Kings and queens
Information about the Chola kings and queens during the Sangam and Chola periods.
Rajaditya (Kodandarama)
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: Rajakesari
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
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.
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
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Villavan-Mahadeviyar
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: Villavan̤-Mahâdêviyâr was the daughter of the Kēraḷa prince Pal̤uvēṭṭaraiyar alias Maravan̤ Kaṇḍan̤ār.
Father: no information about her father
Mother: no information about her mother
Husbands: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Children: Arinjaya (also know as Arinchika, Arindigai or Arikulakesari or Arikesari or Arindama or Alvar Arikulakesarideva)
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Solamadeviyar
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: A third-year inscription of Parakesari mentions a gift of a lamp by Mullur Nangai, the mother of the Chola queen Solamadeviyar. That this Solamadeviyar was the queen of Parantaka I is evident from an inscription of the 22nd year of Madiraikonda Parakesari at Tiruvaiyaru.
Father: no information about her father
Mother: Mullur Nangai
Husbands: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Children: no information about her children
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Mallisvarattu Nampirattiyar Tennavan Mahadeviyar alias Narayana Nangai Nangaiyar
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: A queen of Parantaka I, Mallisvarattu Nampirattiyar Tennavan Mahadeviyar alias Narayana Nangai Nangaiyar, made a gift of a lamp to this God in the 34th year of the king.
Father: no information about her father
Mother: no information about her mother
Husbands: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Children: no information about her children
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Kizhan Adikal Ravi Neeli alias Iravi Nîli
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: Kizhan Adikal Ravi Neeli alias Iravi Nîli was a Chera princess.
Father: Vijayarāgadēva
Mother: Kil̤ān̤aḍigaḷ
Husbands: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Children: no information about her children
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Ko Kizhan Adikal alias Tayar Nampirattiyar Kokkilanadigal
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: An inscription of the 20th year of Parantaka I records a gift of land after purchase from the Assembly of Tirutturutti by Kokkilanadigal, queen of Parantaka I, to maintain a lamp and provide for offerings to the image of Trai-lokya-Sundara (Tripurasamhara) set up in the temple in the form assuming which he burnt the three cities of the Asuras.
Father: Sēramān̤ār̤
Mother: no information about her mother
Husbands: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Children: Anaimerrunjinar Rajaditya and Adittan Karralippiratti
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Kannaradeva – கண்ணரதேவா
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: Āditya had besides Parāntaka another son, Kannaradēva by name. One of Krisha's daughters married the Chola monarch Āditya I and bore him a son called Kannaradeva.
Father: Aditya Chola I.
Mother: Ilangon Pichchi (Rashtrakuta wife)[?]
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana) – பராந்தக சோழன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: Maduraiyum ilamum konda koparakesari - King Parakesari who captured Madurai and Lanka
Title: Parakesari
Year of birth: c. 873 CE
Place of birth: Tiruvottiyur (Chennai)
Year of death: c. 955 CE
Place of death: Tiruvottiyur (Chennai)
Reign: from 907 to 955 CE
Seat of government: Thanjavur
Predecessor: Aditya Chola I.
Successor: Gandaraditya Chola
Description: Parāntaka I ruled for forty-eight years, as the latest inscription of his reign is dated in his forty-eight regnal year. Early in his reign he resisted with success the attempt of Rāṣṭrakūṭa Kṛṣṇa II to put his own grand-son Kannaradeva on the Cōḷa throne.
Father: Aditya Chola I.
Mother: Vayiri Akkan alias Tribhuvana Madeviyar (Chera wife)[?]
Wives: Ko Kizhan Adikal alias Kokkilanadigal, Kizhan Adikal Ravi Neeli alias Iravi Nîli, Mallisvarattu Nampirattiyar Tennavan Mahadeviyar or Narayana Nangai Nangaiyar, Solamadeviyar, Villavan-Mahadeviyar
Children: Anaimerrunjinar Rajaditya, Gandaraditya Chola, Uttamasili, Arinjaya (also know as Arindigai or Arikulakesari or Arikesari or Arindama or Alvar Arikulakesarideva), Viramadevi, Anupama, Adittan Karralippiratti
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Ilangon Pichchi
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: Ilangon Pichchi was a Rashtrakuta wife.
Father: no information about her father
Mother: no information about her mother
Husbands: Aditya Chola I.
Children: Kannaradeva
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Vayiri Akkan alias Tribhuvana Madeviyar
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: Vayiri Akkan alias Tribhuvana Madeviyar was a Chera wife.
Father: no information about her father
Mother: no information about her mother
Husbands: Aditya Chola I.
Children: Parantaka Chola I.
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Aditya Chola I. (Kodandarama) – ஆதித்த சோழன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: Toṇḍaināḍu paviya korājakēsari - King Rajakesari who extended his rule in Tondai-nadu
Title: Rajakesari
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: Pazhayarai
Year of death: c. 907 CE
Place of death: Tondaimanarrur/Tondaimanad (Srikalahasti)
Reign: from 871 to 907 CE
Seat of government: Thanjavur
Predecessor: Vijayalaya Chola
Successor: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)
Description: Āditya I was the son of Vijayālaya, the first of the Imperial line of Cōḷas. An inscription from the Trichinopoly district mentions a grant of land made accordance with an earlier charter issued by Parakēsari Vijayālaya, and this shows that the revival of Cōḷa power at this time begins from the neighbourhood of Uṟaiyūr, their ancient home on the banks of the Kāvēri.
Father: Vijayalaya Chola
Mother: Anaghavati [?]
Wives: Vayiri Akkan alias Tribhuvana Madeviyar (Chera wife)[?] and Ilangon Pichchi (Rashtrakuta wife)[?]
Children: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana) and Kannaradeva
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Anaghavati
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: No information available.
Father: no information about her father
Mother: no information about her mother
Husbands: Vijayalaya Chola
Children: Aditya Chola I.
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Vijayalaya Chola – விசயாலய சோழன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: Tañjai-koṇḍa koparakēsari - King Parakesari who captured Tanjore
Title: Parakesari
Year of birth: c. 847 CE
Place of birth: Ottriyur (Tiruvottriyur)
Year of death: c. 884 CE
Place of death: Srikalahasti at Tirupathi
Reign: from 847 until 871 CE
Seat of government: Thanjavur
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: Aditya Chola I.
Description: [...] though naturally on may doubt if he became so powerful as to leave stone inscriptions over so extensive a territory at such an early stage in the rise of the Cōḷas, evidence is increasing that this king was really powerful, and in a record of his third year from Viracōḷapuram in Tirukōyilūr taluq of South Arcot he is clearly described as Tañjai-koṇḍa parakēsari, Parakēsari the captor of Tanjore.
Father: no information about his father
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: Anaghavati [?]
Children: Aditya Chola I.
Chola period (Medieval Cholas)
Perunarkilli – பெருநங்கிள்ளி
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: Perunaṟkiḷḷi must have been a powerful monarch, as he is the only one among the Tamil sovereigns of the Śangam age who performed the Rājasūya;
Father: no information about his father
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Koccenganan – கோச்செங்கணன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: Two names stand out prominently from among those of the Cōḷa kings known to the Sāngam literature; and their memory is cherished in song and legend by a loving posterity; they are those of Karikāla and Kōccengaṇān.
Father: no information about his father
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Kopperuncholan – கோப்பெருஞ்சோழன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: Uraiyur
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: The lasting friendships between Kapilar and Pāri, between Piśir Āndaiyār and Kōpperunjōlan, and between Auvayār and Adigaimān Anji are among the best known instances of life-long attachment between poet and patron.
Father: no information about his father
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Veedhividangan – வீதிவிடங்கன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: No information available
Father: Ellalan
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Ellalan – எல்லாளன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: c. 235 BCE
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: c. 161 BCE
Place of death: no location available
Reign: from 205 until 161 BCE
Seat of government: Tiruvarur
Predecessor: Asela, King of Anuradhapura
Successor: Dutugamunu the Great, King of Anuradhapura
Description: Ellalan, also known as Manu Needhi Cholan, ruled as king the kingdom of Anuradhapura in what is now Sri Lanka from 205 BCE to 161 BCE.
Father: no information about his father
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: Veedhividangan
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Killivalavan – கிள்ளிவளவன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: Kulamurram/Kurap-palli
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: Uraiyur
Predecessor: Nalankilli Chola
Successor: no name available
Description: This king, who (we may infer) possessed considerable ability, was both brave and generous, but somewhat headstrong.
Father: no information about his father
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Adimandi – ஆதிமண்டி
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about her reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: A daughter of Karikāla, Ādimandi by name, is the subject of many poems. She lost her husband, a Cēra prince, by name Āṭṭan Atti, who drowned in the Kāvēri, but subsequently, by the power of her chastity, she is said to have bought him back to life.
Father: Karikala Chola
Mother: no information about her mother
Husbands: Āṭṭan Atti
Children: no information about her children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Mavalattan – மாவலத்தான்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: no location available
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: no name available
Description: A younger brother of Nalangilli. Mavalattan laid siege to Avur, where Nedungilli shut himself up during the war with Nalangilli.
Father: Karikala Chola
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Nalankilli Chola – நலங்கிள்ளி சோழன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: c. 445 BCE
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: Ilavandigaippalli
Reign: c. 418 BCE
Seat of government: Kaverippatinam
Predecessor: Nedunkilli Chola
Successor: Killivalavan Chola
Description: He was called as Setcenni-Nalangilli.
Father: Karikala Chola
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Nedunkilli Chola – நெடுங்கிள்ளி சோழன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: c. 450 BCE or 452 BCE
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: c. 405 BCE
Place of death: Kariyaru
Reign: c. 427 BCE
Seat of government: Uraiyur
Predecessor: Karikala Chola
Successor: Nalankilli Chola
Description: He was also known as Nedumudik-killi. Nedungilli Chola was killed in battle at Kariyaru.
Father: Karikala Chola
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: no information about his wives
Children: no information about his children
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Karikala Chola – கரிகால சோழன்
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: Parakesari
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: no location available
Year of death: no date available
Place of death: no location available
Reign: no information about his reign
Seat of government: Uraiyur
Predecessor: Ilanjetcenni
Successor: Nedunkilli Chola and Nalankilli Chola
Description: He was known by his nicknames Karikala Peruvallattan and Tirumavalavan and ruled the Chola kingdom with Uraiyur as the capital.
Father: Ilanjetcenni
Mother: Velir princess from Alundur
Wives: Velir princess from Nangur
Children: Nedunkilli Chola, Nalankilli Chola, Mavalattan and Adimandi
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
Ilanjetcenni – இளஞ்ஜெட்சென்னி
Information about the ruler
Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available
Title: no ruler title available
Year of birth: no date available
Place of birth: Uraiyur
Year of death: c. 470 BCE
Place of death: Puhar
Reign: from 501 until 470 BCE
Seat of government: Uraiyur
Predecessor: no name available
Successor: Karikala Chola
Description: He was an early Tamil king of the Chola dynasty during the Sangam period.
Father: no information about his father
Mother: no information about his mother
Wives: Velir princess from Alundur
Children: Karikala Chola
Sangam period (Early Cholas)
