Rajaditya Chola (''fl.'' mid-10th century AD) was a

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century B ...

prince, son of king

Parantaka I Parantaka Chola I ( Tamil : பராந்தக சோழன் I) (873 CE–955 CE) was a Chola emperor who ruled for forty-eight years, annexing Pandya by defeating Rajasimhan II. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success ...

(r. 907–955) and a Chera/Kerala princess ( the Ko Kizhan AdigalNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 96-100.), known for commanding the Chola troops in the battle of Takkolam (948–949).Ali, Daud. "The Death of a Friend: Companionship, Loyalty and Affiliation in Chola South India." ''Studies in History'', vol. 33, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 36–60. Atakur inscription (cropped)

The death of prince Rajaditya in the battle is unusually commemorated by the Cholas. The Chola version of the events can be found in Larger Leiden Grant (1006 AD) of

Rajaraja I Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Varman or Arulmozhi Varman and often described as Raja Raja the Great or Raja Raja Chozhan was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful Tamil king in South ...

and Tiruvalangadu Plates (1018 AD) of

Rajendra Chola Rajendra Chola I (; Middle Tamil: Rājēntira Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Rājēndradēva Cōla; Old Malay: ''Raja Suran''; c. 971 CE – 1044 CE), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, and also known as Gangaikonda Chola (Middle Tam ...

. An account of the battle, which differs in some details from the Chola version, is found in the Atakur inscription issued by Krishna III and prince Butuga II (a young underlord of Krishna III) of the Western Ganga family.''Epigraphia Indica'' 6 (1900–01), no. 6c: 53–56. The Sravana Belgola record of Ganga king Marasimha (963 - 975 AD) also claims victory of the Chera king for his predecessor Bhutuga II. Indirect references to the battle can also be found in the inscriptions of Vellan Kumaran, a Kerala commander in the Chola army.

Early life

Rajaditya was the son of the Ko Kizhan Atikal, the Chera Perumal princess, and the Chola king

(r. 907–955 AD).Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 99-100. King Parantaka I is known to have married two distinct Chera princesses, Ko Kizhan Adigal and Kizhan Adikal Ravi Neeli (the mothers of his two sons, Rajaditya and Arinjaya Chola). The marriage between a Chera princess and Parantaka, c. 910 CE, is mentioned in the Udayendiram plates of Ganga king Prthivipati II Hastimalla.Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 96-101, 437, 442, 445 and 473. It seems that Chola king

anticipated a climactic battle with the

Rashtrakuta Rashtrakuta ( IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...

s and their allies in Tirumunaippati Nadu. Sometime in the 930s, or perhaps as early as 923 AD,''South Indian Inscriptions'' 7 (1932), No. 1009. prince Rajaditya was sent with a substantial military contingent, including elephants and horses, as well as his entire household, to Rajadityapura (Tirunavalur/Tirumanallur) in Tirumunaippati Nadu (to protect the northern edges of a nascent Chola stateNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 100-101.). The prince was joined at Rajadityapura by his mother (the Chera princess Ko Kizhan Adikal) in the mid-930sNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 100-01. and his half-brother Arinjaya. Rajaditya was supported by a number of military personnel from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

(Chera) chiefdoms in Tirumunaippati Nadu.

Battle of Takkolam

Battle of Takkolam, Takkolam is a town in

Arakkonam Arakkonam () is a railway town and suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with a population of 78,395 per the census 2011. It is in the newly created Ranipet district, about from Ranipet h ...

taluk of the

Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separa ...

district, northern

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...

. The Rashtrakuta cont at Takkolam included a collection of feudal militias and royal soldiers (from Western Gangas, Banas and Vaidumbas among others). Prince Rajaditya, in addition to the Chola warriors, was supported by a number of military personnel from

(Chera) chiefdoms. The Battle of Takkolam fought in 948-49 CE resulted in the death of Rajaditya on the battlefield and the defeat of the Chola garrison at Takkolam. According to the Atakur inscription, during the battle, Rajaditya was struck while seated atop his war elephant by an arrow from prince Butuga II.''Epigraphia Indica'' 6 (1900–01), no. 6c: 53–56. The Chola prince died instantly. The Chola army was subsequently defeated and retreated in disorder. The collapse of the Chola resistance after the battle of Takkolam lead to the virtual destruction of the Chola empire. Here is an excerpt from Atakur inscription : The subsidiary record engraved on the upper part of slab throws some more light on the incident:

Chola-Chera Perumal relations (c. 9th-10th centuries AD)

Early life

Battle of Takkolam

Chola-Chera Perumal relations (c. 9th-10th centuries AD)

References

Further reading