Athithya Karikalan 2
This is a
historical incident which happened in 10th and 11th century’s
at chola dynasty. It said to be the golden period of South India. Where the Chola kingdom were spread from kaniyakumari
to Krishna River. When Sundra chola was ruling the kingdom with the help of puzhuvettarayar
and other kings . Sundra cholar has two sons Adithya karikalan the elder one
and arumozhi the youngest, and a daughter named kundavai.
Adithya karikalan Handsome Prince charming,
with valour and good intellect, he went to war at the age of 12 and became an
inspiration to his troops. He was not given much support by the
puzhuvettarayar’s who were holding high positions in chola territory. So, he
came out of Tanjavor and ruled the north of chola territory. Many youngsters
were inspired by him and joined his army, among them valavarayan Vandiyathaver
became close and a loyal friend to adithyakarikalan.
Adithaya karikalan‘s
grandfather paranthaka chola had captured the pandian kingdom. However, due to
course, Veera pandian had started ruling his country as an independent king. As
per the inscriptions in a place called Chevur near Pudukkotai there was a
battle between chola and pandya. sundra chola personally killed a lot of
elephants in this battle after this battle . Adithya karikalans was very young.
Still he fought bravely with veera pandiyan and made him run away to Sahiyatri
Mountain. veerapandiyan joined got help from other kings and decided to put an
end to chola’s empire and he knows that it cannot be done directly so he
attacked common peoples , By attacking villages, attacking the travellers at
nights, steeling goods, killed the adults and cuts children’s ears, nose and
spoiling the eyes. by seeing this Adithyan got angry and promised his father to
take revenge against the veerapandiyan.so he fought against him, Vira Pandiyan was like a rat - would
run into hiding only to resurface again and wage another war with the help of
the Srilankan King Mahindan .To put an end to the whole issue, Aditha, a strappling young
boy of 17 years age, waged the final war with the Pandya King and finally
chased him to his hideout and killed him and got the title “Vira Pandiyan Thalai Konda Koppa
Kesari “given to him .he took Verapandiyan’s head and kept at common
place at Tanjavur. Aditya got Yuvaraja title.
The
veerapandiyan’s bodyguard Ravidasan his brother Soman Sambavan conspired to
kill Sundra cholar and his heirs. They planned and divided into three groups, a
group joined as servants in treasury maintenance for killing Sundara cholar and
they stole the treasures of cholans and they started forming an army. Another
group went to kadambur where they planned to kill Adithya karikalan. Another
group went to Srilanka to kill Arunmoli who was in the war with ilem. They
started the strike from Arunmoli , they burned the ilem palace where arunmoli
and his friend vandiyatevar but they escaped. While returning to tanjavoor they
tied up him and through him into water but still he managed to escape.
Under the
leadership of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar a political meeting is
arranged to discuss and take decision about the next crowning king in kadamboor.
Adithiya Karikalan was also called to
take part in the discussion. Knowing this his sister send a message to adithya
karikalan through vandiyathavan saying that not to attend the kadamboor meeting
as by going there his life would be in danger. And also his grandfather requests
him not to attend the kadamboor meeting but he does not agree .Finally he went
to kadamboor, where they provided a grand welcome by people.
The group of
ravithasan planned to kill the three on same day at same time. Somasambavan
planned to attack sundra cholar with a poisoned arrow from a hideout. They
planned to attack arunmoli while he was returning to Tanjavoor, where they
arranged a man to attack him when he is on the elephant. And Ravithasan and his
men were hiding with weapons in the vetai mandabam where they planned to attack
Adithya karikalan, while he is coming back from the ceremony.
According to
kalki, astrologist predicted that something bad to happen to chola’s kingdom .In
Tanjavoor somban sambavan waiting to attack the sundaracholar. A woman saw this
and came in between the arrow and she gave her life to save the king but they
were not able to capture Soman Sambavan. Arunmol was attacked while returning
to tanjavoor to see his father, but he managed to esacape from that attack. Knowing
about attack of Ravidasan, Vandiyatevar reached the vetai mandabam where he saw
the adithya karikalan was lying down, this situation is explained in copper
plates “due to his wish to see heavens early, the sun set early, and the entire
world was surrounded by the darkness called kali. The word sun, in this phase
represents adithya. The extreme melancholy that comes out this poetic phase portrays
the mood of Chola regime at that time. AdihyaKarikalan’s body was saved by
vandiyathevar from fire.
According to kalki, in Ponniyin Selvan does not give the exact details of the cause
of death. He makes the incident pretty enigmatic and ensures nearly half a
dozen people are present at the place of death. The Pandya conspirators led by
Ravidasan were also involved. He also says that, Kunthavai later meets Periya
Pazhuvettaraiyar and tell him that she does not believe he did it.
Pazhuvettaraiyar on his death bed tells Kunthavai and arunmoli as to who really
did it. They are left speechless. According to Balakumaran in Udaiyar, he was
killed by the bodyguards of Veerapandian that is by ravitasan. According to
Akilan he explains the situation that “Adithya karikalan was like a lion
trapped inside the cage in dark where assassinators where hiding and killed
him”.
On the same year sundara cholar also died .After these
issues arummoli and other political persons crowned utama cholar and anunmoli
went to sea to explore other nation. Now the Ravitasan and his brother’s lived
in chola territory and they became important persons in cholans teritory. In
course of time they reviled themselves as they have killed Adithya karikalan.
They made people to believe that they killed him only for the sake of people and
cholas territory.
After 15 Years arunmoli was crowned as Raja Raja cholan. On
the day when he became a king, his brother’s case was investigated. Ravitasan
and his brothers were declared as culprits. Raja raja cholan gave a different
punishment to them .The punishment goes like this not just Ravidasan and his
brothers, but entire family set up, their wives, children, those families of
wife’s – the while gang ‘s, where removed from their political positions and
moving property, non-movable property were seized ,and they were thrown out of
the chola territory.
