Karikala

Karikala (Tamil: காரிகால; [kaːrikɑːl]; Middle Tamil: Karikāḷa Cōḻaṉ (காரிகால சோழன்); Classical Sanskrit: Karikāla Śōḷa), often referred to as Karikala the Great, was a Tamil Emperor of the Early Cholas of the Chola dynasty who ruled ancient Tamilakam (Modern day South India) from Uraiyur. He is credited with the construction of the flood banks of the river Kaveri and conquest of Tamilakam, Andhra and Sri Lanka. He is recognised as the greatest of the Early Cholas. In Thiruvalangadu plates of Rajendra Chola I, Medieval Tamil Cholas listed Karikala Chola as one of their ancestors. Several Telugu dynasties also claimed descendant from Karikala.

The story of Karikala is mixed with legend and anecdotal information gleaned from Sangam literature. The period covered by the extant literature of the Sangam is not easy to determine with any measure of certainty.

Paṭṭiṉappālai, Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai and a number of individual poems in the Akanaṉūṟu and Purananuru have been the main source for the information that is attributed to Karikala.

There are many inscriptions and records found both in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh which mention Karikala and his conquests and the construction of flood banks along the Kaveri river. Many rulers and petty chiefs who came after him claimed him as their ancestor and decorated themselves as belonging to the Chola clan of Karikala and of the Kashyapa gotra. The following lines are taken from the Malepadu plates of Renadu Chola king Punyakumara,

"Dinakara-kula-mandar-achala-mandara-padapassya

Kavera-tanaya-velollamghanaprasamana-pramukn-adyanak-atisaya-karinah

Trairajya-sthitim-atmasat-kritavatah-karikala"

The above lines are translated as: "In the clan of Karikala, who was the Mandara tree on the Mandara mountain, viz., the solar clan; who was the worker of many wonders like controlling the daughter of Kaveri"