Rama Kulasekhara (''fl.'' late 11th century CE) was the last ruler of the Chera Perumal dynasty of medieval

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...

. He was a contemporary of the Chola kings

Kulottunga I Kulottunga Chola I ('; Middle Tamil: Kulōttuṅka Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Kulottuṅgā Cōḷa; 1025–1122) also spelt Kulothunga (), born Rajendra Chalukya (Telugu language, Telugu: Rājēndra Cāḷukyuḍu), was a Chola empire, C ...

(1070–1120) and

Vikrama Chola Vikrama Chola, known as Kō Parakēsari Varman, was a 12th-century ruler (''r. c''. 1118–1135 CE''The Cōḷas.'' 62-63.) of the Chola Empire in southern India. He succeeded his father Kulothunga I (''r. c.'' 1070–1120 CE) to the throne.''The ...

(1118–35 AD). Rama Kulaskehara is best known for briefly recovering the

Kollam Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the largest and ...

Nagercoil Nagercoil, natively spelt as Nāgarkovil (, "Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a Municipal Corporation city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the ...

region from the powerful

Chola empire The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

around 1100/02 AD. Inscriptions related to Rama Kulasekhara can be found at Panthalayani Kollam near

Quilandy Koyilandy (;A Survey of Kerala History, A. Shreedhara Menon)is a major town municipality and a taluk in Kozhikode district, Kerala on the Malabar Coast. The historical town is located right in the middle of the coast of Kozhikode district, betwe ...

, Thiruvaloor (on

Periyar Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 187924 December 1973), commonly known as Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician. He was the organizer of the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam and is considered the architect o ...

Perunna Perunna is a suburb of Changanassery, Kerala, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by ...

near

Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...

, Nedumpuram Thali (

Wadakkanchery Wadakkancherry () is a major town in Thrissur, Kerala. Up until 1860, this area was part of Chelakkara Taluk. It is the headquarters of Talappilly Taluk. Wadakkanchery obtained municipality status from the government by merging with the Mund ...

) and at

. Weakened authority of the Chera Perumal is evident in some of the inscriptions of Rama Kulasekhara. In 1099 AD, the leader of the

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

warriors of Nedumpurayur Nadu is seen handling the affairs of the Nedumpuram Thali, a state-sponsored temple. In 1102 AD, Rama Kulasekhara publicly atoned for the wrongs committed by him against the

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

community. An inscription dated to 1122 AD, found at Thiruvalanchuzhi,

Tanjore Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore,#Pletcher, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian c ...

(dated in the regnal year of king

), also remembers Rama Kulasekhara.

functioned as the second headquarters of the Chera Perumal kingdom towards the final phase of Rama Kulasekhara's rule (c. 1100/02 AD - c. 1122/23). According to scholars, "the strategic advantage of marriage relations with the old ruling clan of Kollam in securing the loyalty of Venad can also be considered in the light of continuous Chola-Pandya attacks in south Kerala". There is a tradition that Vira Kerala, a ruler of Kollam in early 12th century, was a son of the last Chera king.

Career

''Corrections by M. G. S. Narayanan (1972) on K. A. Nilakanta Sastri (1955, revised) point out that Chola ruler

oversaw only one expedition to the Chera Perumal kingdom (in c. 1097). Sastri had assumed that Kulottunga led two military thrusts to south Kerala in c. 1077-1081 and in c. 1097.'' Rama Kulasekhara came to the Chera Perumal throne in ''c.'' 1089/90. Rama was the personal name and "Kulasekhara" was the coronation title. The first record of the king - as "Kulasekhara - Koyil Adhikarikal" - is found in the courtyard of the Panthalayani Kollam Bhagavathi temple in northern Kerala. Another inscription of "Kulasekhara Perumal" (1092 AD) can be found at the Thiruvaloor temple in the Periyar valley. Port Vizhinjam in the Ay country was called "Rajendra Chola Pattinam" by Kulottunga I Chola in 1091 AD.''''

Kulottunga Chola's south Kerala campaign

Southern parts of Kerala (

Venad Venad was a medieval kingdom between the Western Ghat mountains of India with its capital at city of Quilon.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 143 ...

and the Ay country), as far north as

, again came under the Chola rule by 1097 AD.'''' This military thrust was probably conducted by "Chola-Pandya" ruler Jatavarman Srivallabha or Chola general Naralokavira Kalinga Rayan for the Chola king

(1070–1120).'''' Records of this campaign mention, among other things, the "chaver" warriors in Kuda Malai Nadu (meaning

here) ascending the "unique heaven" in battles, "the subduing of the numerous forces of the Keralas", "making the rebel vassal kings obedient", "victory over the bow emblem" and "the Chera king's retreat from the battle field".'''' A new era called "Kollam Azhintha Andu" was inaugurated by the Pandyas in 1097 AD. Weakened authority of the Chera Perumal is evident in some of the inscriptions from this period. In 1099 AD, the leader of the

warriors of Nedumpurayur Nadu is seen handling the affairs of the Nedumpuram Thali, an originally state-sponsored temple. Earlier in 1099, Rama Kulasekhara, with the Four Brahmin Ministers (the Nalu Thali) and the Thrikkunnappuzha, is seen residing and issuing orders from the Great Temple (the Nediya Thali) at

Kodungallur Kodungallur (; formerly also called as Cranganore (anglicised name), Portuguese language, Portuguese: Cranganor; Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of Per ...

Recovery of Kollam

It seems that the Chera Perumal managed to recover

c. 1100/02 AD.'''' A possible major battle at Poonthura, near Vizhinjam, involving Mana Vikrama of Eranadu and his Nairs later known as "Poonthura Nairs", was instrumental in this recovery. Cholas eventually fixed their boundary at Kottar (leaving the

and the Ay country to the Cheras).'''' We have a mention of a council attended by king Rama Kulasekhara and Mana Vikrama Punthurakkon (the future Zamorin, "the first among the samanthas") at

in 1102 AD. Rama Kulasekhara publicly atoned for the wrongs committed by him against the

Brahmins Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

at this council. The record was probably made in the aftermath of the recovery of Kollam.

Vikrama Chola's south Kerala campaign

Later years of Rama Kulasekhara witnessed

's south Kerala campaign (c. 1102–c. 1118 AD) against the Chera Perumals.'''' This expedition was probably conducted by the

Pandya The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...

Jatavarman Parakrama.'''' Records mention the defeat of the Chera in a "single campaign" in Malai Nadu, the levying of tribute from the Chera king, and the capture of

and the Ay country by the Chola-Pandyas. The "Kupaka" (meaning Venad here) ruler also seems to have offered his daughter in marriage to Parakrama Pandya (Parakrama also visited the Anantapuram Temple during this period).'''' A Tanjore inscription of Vikrama Chola mentions "the flight of the Chera king".'''' Rama Kulasekhara is also remembered in a Thiruvalanjuli inscription (1122 AD) of certain Kizhan Adikal. By 1121, an unnamed Kupaka ruler had defeated Pandya king Rajasimha and conquered up to Nanjinadu and Kottar.'''' Vira Kerala, the independent ruler of Venad (possibly the son of Rama Kulasekhara), finds mention in a Cholapuram temple inscription dated to 1126 AD. There is a tradition that the last Chera ruler of Kerala, towards the end of his reign, shifted his capital from Mahodayapuram (Kodungallur) to

and became the ancestor of the Venad rulers through his marriage to the Venad princess (who was the sister of the then Venad ruler). According to this tradition, the later rulers of Kodungallur were descended from his sister. Ramavarma's son, Vira Kerala, inherited his political power and the title "Kulasekhara Perumal" in Kollam, while his sister's son, born to a Brahmin, inherited his religious authority in Kodungallur, along with the sacred title "Koyil Adhikarikal". Traditional accounts also notably date the first marital alliances between princes bearing the title "Koyil Adhikarikal" and Venad princesses to Kollam Era 300 (1125 AD).

Epigraphic records

''Note: Material: granite, script: Vattezhuthu with Grantha, and language: old Malayalam (unless otherwise stated)''

Quilon Inscription of Kollam 278

* Sources: Travancore Archaeological Series (Volume V) & 'Index to Cera Inscriptions' (1972)

Literary evidences

A medieval Malayalam ''sloka'' names the last "Cheraman" as "Rama Varma".

Patron of Vasubhatta

Vasubhatta, a famous Yamaka poet of medieval Kerala, names his patron king as "Rama". A later commentary on a poem by Vasubhatta says that "Kulasekhara" was the regnal title of king Rama. Scholars generally consider this a result of confusion on the part of the commentators (between

Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara Sthanu Ravi Varma ( Early Malayalam and Tamil: Ko Tanu Iravi), known as the Kulasekhara, was the Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala in southern India from 844/45 to ''c.'' 870/71 AD.Noburu Karashima (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and ...

and Rama Rajasekhara) who were separated in time from Vasubhatta. Some scholars identify king Rama Kulasekhara as the patron of poet Vasubhatta (and with royal dramatist Kulasekhara Varma). This view is generally found unacceptable on several counts.

Accounts of disappearance

It is popularly believed in the Kerala tradition that the last Chera ruler (the Cheraman Perumal) disappeared from the Kerala "mysteriously" (after having partitioned the Chera kingdom among his kinsmen). In a popular version of the legend, the last Chera ruler or the Cheraman Perumal, before his departure from Kerala, converted to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

(and then travelled to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

for the hajj pilgrimage). The legends are not clear about the religion the king seems to have converted. However, the legend of Cheraman Perumal was used by the later kings in Kerala for the legitimation of their rule. Identification of the Cheraman Perumal from the legend with Rama Kulasekhara remains an ambiguous hypothesis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kulashekhara, Rama Rulers of Quilon People from the Kodungallur Chera kingdom 11th-century Indian monarchs 12th-century Indian monarchs Tamil history Kodungallur Chera kings