The existence of this king is scientifically confirmed and is known either from religious literature such as Periyapuranam, semi-biographical poems of the later Chola period as well as temple, copper plate and cave inscriptions.
Description
Ân̤aimêr̤r̤uñjin̤âr Râjâditya, the eldest son of Parantaka I, was originally intended as his successor. However, he fell in the battle of Takkolam. He was also called Mûvaḍi-Chôḷa, Mummaḍi-Chôḷa or Mummuḍi-Chôḷa.
Which Būtuga he invaded the Chola kingdome and won a decisive victory (949) in a battle at Takkōlam, six miles to the south-east of Arkonam, in which Būtuga killed Rājāditya with a well-aimed arrow when he was on elephant-back.
No. 6.—THREE WESTERN GANGA RECORDS IN THE MYSORE GOVERNMENT MUSEUM AT BANGALORE.
By J. F. Fleet, Ph.D., C.I.E.[…]
C.— Âtakûr inscription of Kṛishṇa III. and Bûtuga II.― A.D. 949-50.
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The princepal part of the inscription is dated, without full details, in the Saumya saṁvatsara, Śaka-Saṁvat 872 (current),1 = A.D. 949-50. And it refers itself to the time of the Râshṭrakûṭa king Kannaradêva-Kṛishṇa III.,2 and of the Western Gaṅga prince Satyavâkya-Bûtuga II.3 It tells us, in the first place, that Kṛishṇa III. had fought and killed the Chôḷa king Râjâditya, otherwise called Mûvaḍi-Chôḷa,4 at a place named Takkôla, and was going in triumph, or, in other words, was making a state progress through his dominions.5
4 The word mûvaḍi means ‘three folds, three times,’ from mû, = mûru, ‘three,’ and maḍi, ‘bending, folding, doubling; fold times.’ Another form of it is mummaḍi. In the Tamil̤ records, the biruda appears sometimes as Mummaḍi-Chôḷa, and sometimes as Mummuḍi-Chôḷa : and Dr. Hultzsch has rendered it by ” the Chôḷa king (who wears) three crowns, viz. those of the Chôḷa, Pâṇḍya and Chêra kingdoms ” (e.g., South-Ind. Inscrs. Vol. III. p. 29), finding an indication that that is its purport in a verse at the end of the Raṅganâtha inscription which describes Sundara-Pâṇdyadêva as building ” three golden domes, by which (the temple of) Śrîranga glitters as he (the king) by the (three) crowns worn at (his) coronation ” (above, Vol. III. p. 17); and so also Mr. V Venkayya (Ind. Ant. Vol. XXII. p. 65, and see p. 60, note 14), where he qutotes facts which would indicate, or at least justify, the existence of a similar biruda among the Pâṇdyas, on the same view. There is a Tamil̤ word muḍi, meaning ‘ a crown. ‘ Nevertheless, my opinion is that Mummuḍi-Chôḷa is simply a variant of Mummaḍi-Chôḷa, and that in either form the biruda means literally “a three times Chôḷa.”
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[…]
The subsidiary record round the top of the stone belongs also to the time of Bûtuga II., who, it says, was governing the ninety-six-thousand province after killing Râchamalla, the son of Eṛeyappa. It discloses the fact that it wan Bûtuga II. himself who actually killed the Chôḷa king Râjâditya, whom, it says, without mincing matters, he slew treacherously.
[…]
TEXT.2
1 Svasti3 Sa(śa)ka-nri(nṛi)pa-kâl-âtita-sa[ṁ]vatsara-sa(śa)taṅgaḷ-eṇṭu-nûr-[e]ḷpatt-[e]raḍaneya Śô(sau)myam-emba
2 sa[ṁ]vatsaram pravarttise4 [|*] Svasti Amôghavarisha5dêva-śriprithuvî-6 vallabba-paramêśvara-parama-
3 bhaṭt[â]raka-pâdapankaja-bhramaran=a[ṅka]7-Tri[nê]tran=âne-veḍeṅgaṁ vana-gaja-mallaṁ kachchegaṁ Kri(kṛi)shṇarâjam śrimat
4 Kannaradêva[m] Mûvaḍi1-Chôl̤a-Râjâdityana mêle [ba]ndu Takkôladoḷ=kadi kondu bijayaṁ-geyyutt-il̤du2 [|*][…]
The Subsidiary Record at the Top of the Stone.
20 Svasti Śrî-Er̤eyapana magaṁ Râchamallanaṁ Bûtugaṁ kâdi kondu tombhattaṛu-sâsiramumaṁ1 âlutt-ire [|*] Kannaradêvaṁ Chôl̤anaṁ kâduv-andu Bûtugaṁ Râjâdityanaṁ bisu-geye kaḷḷan=âgi surig=ir̤idu
[…]
TRANSLATION.
Hail! While the saṁvatsara named Saumya, the eight hundred and seventys-second (in) the centuries of years that have gone by from the time of the Śaka king, was currents:—
(Line 2)— Hail! When Kṛishṇarâja (III.), the glorious Kannaradêva,—a very bee on the water-lilies that were the feet of the favourite of fortune and of the earth, the Paramêśvara, the Paramabhaṭṭâraka, Amôghavarshadêva-(Vaddiga); a very Triṇêtra (Śiva) in battle ;6 a marvel with elephants ;7 a wrestler against forest-elephants ;8 he who wears the girdle (of prouless),9— having attacked the Mûvaḍi-Chôl̤a10 Râjâditya, and having fought and killed him at Takkôla, was going in triumph :11—
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The Subsidiary Record at the Top of the Stone.
(L. 20)—Hail! While Bûtuga (II.), having fought and killed Râchamalla, the son of the illustrious Eṛeyapa, was governing the ninety-six thousand :—
(L. 20)— At the time when Kannaradêva was fighting against the Chôl̤a, Bûtuga (II.), while embracing1 Râjâditya, treacherously2 stabbed him with a dagger, and thus fought and killed him ; and Kannaradêva gave to Bûtuga, in token of approbation, the Banavase twelve-thousand, the Beḷvola three-hundred, the Puriger̤e three-hundred, the Kisukâḍ seventy, and the Bâgenâḍ seventy.
No. 25.—SPURIOUS SUDI COPPER-PLATE GRANT PURPORTING TO HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY BUTUGA IN SAKA-SAMVAT 860.
By J. F. Fleet, I.C.S., Ph.D., C.I.E.[…]
The inscription purports to be a record of that Western Gaṅga prince Bûtuga, who, according to the Âtakûr inscription (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. II. p. 167), slew the Chôḷa king Râjâditya, in the war between the latter and the Râshṭrakûṭa king Kṛishṇa III., in or just before A. D. 949-50.
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TEXT.1
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Third Plate; First Side.
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48 prathama-nâmadhêyaḥ | Kachchêya-Gaṁgaḥ |(ǁ) Om Vri(vṛi)8 [ǁ*] Tasy9-ânujô nija-bhuj-ârjjita-sampa[d-ar]tth[ô]Third Plate; Second Side.
49 bhûvallabha[ṁ*] samupagamya La(ḍa)hâḷa-dêśê śrî-Baddegaṁ tad=anu ta-
50 sya sûtaṁ sah=aiva vâk-kanyayâ vyavahad=uttavi(ma)-dhîs=Tripu-
51 rryâṁ [ǁ*] Api cha ǁ Lakshmîm10=Indrasya harttuṁ gatavati divi yad-Baddeg-âṁkî(kê)
52 mahîśê h[ṛi*]tvâ Lal[l ?]êya-hastât=kari-turaga sitachchâtra1-ni(si)ṁ-
53 hâsanâni | ptâ[dâ]t Kṛishṇâya râjñê kshit[i*]-pati-gaṇanâsv=a-
54 graṇîr=yyal̤(h̤)=prâtâpât râjâ śrî-Bûtug-âkhyas=samajani viji-
55 t-ârâti-chakrah̤=prachaṇḍaḥ ǁ Kaṁchâtaḥ kinna2 n=âgâd=Aḷachapura-patiḥ
56 Kakkarâjô=ntakasya Bijj-âkhyô Dantivarmmâ yuni(dhi) nija-Banavâsî tva-
57 ma3 Râjavarmmâ śântatvaṁ śânta-dêśô Nul̤uvu-giri-patir=Ddâmarir=ddarppa-bhaṁga[ṁ*]Fourth Plate; First Side.
58 maddhyê=ntaṁ Nâgavarmmâ bhayam=atirabhasâd=Gaṁga-Gâṁgêya-bhû-
59 pât ǁ Râjâditya4-narêsvara[ṁ*] gaja-ghaṭ-âṭôpêna sandarppita[ṁ*]
60 jitv=âdêśata êva gaṇḍugamahâ niddhôṭya5 | Taṁjâpurîṁ Naḷkôṭe-
61 pramukh-âd[r*]i-durgga-nivahân dagdhâ gajêndrân hayân Kṛishṇâ-
62 ya prathitaṁn=dhanaṁ6 svayam=adât śrî-Ga[ṁ*]ga-Nârâyaṇaḥ[ǁ*]
63 Âryyâ ǁ Êkântamada(ta)7-mad-ôddhata-kuvâdi-kuṁbhîndra-kuṁbha-saṁhbêdaṁ ǁ(|)
64 naigama-nay-âdi-kuḷiśair=akarôj=Jayad-uttaraṁga-nṛipaḥ ǁ Gadyaṁ ǁ
65 Satyanîtivâkya-Koṁguṇivarmma-dharmmamahârâjâdhirâja-p a r a m ê ś v a – ra[ḥ*][…]
TRANSLATION.
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(L. 48.)—Ôm ! (Metre) :— His younger brother, possessed of prosperity and wealth acquired by his own arm, went to the glorious Baddega, the favourite of the earth, in the country of Ḍahâḷa, and then, being of the most excellent understanding, wedded his daughter, along, of a verity, with the maiden Eloquence, at Tripurî. Or again :— There was born the king who had the appellation of “the glorious Bûtuga;” who conquered the host of (his) enemies ; who was excessively fierce ; (and) who,— being, through (his) might, one who ranked first in enumerations of kings,— when that king named Baddega had gone to appropriate the fortunes of (the god) Indra in heaven,5 took elephants and horses and white umbrellas and thrones from the possession of Lallêya (?), and gave (them) to king Kṛishṇa. Moreover,6 from this excessively fierce king Gaṅga-Gâṅgêya, did not Kakkarâja, lord of Aḷachapura, acquire (fear) of death ? ; did not Dantivarman, named Bijja, hurriedly go (in flight) in war to his own Banavâsî ? ; did not Râjavarman become quieted ? ; did not Dâmari, lord of Nul̤uvugiri, whose country was made quiet, obtain the breaking of (his) pride ? ; (and) did not Nâgavarman feel, mid-way, the (?) very extremity of fear ? Having, at command indeed, conquered king Râjâditya, who was made arrogant by pride in (his) array of elephants,— having . . . . . . . . . . . .7 laid siege ot the town of Tañjâpuri,— (and) having burnt numbers of hill-forts, headed by Nâl̤kôṭe,— (he), the glorious Gaṅga-Nârâyaṇa, of his own accord gave to (king) Kṛishṇa lordly elephants (and) horses (and) great wealth. (Âryâ):— With thunderbolts that were the maxims of those who interpret the Vêdic writings, etc., (he), king Jayad-Uttaraṅga,8 cleft open the frontal globes of the lordly elephants who are the expounders of evil precepts, puffed up with the rut that is the doctrine of devotion to one sole object of worship.
Please note: Blue emphasis by me!
Informations
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: Rajakesari7
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: 949 CE
Place of death: Takkolam
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Successor: no name available
Father: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Mother: Ko Kizhan Adikal alias Tayar Nampirattiyar Kokkilanadigal
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Era: Chola period
Time period: Medieval Cholas
Pictures
no picture available
- Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta, A History of South India – from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar, 1966, p. 178 ↩
- Archaeological Survey of India, EI. – Volume VI, 1900-01, pp. 40-51, No. 6 – C. Âtakûr inscription of Kṛishṇa III. and Bûtuga II.― A.D. 949-50. ↩
- Archaeological Survey of India, EI. – Volume VI, 1900-01, p. 51, No. 6 – C. Âtakûr inscription of Kṛishṇa III. and Bûtuga II.― A.D. 949-50., Footnote 4 ↩
- Archaeological Survey of India, EI. – Volume VI, 1900-01, p. 52, No. 6 – C. Âtakûr inscription of Kṛishṇa III. and Bûtuga II.― A.D. 949-50. ↩
- Archaeological Survey of India, EI. – Volume VI, 1900-01, pp. 53-57, No. 6 – C. Âtakûr inscription of Kṛishṇa III. and Bûtuga II.― A.D. 949-50. ↩
- Archaeological Survey of India, EI. – Volume III, 1894-95, pp. 158-183 ↩
- Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta, The Cōḷas, 1955, p. 144 ↩
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