Gandaraditya
Encyclopedia
Gandaraditya Chola succeeded his father Parantaka I
and became the Chola king c. 955 C.E.
in 985 C.E., Chola history is obscure. During this period of 30 years there were five princes who must have occupied the throne. There are several theories surrounding the rapid ascension to the Chola throne.
One was that there were internal feuds among the different members of the royal family. The other is that the effects of the Rashtrakuta invasion and the defeat of the Chola army at Takkolam resulting in the death of heir-apparent Rajaditya Chola (the first in line to the throne - "aanai mael thunjiya devar") must have brought large-scale disorder in the kingdom.
The second theory has more merit since the sons of Parantaka I (specifically Gandaraditya and Arinjaya
) must have also fought along with their brother, Rajaditya in that epic battle and must have been variously injured and died rapidly. Thus, Parantaka I was forced to get his grandson Sundara Chola (the son of Arinjaya and probably the oldest surviving prince) to be the heir-apparent.
Gandaraditya was a reluctant monarch and focussed more on religious work and not on empire building. The Tondaimandalam continued to be occupied by the Rashtrakutas and Gandaratitya did not seem to have made any attempt to retrieve it. It is not clear if this is because he was uninterested in war or that he was assimilating his position south of the Paalar River and cutting his loses to keep Eelam (which was fast slipping out of Chola control) and to keep a resurgent Pandya Kingdom at bay.
For the time being, the martial Chola power seem to have been toned down but trade (especially maritime) continued to flourish. There are only very few inscriptions to be found that could be directly attributed to him and this may be because earlier inscriptions were consciously deleted by later Uttama Chola who undertook the task of converting South Indian temples into granite from brick-and-mortar under the "Kalpani" scheme. The conscious decision by Uttama Chola is mentioned in his inscriptions at Kanchipuram.
He spent more time in religious discourse. He is credited with writing a Tamil hymn
on Siva
of the Chidambaram
Temple.
dynasty, Gandaraditya made his brother heir apparent.
who bore him a son called Madhurantaka Uttama Chola. This must have been very late in his life. At the time of Gandaraditya’s death (c. 956 C.E.), Uttama Chola must have been a young boy, as he was set aside in the order of succession and Arinjaya took over the Chola crown. Sembiyan Madeviyar survived her husband for a long time. She seems to have been a pious lady as she figures in several inscriptions, making donations to various temples. She died c. 1001 C.E. during Rajaraja’s reign. She seems to have come from the Chera country.
Gandaraditya was also known as "Merkey elundarulina devar" - the king who was pleased to go west. The meaning of this phrase is not clearly understood but could possibly mean the King who went west to Kerala. There are claims that Gandaraditya in his later life adapted the Jain faith and went to the Kannada land in the west of the Chola country with a Jain ascetic named Loka-pala acharya. This claim does not have many supporters amongst historians especially because of his Saivaite background and his wife's and son's continued persuasion of this faith.
. In this there is a distinct statement that Parantaka I
conquered the Pandya country and Eelam (Sri Lanka
) and covered the temple of Nataraja
with gold. The author calls himself the king of Kozhiyur (Uraiyur) and the lord of the people of Thanjavur. It is not clear when he composed this poetry and whether it was he who covered the Chidambaram shrine in lieu of his father or was done at Parantaka I's term.
The following is the Thiruvisaippa:
Parantaka I
Parantaka Chola I ruled the Chola kingdom in southern India for forty-eight years. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success and prosperity.-The Invasion of the Pandya Kingdom:...
and became the Chola king c. 955 C.E.
Turbulent period
From the death of Parantaka I, to the accession of Rajaraja IRajaraja Chola I
Raja Raja Chola I born Arunmozhi Thevar , popularly known as Raja Raja the Great, is one of the greatest emperors of the Tamil Chola Empire of India who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE...
in 985 C.E., Chola history is obscure. During this period of 30 years there were five princes who must have occupied the throne. There are several theories surrounding the rapid ascension to the Chola throne.
One was that there were internal feuds among the different members of the royal family. The other is that the effects of the Rashtrakuta invasion and the defeat of the Chola army at Takkolam resulting in the death of heir-apparent Rajaditya Chola (the first in line to the throne - "aanai mael thunjiya devar") must have brought large-scale disorder in the kingdom.
The second theory has more merit since the sons of Parantaka I (specifically Gandaraditya and Arinjaya
Arinjaya
Arinjaya Chola succeeded Gandaraditya Chola c. 956 C.E. Arinjaya was the third son of Parantaka I and the younger brother of Gandarditya. Arunjaya seems to have ruled for a very short time.- Other names :...
) must have also fought along with their brother, Rajaditya in that epic battle and must have been variously injured and died rapidly. Thus, Parantaka I was forced to get his grandson Sundara Chola (the son of Arinjaya and probably the oldest surviving prince) to be the heir-apparent.
Reluctant ruler
As noted earlier, the eldest son of Parantaka I, prince Rajaditya lost his life in the battle of Takkolam (c. 949 C.E.). Takkalom is identified with the area around present day Arakonam in the North Arcot district. Parantaka I must have made his second son Gandaraditya as heir apparent.Gandaraditya was a reluctant monarch and focussed more on religious work and not on empire building. The Tondaimandalam continued to be occupied by the Rashtrakutas and Gandaratitya did not seem to have made any attempt to retrieve it. It is not clear if this is because he was uninterested in war or that he was assimilating his position south of the Paalar River and cutting his loses to keep Eelam (which was fast slipping out of Chola control) and to keep a resurgent Pandya Kingdom at bay.
For the time being, the martial Chola power seem to have been toned down but trade (especially maritime) continued to flourish. There are only very few inscriptions to be found that could be directly attributed to him and this may be because earlier inscriptions were consciously deleted by later Uttama Chola who undertook the task of converting South Indian temples into granite from brick-and-mortar under the "Kalpani" scheme. The conscious decision by Uttama Chola is mentioned in his inscriptions at Kanchipuram.
He spent more time in religious discourse. He is credited with writing a Tamil hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
on Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
of the Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
Temple.
Co-regent
Very early in his reign Gandaraditya must have made his younger brother Arinjaya co-regent and heir-apparent. It is possible that Gandaraditya was without issue for a long time and in attempt to secure the continuation of the VijayalayaVijayalaya Chola
Vijayalaya was the Chola king of South India Thanjavur during c. 848 C.E. and re-established the Chola dynastic rule.-Dark age of Cholas:The ancient Chola kingdom once famous in Tamil literature and in the writings of Greek merchants and geographers faded in to darkness after c 300 C.E. Cholas...
dynasty, Gandaraditya made his brother heir apparent.
Queen and heir
Gandaraditya's queen was Madevadigalar alias Sembiyan MadeviyarSembiyan Mahadevi
Queen Sembiyan Mahãdevi was a title borne by various queens of the Chola empire. She could be the queen mother , grandmother, aunt, etc. The most famous of them all is the mother of King Madurantaka Uttama Chola Deva...
who bore him a son called Madhurantaka Uttama Chola. This must have been very late in his life. At the time of Gandaraditya’s death (c. 956 C.E.), Uttama Chola must have been a young boy, as he was set aside in the order of succession and Arinjaya took over the Chola crown. Sembiyan Madeviyar survived her husband for a long time. She seems to have been a pious lady as she figures in several inscriptions, making donations to various temples. She died c. 1001 C.E. during Rajaraja’s reign. She seems to have come from the Chera country.
Gandaraditya was also known as "Merkey elundarulina devar" - the king who was pleased to go west. The meaning of this phrase is not clearly understood but could possibly mean the King who went west to Kerala. There are claims that Gandaraditya in his later life adapted the Jain faith and went to the Kannada land in the west of the Chola country with a Jain ascetic named Loka-pala acharya. This claim does not have many supporters amongst historians especially because of his Saivaite background and his wife's and son's continued persuasion of this faith.
Contributions to Tamil literature
It has been widely accepted by researchers of Tamil literature and Saiva religious scholars that Gandaraditya was the author of a Thiruvisaippa on Siva at the Temple of ChidambaramChidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
. In this there is a distinct statement that Parantaka I
Parantaka I
Parantaka Chola I ruled the Chola kingdom in southern India for forty-eight years. The best part of his reign was marked by increasing success and prosperity.-The Invasion of the Pandya Kingdom:...
conquered the Pandya country and Eelam (Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
) and covered the temple of Nataraja
Nataraja
Nataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...
with gold. The author calls himself the king of Kozhiyur (Uraiyur) and the lord of the people of Thanjavur. It is not clear when he composed this poetry and whether it was he who covered the Chidambaram shrine in lieu of his father or was done at Parantaka I's term.
The following is the Thiruvisaippa: