in Kumbakonam. Its general design resembles the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur. The temple also contains an excellent series of Ramayana reliefs on its walls. Besides this temple, Kulothunga also contributed to the extension and renovation of many temples around his kingdom.
[edit] Civic work
In the 23rd and 24th years of Kulothunga's reign there was a wide-spread famine in the Chola kingdom. Kulothunga organised relief by ordering construction of tanks and river embarkments.
[edit] Decay of central control
During the close of his reign the final fate of the Chola kingdom was clear. The centra control of administration, which had been a hallmark of the Cholas, had given way to chaos and sem-independent local chieftains. With the rise of the Pandya and the growing influence of the Hoysala, the Chola kingdom was growing weak.
Kulothunga died some time in 1218 and Rajaraja Chola III became the Chola king.
[edit] References
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
- South Indian Inscriptions - http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/
