Ponniyin selvan

Ponniyin Selvan ("The Son of Ponni") is a famous 20th-century Tamil historical novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Written in 5 volumes, this narrates the story of Arulmozhivarman (later crowned as Rajaraja_Chola).

Ponniyin Selvan (Ponni's Son) dealt with the fortunes of the Chola empire during the 10th century. It was serialised in the Tamil periodical Kalki. The serialisation went on for nearly five years and every week its publication was awaited with great interest.

Historical backgound

Ponniyin Selvan is a romance which contains real historical characters and real historical incidents.

Vijayalaya Cholan (AD 846-871) was the founder of the later Chola dynasty. He conquered the country from a vassal chief of the Pallavas, and established Thanjavur as the capital of the dynasty. His son and successor Aditya I conquered the Pallavas and the Kongu country; and his son Parantakan I (AD 907-953), under his leadership, the cholas acquired a dominion which foreshadowed the greater empire Rajarajan and Kulothungan. Parantakan I won victories over the Banas, the Gangas, the Pandyas and the King of Ceylon.

This fact and the extent of his conquest are known from his inscriptions. Towards the end of his reign, or before his death, the Rashtrakutas under Krishnaraja III invaded the Tamil Country, killed the Chola Prince Rajadityan at Takkolam (near Arakonam) in AD 947-948, and seized Tondainadu which they seemed to have ruled for about a quarter of a century, confining the sway of the Cholas to their ancestral dominion comprising the Thanjavur and Trichy districts.

The names of the next five kings after Rajaditya are known, but little is on record regarding their life history. They were Gandaraditya, Arinjaya, Parantakan II, Aditya Karikala or Aditya II and Madurantaka. Aditya Karikala II appears to have re-conquered Tondainadu a few years later.On Aditya's death, or on the death of Parantakan II, whichever was the later, the succession was probably disputed. The subject besought, Arulmozhivarman (Rajarajan) to become the King, but he did not want the throne as long as his paternal uncle Madurantak Uttama Cholan was fond of the crown. Eventually, Arunmolivarman was appointed heir-apparent. Rajarajan became the king in 985 AD. His reign was the starting point of a period of unexampled prosperity.

Ponniyin Selvan was the sobriquet given to Raja Raja Chola. The original title of Arulmozhivarman (Rajaraja Cholan) was Rajakesari Varman or Mummudi-Sola-Deva. He was the second son of the Parantaka Cholan II alias Sundara Cholan and Vaanavan Maadevi. Rajarajan had an elder sister, Kundavaiyar and an elder brother, Aditya Karikalan. Rajarajan had a high regard for his sister, who spent her later life in Tanjore with her younger brother, his first daughter was named after her.

Plot Details

The story revolves around Vandiyathevan, a charming young man who sets out to the Chola land to deliver a message to the King and the princess from the Crown Prince. The story shuttles between Vandiaythevan's travels in Chola country and the young Prince's travels in Sri Lanka. The narrative deals with attempts by his sister Kundavai to bring back Arulmozhi (as Raja Raja was called before his crowning) to establish political peace in a land seemingly getting besot with unrest and signs of civil war, plotted by vassals and petty cheiftains.

Kalki cleverly utilizes the uncertainties of Paranthaka II's succession in his romance. The novel details the palace intrigues and the suspicious nature of Adithya Karikala’s death.

External links

• Complete downloadable pdf versions (http://www.tamil.net/projectmadurai/pmfinish.html#dt0169)