Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I

Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I (Tamil: முதலாம் சடையவர்மன் குலசேகரன்) was a Pandyan king, who ruled regions of South India between 1190-1216 CE.^[1]

1 Accession and Background
2 War and Defeat
3 Distinction from other Kulasekarans
4 Notes
5 References

Accession and Background

Kulasekaran acceded to the Pandyan throne after his father Vikkirama Pandyan in 1190 CE. Vikkirama Pandyan had gained the throne of Madurai with the help of Kulothunga Chola III. Kulothunga had defeated the rebellion of Vira Pandyan and his Sri Lankan allies and awarded the throne to Vikkirama Pandyan. Vikkiraman's son Kulasekaran became the ruler in 1190.^[2] He was a brother-in-law of the Chera prince Kothai Ravivarman.^[3]

War and Defeat

Kulasekaran was a vassal of the Chola empire. When Kulothunga was warring with Hoysalas in the north, he refused to pay tribute to the Cholas. This led to a Chola invasion in retribution. In 1205 CE, the Chola armies defeated the Pandyan army and sacked Madurai. The ancient coronation hall of Pandyan kings was destroyed, the remains plowed with asses and sowed with weeds. Inscriptions found at Kudimiyanmalai and Cheranur give graphic descriptions of the invasion and the sacking of Madurai. Kulasekaran and his younger brothers fled Madurai to the Palai (desert wastes) lands. The invaders looted Madurai and distributed the wealth to the destitute. Kulothunga performed a Virabhishekam (tribute of bravery) and crowned himself as Thiribhuvana veeran (Lord of Three Worlds).^[4] Kulasekaran surrendered to Kulothunga with his wife and son. Kulothunga acknowledged the surrender and gave his kingdom back. Madurai remained under Chola dominance till 1216 CE.^[5] These excesses of Kulothunga directly led to the later Pandyan reprisal under Kulasekaran's younger brother and successor Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I.^[6]

Distinction from other Kulasekarans

There are records of at least three later Pandyan kings bearing the same name Jatavarman Kulasekaran. This king is identified and distinguished using his meikeerthi which starts with the words poovin kizhathi (Tamil: பூவின் கிழத்தி).^[7] He is the Kulasekaran who donated the village "Rajaghambeeera Chathurvedi Mangalaam" to 1080 Brahmins in 1214 CE ^[8]

Notes

^ Aiyangar, p.44
^ KA Nilakanta Sastri, p178
^ Baliga, p.163
^ Narasayya, p54
^ Narasayya, p 49-50
^ KA Nilakanta Sastri, p192-3
^ Narasayya, p42
^ Bhadra, Prakash and Tharu, p.127

References

Aiyangar, Sakkottai Krishnaswami (1921), South India and her Muhammadan Invaders, Chennai: Oxford University Press, http://www.archive.org/details/southindiahermuh00krisuoft
Sastri, KA Nilakanta (1955), A history of South India: from prehistoric times to the fall of Vijayanagar (Hardback ed.), Chennai: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-560686-8, http://books.google.com/books?id=1p6AOwAACAAJ
Narasayya (2009) (in Tamil), Aalavaai: Madurai Maanagarathin Kadhai (Hardback ed.), Chennai: Palaniappa Brothers, ISBN 978-81-8379-517-3
Baliga, B.S (2002), Tamil Nadu district gazetteers,Gazetteer of India Vol 11, Part 1 of Madras District Gazetteers, Madras (India : State), The Superintendent, Govt. Press, http://books.google.com/books?id=2SkbAAAAIAAJ
Sethuraman, N (1978), The imperial Pandyas: mathematics reconstructs the chronology, http://books.google.com/books?id=Du8CAAAAMAAJ
Bhadra, Gautam; Prakash, Gyan; Tharu, Susie (1999), Subaltern studies: writings on South Asian history and society, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195645707, ISBN 9780195645705, http://books.google.com/books?id=4yNuAAAAMAAJ

Preceded by Vikkirama Pandyan	Pandya 1190 –1216	Succeeded by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I

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Name	Kulasekaran, Jatavarman, I
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