Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

--- In ponniyinselvan@yahoogroups.com, "ratnasabapathy_srihari" wrote:
the Pallava king, on Melamalai hill at Narthamali region, we note
the roch-cut shrine was known as Paliyili Iswarem. The inscription
reads as follows: "Hail prosperity! In the seventh year of Kovisaiya
Nirupatonga Vikkiramar. Great temple which Sattan Paliyili son of
Videlavidugu Muththaraiyan had excavated....I Paliyili Siriyanangai
made this (gift).....on behalf of God Rudra of the Paliyili
Iswarem...." Inscriptions in the Pudukkottai State by > Srinivasan,
Part I, No: 19.
Muththaraiyar king who lived closely to the time of the Vijayalaya's
capture of Thanjavur was Sattan Paliyili, undoubtedly he was the
Muththaraiyar king defeated by Vijayalaya Chola.
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Sastry, while describing Vijayalayan's conquor wrote that he
conquored a Mutharayar in Thanjai - but the name of the Chieftan was
not pronounced.
Several Historians did not provide the information.
The following references are useful:
(1) In Sendalai, near Nemam (Thirukkattupalli) there is a
Sundareswarar temple in which there are Mutharayar's inscriptions
which give the geneology :
Perumbidugu --Elango Athiraiyan - Savaran Maaran.
(2) Nirubadungavarman - Pallava - ruled between 850 - 882;
(3)Contemporary Pandya King was Varaguna II - who defeated Nirupa in
Arisilatru War.
(4) In 880 AD at Thipurmbayam, Varaguna II fought against
Abarajithavarman s/o Nitrupathungavarman + Prthvipathi I + Adithan
s/o Vijayalayan. Varaguna Ii lost & escaped. Prhtivipathy died.
Adithan expanded Chozha empire - after Nirupa's death - upto
Chingleput and THUS PALLAVA RULING IN CHOLA LAND came to an end.

compact Chola land in 850 and it was expanded by Adithan onlyafter 30
years;
Pazhiyili does not figure in the inscriptions found near Thanjai;
Pazhiyili figures in the inscriptions found near Pudukkottai -
Narthamamai - in 857 AD .. after Vijayalaya's victory over Thanjai -
but the year is denoted with reference to Pallava Nirupathnvrmn.

There is now a dispute: Whether Vijayalayan conquored Pazhili or not?

The answer is : VIJAYALAYAN did not conquor Pazhiyili. But Pazhiyili
was a Mutharayar ruled in 857 AD - found in Narthamalai region.

Dr. KK Pillai - in his book THAMIZHAGA VARALARUM PANPADUM - based on
his research of Dr.Rasamanickanar & Pandarathar - provides an
exciting answer:

In Page 152 he writes : " Mutharayars ruled from KODUMBALUR have
accepted the Rule of Pandyas and followed Jainism...."

"Vijayalayan conquored Thanjai from the Mutharayars who ruled Thanjai"

Incidentally, this Book was prescribed for Madras Univiersity / B.Lit.

This information makes the Narathamalai inscriptions more exciting :

That there was one Pazhiyili .. who continued his Rule under Pallavas
even in 857 ..who practised Jainism - donated lands to Siva temple
and named it as Pazhiyileeswaram - (may be converted his faith to
Saivism!).

This also shows that Vijayalaya did not rule this part of region;

Sastry adds :"THE COLAS : VIJAYALAYA AND ADITYA I :: Contermporaries
of Vijayalaya : ... Vijayalaya's rule is some years earlier than
Varaguna (II)'s accession, who sustained defeat in Sri Perumbuyam
near Kumbakonam..The power of Pandyas was still quite
considerable ...At this time, the enterprising chieftains known as
Mutharayar were in possession of part of the fertile delta land in
Tanjore Dt; their inscriptions from Sendalai(EI XIII - 134) clearly
describe them as ruling Tanjore ALSO, though they had their head-
quarters at Sendalai or Niyamam. Like Cholas, the Mutharayars found
it impossible to set up an independent rule, and HAD TO SUPPORT
THEMSELVES BY CLINGING TO THE PANDYAS or the PALLAVAS."

That settles Pazhiyili as the contemporary chieftan under Pallava
rule in Kodumbalur region and deviating from his predecessors
practised Saivism and made a rock cut temple..

Fondly, SB