| Elara | |
|---|---|
| King of Anuradhapura | |
Elara’s bell and cow |
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| Reign | 205 BC - 161 BC |
| Titles | Elara the Just |
| Born | 235 BC |
| Died | 161 BC |
| Predecessor | Asela |
| Successor | Dutthagamani |
Elara (235 BC - 161 BC), also known as Ellalan and Élaezha Chola (Tamil: எல்லாளன், மனு நீதி சோழன்), was a Chola king from the Chola Kingdom, in present day South India, who ruled Sri Lanka from 205 BC to 161 BC from the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. Often referred to as 'the Just King'. The Tamil name Elalan means, 'the one who rules the Ellai (boundary). Elara is a peculiar figure in the history of Sri Lanka and one with particular resonance given the ongoing ethnic strife in the country. Although he was an invader, he is often regarded as one of Sri Lanka's wisest and most just monarchs, as highligted in the ancient Sinhalese chronicle Mahavamsa. According to the chronicle, even Elara's nemesis king Dutugemunu had a great respect for him, and ordered a monument be built, where Elara was cremated after he was slain in battle.
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Elara is described in the Mahavamsa as being 'A Damila of noble descent...from the Chola-country';[1] various other sources name him as the son of a Chola queen and brother of the king Ellagan. Little is known of his early life. Around 205 BCE Elara mounted an invasion of the Kingdom of Rajarata based in Anuradhapura in northern Sri Lanka and defeated the forces of king Asela, establishing himself as sole ruler of Rajarata.
Elara, a Tamil from the Chola country, is traditionally presented as being a just king even by the Sinhalese.[2] The Mahavamsa states that he ruled 'with even justice toward friend and foe, on occasions of disputes at law,[3] and elaborates how he even ordered the execution of his son on the basis of a heinous religious crime. The same chronicle relates that the king had a bell with a rope attached at the head of his bed, so that all who sought redress might ring it. In particular, he is presented as a tireless defender of the Sinhalese faith and of pointedly treating Sinhala nobles with the same dignity as his Tamil associates. As such Elara is often held as the archetype of the Dharmaraja, or 'just king' of Buddhist tradition, all the more remarkable for not being a Sinhalese, whom he governed.
Despite Elara's famously even-handed rule, resistance to him coalesced around the figure of Dutugemunu, a young Sinhala prince from the kingdom of Mahagama. Towards the end of Elara's reign Dutugemunu had strengthened his position in the south by defeating his own brother Tissa who challenged him. Confrontation between the two monarchs was inevitable and the last years of Elara's reign were consumed by the war between the two.
The Mahavamsa contains a fairly detailed account of sieges and battles that took place during the conflict.[6] Particularly interesting is the extensive use of war elephants and of flaming pitch in the battles. Elara's own war elephant is said to have been Maha Pambata, or 'Big Rock' and the Dutugemunu's own being 'Kandula'
The climactic battle is said to have occurred as Dutugemunu drew close to Anuradhapura. On the night before, both King Elara and prince Dutugemunu are said to have conferred with their counsellors. The next day both kings rode forwards on war elephants, Elara 'in full armour...with chariots, soldiers and beasts for riders'. Dutugemunu's forces are said to have routed those of Elara and that 'the water in the tank there was dyed red with the blood of the slain'. Dutugemunu, declaring that 'none shall kill Elara but myself', closed on him at the south gate of Anuradhapura, where the two engaged in an elephant-back duel and the aged king was finally felled by one of Dutugemunu's darts.
Following his death, Dutugemunu ordered that Elara be cremated where he had fallen, and had a monument constructed over the place. The Mahavamsa mentions that 'even to this day the princes of Lanka, when they draw near to this place, are wont to silence their music'. Unfortunately this monument has not been found - the stupa which was earlier considered as Elara Sohona ('Tomb of Elara') is today identified as the stupa, Dakkhina Stupa.
The Mahavamsa contains numerous references to the loyal troops of the Chola empire and portrays them as a powerful force. They held various positions including taking custody of temples during the period of Parakrama Bahu I and Vijayabahu I.[7][8] There were instances when the Sinhalese kings tried to employ them as mercenaries by renaming a section of the most hardcore fighters as Mahatantra. According to historian Burton Stein, when these troops were directed against the Chola empire, they rebelled and were suppressed and decommissioned. But they continued to exist in a passive state by taking up various jobs for livelihood.[9] The Valanjayara, a sub-section of the Velaikkara troops, were one such community, who in the course of time became traders. They were so powerful that the shrine of the tooth-relic was entrusted to their care.[10][11] When the Velaikkara troops took custody of the tooth-relic shrine, they renamed it as Mūnrukai-tiruvēlaikkāran daladāy perumpalli.[12] There are also multiple epigraphic records of the Velaikkara troops. In fact it is their inscriptions, like for example the one in Polunnaruva that are actually used to fix the length of the reign of Sinhalese kings; in this case Vijayabahu I(55 years).[13] Therefore, since present day Tamils in Sri Lanka, have links to this king and to the Chola empire, Tamil nationalists started using Elara as a historical basis/link to legitimize and authenticate their claims to a historical presence in the island. In this connection Tamil separatist groups have used Elara as an iconic figure (or 'Ellara' or 'Ellalan' as pronounced by Tamil people) to identify themselves with. For example, LTTE has used the term 'Ellalan Force' to identify their armed wing in certain situations, when they did not want to use the identity 'LTTE'.
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Elara (monarch)
Born: ? 235 BC Died: ? 161 BC |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Asela |
King of Anuradhapura 205 BC–161 BC |
Succeeded by Dutthagamani |
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