Who were the personalities Neelagangaraiyan and KoperunjChingan?
Our school history texts might make a passing reference
to some prominent kings, but a lot more people of our past wish themselves to be
recalled and remembered. That is the reason
they got their names engraved in the inscriptions.
Political
authority of a King over his territory can be sustained only with able generals
around him. The administration has to be
kept functioning efficiently and threats both internal and external, have to be neutralized to create the right environment
for Peace, Stability and Growth.
Feudatories
or குறுநில மன்னர்கள் pledged their loyalties to the King. Able Generals
were appointed as MahaMandaleswaras to take charge of the administration of a
region.
Sometimes when a Powerful Empire is losing steam, many
aspirants wielding power over a region, declare independence and continue to
reign for a period of time, until a bigger power defeats them.
We find some inscriptions in temples around us for our
better understanding of Local History.
The Kadavar Kings - Koperunchingas
A clan named Sambuvarayars claiming to be a branch of the Pallavas appears to have survived in the area around Virinchipuram. The Kadava Kings of Sendhamangalam related to the Sambuvarayars also Kadavar trace their ancestry to the Pallavas of Kanchi.
During the rule of Kulothunga III, the clan had gained prominence. Koperunchinga I and Koperunchinga II had been powerful and wealthy. There are Gopurams at Chidambaram, Thiruvadhigai built by them.
KoperunjChingan – கோப்பெருஞ்சிங்கன்
He had called himself காடவன் claiming Pallava descent with the title அவனி ஆளப்பிறந்தான்.
When the power of empire was on the decline, the Chola regions were under attack by the Pandyas . Chola King Raja Raja III, then imprisoned by Koperunjinga I and was rescued by Hoysola King Narasimhadeva .
His Inscriptions in the neighbourhood -
1. Thiruidaichuram (Thiruvadisoolam ) Inscription ARIE No 335/1908 dated 1257 CE records his Donation of 3 cows to this temple.
2. Madambakkam – Inscription 322/1911 records a donation of land done during the time of Koperunjinga but documented in the Pandya Era that followed.
Generations of Neelagangaraiyars have been identified by experts.
1. KoluthingaChola Kannappan Nallanayanar Panchanadhivaanam Neelagangaraiyan of Kulothunga III era
2. Panchanadhivaanan Arunagiriperumal Neelagangaraiyar in the era of Telugu Chola Vijaya Ganda Gopala, Sundara Pandya and Kopperunjingadeva II
The inscriptions of this clan of chieftains are found in
Madambakkam.
The inscriptions at Thirukkachchur refer to this clan of
chieftains as நல்ல நாயன் பஞ்சநதிவாணன்
நீலகங்கரையன் சோழ கங்க தேவன்.
He is said to be the feudatory of Kulothunga III.
ஆதிநாயன் நீலகங்கரையன் உள்ளாரில் நல்லான் கலிங்கத்தரையன்
பஞ்சநதிவாணன் நல்ல நாயன் குருகுலத்தரையன்
In his titles, he claims himself to be a person of
righteous conduct.
தூசி ஆதிநாயகன் நீலகங்கரையன்
Dhoosi is a place near Kanchipuram. It appears to have
derived its name from the infantry part of the army stationed there, raising
dust literally!
Some Inscriptions recording their donations are -
1.
Madambakkam ARIE No 323 /1911. Certain lands in Maduraipakkam
village donated as Devadhaanam to Maadampakkam. Certain Taxes and fines collected from that village were to
be remitted to the temple treasury - Oorkaaval kadamai, vetti, arimukkai,
kaasu, kadamai, pattadai kutram, Karthigai Pachai kasu, Vettikaasu etc, by the
order of Arunagiri Perumal Neelagangaraiyan.
2.
Thirukkachchur ARIE No 42/1932-33 Registers gift
of some bronze, brass and silver utensils to the temple of
Thiruvaalakkoyiludaiya Nayanar at Thirukkachchur by KulothungasolaKannappan
Doosi Neelagangarayan Aadhinaattaan Ullaaril Nallaan along with a silver
trumpet to announce his arrival as at the western gate of Perumparrapuliyur and
at the Gangaikondan Mandapam at Kanchi.
3.
Ottivakkam
– ARIE No - 24/1934-35 In a
rock known as Pallaanguzhippaarai on the hill States that Kannappan Dusi
Ullaaril Nallaan came to this hill and that Panch Nadivaanan
Neelagagaraiyan and Dusi Abayampukkaan
Neelagangarayan went hunting at this place.
நீலாங்கரை, சோழிங்கநல்லூர் are places connected to this
name.
Deepaththaraiyan
– Lankeswara Deva, a subordinate of the Emperor Rajendra Chola I
1.
Agaram
Kailasanathar Temple ARIE No 231/1930-31
The inscription refers
to the completion of the stone temple of Thirukkayilayar at Vaanavanmahadevi by
a subordinate of Rajendra Chola I named Deepattaraiyan
Moovendhavelaan
– is the Title taken by Huge Landowners of the Chola Era
Kalattur
Munkudumeeswara Temple – ARIE No 346
/1911
Registers an order to the chief Tondaiman to
grant certain lands in and around Kalattur, clubbed together under the name
Kulothungacholan Tiruthondattogainallur as a devadana to the temple of
Peruntirukkoyiludaiya Mahadeva for the Tirumadaivilagam and a Nandavanam.
Anapaaya Moovendhavelaan is stated to have been the royal secretary -
Tirumandira Olai
Some interesting Personalities
Vittala Raya, Thimma Raya
Relatives
of Rama Raya (Son in law of Krishnadeva Raya )
1. Thenmelapakkam ARIE No 18 / 1933 – A stone in the village – Vijayanagar Era
Registers a grant to
Kanchi temple, by Vittalaraja, Chinna Thimmaraja and Paapa Thimmaraja sons
of Mahamandaleswara Ramaraja Thimmaraja through their agent Dalavay.
2. Hanumanthapuram Mariyamman Temple ARIE No 24/1932-33
Damaged - records the
imprecations against the violation of grants made to Brahmanas, temples etc by Mahamandaleswara Ramaraja
Chinna Timma Maharaja
3. Agaram Kailasanathar Temple ARIE No 55/1934-35
Agrahara was formed
from 3 villages - Kondangi, Thimmannakuppam & Nellikkuppam, Thimmappa
Nayaka
Sellappar Viranarasimha Naayakar son of Thazhuvakkuzhaidhaan Bhatta.
Chellappa was the son
of the Priest serving Kanchi Ekambareswara. He had been given the village of
Kunrathur by Krishnadevaraya and was later
appointed as Mahamandaleswara by King AchuthaRaya.
Though he stood by Achutha
Raya initially, later tried to declare independence. He was defeated and
pardoned for his misdeed.
Senkanmal - ARIE No 225/1916
Records that a village
separated from Araiyanseri in Senkazhuneerpattu, /together with the proceeds on
10 salt pans were given for the worship and repairs to the temple of
Senkanmaaleswaramudaiya nayinar at Rajakesarinallur alias Taiyur in
Ayiraveliparru, a division of Kumuzhi Nadu in Amoor Kottam by Sellappar
Viranarasimha Naayakar son of Thazhuvakkuzhaidhaan Bhatta.
Lingammaiyya
Naiyinar -
Kondangi –
Thirukkuleeswaram Udaiyar Temple ARIE No 54/1934-35
Seems to fix the rate
of water - cess on bhatta vritti lands of Kondangi, Nellikkuppam,
Thimmanankuppam, Vengalakuppam and Palaveri by Lingammaiyya Naiyinar, agent of
the King
There was once a fort
in Uthiramerur and Lingama Nayaka was the feudatory of Venkatapathy Devaraya.
He was later defeated when he turned rebellious.
Feudatories
Parthivendravarman or
Parthivendradivarman
He was considered of Pallava lineage and a
Feudatory of the Cholas in the 10th Century.
Thalaisayanapuram alias Thaiyur – a private
individual from the village, Vaiyodukilan Vaikundan of Taiyur, presented the
image of Manavalapperumal to Varahaswamin at Thiruvidandai. ARIE No 264 of 1910
Kumaarandai
is a title that gets repeated in quite a few inscriptions. They seem to have
been Chieftains / Merchants / Large Landowners that many Jaati groups even today claim to be
their ancestors.
1.
KeezhKottaiyur
– Dilapidated Shiva Temple – ARIE No 29/1934/35
States it to be the
work of Kumaarandai Kumaaradi
2.
Keerappakkam
An inscription dated CE
886 had records donation of land by the Wife of Kumaarandai Aravaanan for
protection and maintenance of the Keerapattur Lake.
The incriptions recording
donations by people with the title Kumaarandai to the Thiruvanmiyur Temple are
found in many temples of Mylapore. When temples were destroyed by the
iconoclasts, the stones that could be salvaged had been transported to many
places to rebuild temples. Perhaps with limited means, perhaps this was the
only option available round that time.
Bhuvanekaveeran Samarakolakalan of Vaanar Kulam
from Madurai captured the Thondai Mandalam.
Kanchi and the surrounding areas were under his control. He was also known as
Maavali Vaanaadhirayan.
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