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{{Short description|11th century Chola Empire general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Karunakara Tondaiman
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Karunakara_Tondaiman_Draksharama.png
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Sculpture of Karunakara Tondaiman at [[Draksharama]].
| birth_date =
| death_date =
| birth_place = [[Kumbakonam]], [[Chola Empire]] <br/> (modern day [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]])
| death_place = [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]], [[Chola Empire]] (modern day [[Jayankondam]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]])
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| nickname =
| birth_name = Thiruvarangan
| allegiance = [[Chola Empire]]
| branch = [[Chola military|Chola army]]
| service_years =
| rank = [[Field marshal|Senathipathi]]
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| unit =
| commands = [[Chola military|Chola Army]] in [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]]
| battles = *[[Sinhalese Revolt (1055 - 1070)|Sinhalese Revolts]] (1070)
*[[Chola invasion of Kalinga (1097)|Invasion of Kalinga, 1097]]
*[[Chola invasion of Kalinga (1110)|Invasion of Kalinga, 1110]]
*[[Chalukya–Chola wars]] (1070–1120)
| battles_label =
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| spouse = Alagiyamanavalini Mangai Ālvār
| relations =
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}}
'''Karunakara Tondaiman''' was a general of [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] Emperor [[Kulottunga Chola I|Kulottunga I]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Ancient India: Collected Essays on the Literary and Political History of Southern India|author=Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar|publisher=Asian Educational Services, 1911 - India - 451 pages|page=333}}</ref> He is renowned for leading the [[Chola]] invasion of [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]] during the reign of Kulottunga I<ref>C.Sivaratnam: ''The Tamils in early Ceylon'', p. 116</ref><ref>''History of the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, 610-1210 A.D.'', p. 455.</ref> and is the hero of [[Jayamkondar]]'s poem ''[[Kalinkkattuparani]]''<ref>''History of medieval Andhradesa'', p. 25</ref><ref>''History of the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, 610-1210 A.D.''</ref> In the ''Parani'' poem he is referred to as the lord of Vandai.<ref>{{cite book|title=Journal of Indian History, Volume 4, Issue 3|author=University of Allahabad. Department of Modern Indian History, University of Travancore, University of Kerala, University of Kerala. Department of History|page=23}}</ref> while in the [[Draksharamam]] inscription of Kulottunga I, he is called as Vanduvaraja and Pallavaraja.<ref>{{cite book|title=History And Culture Of Tamil Nadu: Vol. 1 (Upto C. Ad 1310)|author=Chitra Madhavan|publisher=D. K. Print World (P) Limited, 2005 - History - 305 pages|page=75}}</ref> He also served as a minister under Kulothunga Chola's son and successor, [[Vikrama Chola]].<ref>''The Cholas: mathematics reconstructs the chronology'', p. 171</ref>

==Personal life==

According to the [[Draksharamam]] inscription, his personal name was Thiruvarangan and he was the son of Sirilango of Vandalanjeri in Tirunaraiyur-nadu near [[Kumbakonam]]. He is described as a sadu(good)-vaishnava and is said to have built a [[Vishnu]] temple made of black stone in Alavely.<ref name="latercholatemples">{{cite book|title=Later Chola Temples: Kulottunga I to Rajendra III (A.D. 1070-1280), Parts 1070-1280|author1=S. R. Balasubrahmanyam|author2=B. Natarajan|author3=Balasubrahmanyan Ramachandran|publisher=Mudgala Trust, 1979 - Architecture - 470 pages|page=154}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Cōḷas, Volume 2, Issue 2|author=Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri|publisher=University of Madras, 1937 - Chola (Indic people)|page=582}}</ref> Sir-ilan-kō is not a proper name but rather means the illustrious ''Yuvaraja''(crown-prince) and is quite often used to refer to Lakshmana in Vaishnavite works.<ref>{{cite book|title=Copper Plate Inscriptions of the State Museum, Issue 29|author=N. Ramesan|publisher=Government of Andhra Pradesh - Deccan (India)|page=116}}</ref> A queen of his called Alagiyamanavalini Mangai Ālvār is known to us from an epigraph in the Varadarajaswami temple in [[Kanchi]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Sri Varadarajaswami Temple, Kanchi: A Study of Its History, Art and Architecture|author=K.V. Raman|publisher=Abhinav Publications, 2003 - 206 pages|page=13}}</ref>

==Lankan War==

The [[Sri Lanka]]n vassal of the Chola kingdom during the reign of Kulottunga Chola I had betrayed the Chola sovereign and had pledged allegiance to the Sinhala king in order to become the sole ruler of the Chola province in [[Ceylon]]. When this was brought to the attention of Kulottunga Chola I, the furious king had termed the traitor, "''Siva Drohi''", figuratively meaning ''traitor of the ([[Shaivite]]) Cholas''.<ref>''The Tyāgarāja cult in Tamilnāḍu: a study in conflict and accommodation'', p. 322: '''The close link between Saivism and politics can be seen when the Ceylonese general is described as a Sivadrohin'''</ref> Karunakara Tondaiman took this opportunity to show his loyalty and went on to plunder Lanka. The Karunakara Pillaiyar temple in the Jaffna peninsula was built after him. The village, [[Thondaimanaru]], in [[Ceylon]] was also named after him.<ref>''Tamil culture, Volume 4'', p. 242.</ref><ref>''The Tamils in early Ceylon'', p. 116.</ref>

==Kalinga War==

The Kalinga kingdom was then ruled by Eastern Ganga king Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. When Kulottunga Chola held his court at [[Kanchi]], it was brought to his attention that Anantavarman had failed to pay tribute on two occasions to the Chola sovereign. This was taken as a sign of slight for not recognising the Chola superiority and the King dispatched Karunakara Tondaiman to bring the Chalukya to his knees. Kulottunga Chola dispatched Karunakara Tondaiman to capture Anantavarman alive. [[Vikrama Chola]], then a young prince then, was a part of the force under Karunakara Tondaiman.<ref>''A comprehensive history of India, Volume 4, Part 1'', By Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, Indian History Congress.</ref>

According to tradition and the [[Vaishnava]] point of view, the Lord on ([[Tirupati (city)|Tirupati]]) had parted with his conch and the [[Sudarshana chakra]] to Karunākara Perumāl, the conqueror of [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]] and the hero of [[Jayamkondar]]'s [[Kalinkkattuparani]].<ref name="Ancient India: collected essays on the literary and political history of Southern India, p. 215">''Ancient India: collected essays on the literary and political history of Southern India, p. 215''</ref> Karunakara Tondaiman defeated the Kalinga armies of Anantavarman and planted a pillar of victory in Kalinga (modern day [[Odisha]]). Anantavarman fled, never to be found again.<ref>''Sri Varadarajaswami Temple, Kanchi: A Study of Its History, Art and Architecture'', p. 13.</ref> From the ''Kalinkkattuparani'',<blockquote>''Having thus laid waste the whole of the sea-coast kingdom of Kalinga, and planting there a pillar of victory,<br /> Karunakara Tondaiman, the lord of Vandaiyar, returns and lies at the feet of his master all the spoils of war''<ref>''Studies in Tamil Literature and History'', p. 258</ref></blockquote>[[Nilakanta Sastri]] and [[M. Raghava Iyengar]] identify Vandainagar with Vanduvangarai near Kumbakonam while Dr. K.V Raman identifies it with Vandalur, an area in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Tamil Nadu state: Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts (erstwhile Chengalpattu district),Gazetteers of India,Volume 1 of Tamil Nadu State: Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur Districts|author=M. Gopalakrishnan|publisher=Director of Stationery and Printing, 2000|page=106}}</ref><ref>''Ancient India: collected essays on the literary and political history of Southern India'', p. 146</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==

*''The Imperial and Asiatic quarterly review and oriental and colonial record'' By Oriental Institute (Woking, England), East India Association (London, England)
*''History of the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, 610-1210 A.D.'', By Bhavaraju Venkatakrishna Rao, Bhāvarāju Vēṅkaṭakr̥ṣṇarāvu
*''The Tamils in early Ceylon'', By C. Sivaratnam
*''History of medieval Andhradesa'', By M. Krishna Kumari
*''The Cōḷas'', By Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri
*''The Cholas: mathematics reconstructs the chronology'', By N. Sethuraman
*''Sri Varadarajaswami Temple, Kanchi: A Study of Its History, Art and Architecture'', By K.V. Raman
*''Ancient India: collected essays on the literary and political history of Southern India'', By Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar
*''Studies in Tamil Literature and History'', By Ramachandra Dikshitar
*''Tamil culture, Volume 4'', By Tamil Literature Society, Academy of Tamil Culture

[[Category:11th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:12th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Chola generals]]

Karunakara Tondaiman - Revision history

Leonuqs at 05:26, 4 May 2026