Indian Christianity

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN
The Chera, Chola and Pandya are traditional Tamil siblings and descendants of the Kings of ancient Tamilakam,
Chera and Pandya meaning old country, Chola meaning new country. The Cholas ruled in the eastern Coromandel
Coast and the Pandyas in the South Central Peninsula. There were also numerous small vassal kingdoms and citystates
in South India like Kongu Nadu, Ay kingdom, Mushika Kingdom, Malainadu (the Anaimalai Range in Kerala),
Kuttuvanadu and Cherapayalmalai (Both in northern Malabar). Chera rulers engaged in frequent intermarriage as
well as warfare with the Pandyas and Cholas.
In early Tamil literature the great Chera rulers are referred to as Cheral, Kuttuvan, Irumporai, Kollipurai and Athan.
Chera rulers were also called Kothai or Makothai. The nobility among the Cheras were called Cheraman in general.
The word Kerala, of possible Prakrit origins, does not appear in Sangam Literature. Pathirruppaththu, the fourth
book in the Ettuthokai anthology, mentions a number of Kings of the Chera dynasty. Each King is praised in ten
songs sung by the Court Poet and the Kings are in the following order:
1. Imayavaramban Kudako Nedum Cheralathan
2. Palyane Chel Kezhu Kuttuvan
3. Kalankai Kanni Narmudi Cheral (son of Nedum Cheralathan)
4. Chenkuttuvan Cheran or Kadal Pirakottiya Vel Kezhu Kuttuvan (son of Nedum Cheralathan)
5. Attu Kottu Pattu Cheralathan (son of Nedum Cheralathan)
6. Chelva Kadunko Azhi Athan
7. Thakadur Erintha Perum Cheral Irumporai
8. Kudako Ilam Cheral Irumporai
The first recorded King was Uthiyan Cheralathan with capital at Kuzhumur in Kuttanad (present day Idukki district).
Uthiyan Cheralathan is also regarded as the founder of the dynasty, and was contemporary to Karikala Chola. His
queen was Veliyan Nallini. Their son Imayavaramban Kudako Nedum Cheralathan is praised in the Second Ten of
Pathirruppaththu, the pathikam (poet) of this decade refers to his parents, though they are not praised in the First
Ten which is blank. Nedum Cheralathan consolidated the Chera kingdom, and literature and art developed highly
during his period. Kannanar was Nedum Cheralathan's court poet.
The third, fourth and fifth kings were sons of Nedum Cheralathan, while the mother of fourth King (also known as
Kadal Pirakottiya Vel Kezhu Kuttuvan Seran Chenkuttuvan or simply Chenkuttuvan) was Chola Princess Manikilli.
Chelva Kadunko Vazhiyathan was the son of Anthuvan Cheral Irumporai and Porayan Perumthevi. Perum Cheral
Irumporai was the son of Aazhiyathan and Ilam Cheral Irumporai was the son of a Chera ruler Kuttuvan Irumporai,
son of Mantharan Cheral Irumporai, the celebrated ancestor of ninth King Ilam Cheral Irumporai.
Illango Atikal wrote the legendary epic Silapathikararam sitting at a Jain monastery in Trikkanamathilakam.
Silapathikararam describes the Chera king Senguttuvan's decision to propitiate a temple (Veerakallu) for the
Goddess Pattini. 'Purananuru' refers to a certain Udiyan Cheral. It is said that he fed the rival armies during the
Kurukshetra war. Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan, another Sangam Age King claimed to have conquered
Bharatavarsha up to the Himalayas and to have inscribed his emblem on the face of the mountains. Senguttuvan
was another famous Chera, whose contemporary Gajabahu I of Sri Lanka of Lanka according to Mahavamsa
visited the Chera country. [14] . Manimekalai written by Chathanar describes the city of Vanchi as Buddhist centre
"The capital of Chera was Vanji or Tiruvanchikulam and the most important port was Muchiri (Musiris). The capital
of Chola Kingdom was Urayur and the most important port was Kaveri, where as the Pandian kingdom had Madurai
as its capital and the most important port was Korkai. The area from Gokarnam (now in Carnataka towards Goa) to
CapeComerin was ruled by the Chera kings and Kerala derived the name from Cheram, the traditional Dravida
kings who ruled this area from 5th century BC to 11th century AD. Tamil and its adapted version was the language
used till Malayalam evolved around 13th century AD. There was also another ancient kingdom known as Ayr ruled
by Vel (kings) in the High Ranges south of Pampa River (Baris) where Nilackal, one of the churches founded by
St.Thomas, existed. They ruled this area more than 1000years from first centuryAD. When St. Thomas landed in
Nilackal they were possibly the rulers. 3 Ptolemy in his writings in the second century recorded this place as Aioi.
Venadu is derived from Vel Nadu. It seems that the name Ayroor and AyurVeda had its root from this kingdom."
Who are Nasrani and Syrian Christians? and who ruled Kerala when St. Thomas came? D.N.Jha
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