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{{Short description|Title of the Irunkōvēl line of Yadu Velir kings}}
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'''Irunkōvēl''', also known as ''Irungkōvēl'', ''Irukkuvēl'', and ''Ilangōvēlir'', was a title of the Irunkōvēl line of [[Velirs|Velir]] kings. The Irunkovel line of kings ruled over ''Konadu'' identified with the [[Kodumbalur]] and surrounding areas in ancient [[Ancient Tamil country|Tamilakkam]]. They trace their lineage to the clan of [[Krishna]]; one of the inscriptions at Kodumbalur belonging to one of the kings in the Irunkovel line, namely Tennavan Irunkōvēl alias Maravan Bhutiyar. They belong to [[Kallar (caste)|Kallar]] family, [[K. A. Nilakanta Sastri]] mentions in his study.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Colas|publisher=G .S .Press |pages= 136 |url= https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.4293/page/n151/mode/2up|author=K. A. Nilakanta Sastri |year=1935}}</ref>"In the Thirupazhanam inscription,Tennavan ilangovel daughter, Aachcha Pidari, is mentioned. The inscription uses the name 'kodumbalur Kallan Aachcha Pidari. Cholas indicating her family or wife’s lineage
<ref>https://archive.org/details/annual-report-on-indian-epigraphy-1927-1928/page/n21/mode/2up</ref>140
[[File:Moovar Koil Temple.jpg|thumb|right|[[Moovar Koil]] Temple Complex built by Irunkovel chieftain Boothi Vikramakesari]]

==The contemporary of Karikala==
The most famous among them was a contemporary of [[Karikala Chola]] as well as poet [[Kapilar]] and lived during the [[Sangam period|Sangam]] era.<ref>Historical heritage of the Tamils, page 287</ref> There is a song of Kapilar when Irunkovel would not accept [[Vēl Pāri|Pari]] s daughters.<ref>{{cite book |title=The four hundred songs of war and wisdom : an anthology of poems from classical Tamil : the Puṟanāṉūṟu|pages= 128|url=https://archive.org/details/fourhundredsongs00/page/128/mode/1up}}</ref> [[Sangam literature]] mentions a chieftain called Irunkovel who could trace his lineage back over 49 generations to residence in [[Dvārakā]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Pivot Politics: Changing Cultural Identities in Early State Formation Processes |page=165 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TXOc1WJVpoQC&pg=PA165 |first=Sudharshan |last=Seneviratne |chapter=The Twilight of ''Perumaka'': South Indian Polity Restructured and Incorporated |editor1-first=Martin |editor1-last=van Bakel |editor2-first=Renee |editor2-last=Hagesteijn |editor3-first=Pieter |editor3-last=van de Velde |year=1994 |publisher=Het Spinhuis|isbn=9789055890071 }}</ref> He is later defeated by [[Karikala Chola]] and becomes a subordinate to the [[Chola]] sovereign.<ref>Studies in Indian epigraphy, Volume 32, page 58</ref>

== Irungola Cholas ==

The Irungovel chieftains were not merely feudatories but were related to the [[Chola]]s through matrimony.<ref name="Indu Banga Urban History Association of India Nehru Memorial Museum and Library 1991 p.61 ">{{cite book | author=Indu Banga | author2=Urban History Association of India | author3=Nehru Memorial Museum and Library | title=The City in Indian History: Urban Demography, Society, and Politics | publisher=South Asia Publications | year=1991 | isbn=978-0-945921-17-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M2TaAAAAMAAJ&q=irukkuvel%20chola%20matrimonial | access-date=2022-12-20 | page=61}}</ref><ref name="Tirumalai 1994 p.177 ">{{cite book | last=Tirumalai | first=R. | title=Collected Papers: Studies in South Indian Epigraphy and History of Land Organisation, Development and Accounts and Select Chola, and Pandyan Townships | publisher=Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamilnadu | series=T.N.D.A. pub | year=1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-C9uAAAAMAAJ&q=irukkuvel+chola+matrimonial | access-date=2022-12-20 | page=177}}</ref> The [[Chola]]s considered the offspring of these unions as one of their own and referred to them as ''Irungolar'' meaning child or son in their epigraphs.{{cn|date=July 2020}} These princes assumed both the Chola and Irungovel titles like for example there was one Adavallan Gangaikonda Cholan alias Irungolan during the time of [[Kulottunga I]] and then there was a certain Sendamangalam Udaiyan Araiyan Edirili Cholan alias Irungolan during the reign of [[Kulothunga_Chola_III|Kulottunga III]].<ref name="Balasubrahmanyam Venkataraman Ramachandran 1979 p.80 ">{{cite book | last1=Balasubrahmanyam | first1=S.R. | last2=Venkataraman | first2=B. | last3=Ramachandran | first3=B. | title=Later Chola Temples: Kulottunga I to Rajendra III (A.D. 1070-1280) | publisher=Mudgala Trust | year=1979 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ujVAAAAMAAJ&q=Gangaikonda+Cholan+alias+Irungolan+during+the+time+of+Kulottunga+I | language=jv | access-date=2022-12-20 | page=80}}</ref>

Although the Irukkovels were called ''Yaduvamsaketu'', Mr. V. Mahadevan has shown through the Tirupazhana inscription that they belonged to the [[Kallar (caste)|Kallar]] lineage. The title “Irukkovel” is still the title of a section of the Kallar people living in [[Thanjavur]], [[Trichy]] and [[Pudukkottai]] areas.<ref name=P24>{{cite book |title=Kodumbalur Velir History|pages= 90, 150 |url= https://archive.org/details/20241005_20241005_0633/page/89/mode/1up|author=V. Mahadevan |year=2009}}</ref>

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{reflist}}
'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
*Historical heritage of the Tamils By Ca. Vē Cuppiramaṇiyan̲, Ka. Ta Tirunāvukkaracu, International Institute of Tamil Studies
*Studies in Indian epigraphy, Volume 32 By Epigraphical Society of India
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal |title=Iruṅkoveḷ and the Koṭṭai Veḷāḷar--The Possible Origins of a Closed Community |first=P. |last=Ramanathan |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London |volume=32 |issue=2 |year=1969 |pages=323–343 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X00055324 |jstor=614004 |s2cid=130792459 }}

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[[Category:Tamil monarchs]]

Irunkōvēl - Revision history

PabloLabarre at 21:26, 13 January 2026