Let me start with a excuse, the mighty Chola King then, was ilanchetchenni.
Established by Chandragupta Maurya, by defeating Nanda's, assisted by a Tamilian Chaanakya, in Patna, the Maurya Samraajya, was a Golden Era. The powerful kingdon then passed the hands from Chandragupta Maurya to Bindhusaara and then to Ashoka.
Ashoka was valiant, before he turned a Buddhist after Kalinga War.
As a part of his regional expansion, the only region that was left out in India was Mighty Tamil Land.
He provoked tke Kosar, of west India on this, they came and attacked the Nanna of Kudamalai Nadu and defeated him. They occupied 'Pazhi', the fortcity of Kudamalai naadu.
Then they attacked the Cheras.Cheras put up a very fearful battle and the War ended with no lose or no gain between Kosar's and Cheras, but Tamil samraajyam lost valiant Ezhini, a lineage of Athigan...
With the death of Ashoka, Kharvela or Karavelan in Tamil, became the king of Kalinga and Kalinga became very powerful and hence the king who was defeated may be his father.
It is very much evident, that the prople travel to learn in those days and he went to Dhakshasheelam, or Taxila to learn. And that laid the foundation for the future mauryan empire.
I will get back to you on how he was a tamilian. Unfortunately, I am now inaccessible to my personal library.
Actually it struck me after I sent off my previous mail that there really was no actual "kerala/malayali" person then.. they were all speaking tamil anyway.. so you are right :)
Arun
On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 23:39:17 -0800 (PST), Rajendhra Cholan
Dear Rajendra Chozhan Interesting facts Established by Chandragupta Maurya, by defeating Nanda's, assisted by a Tamilian Chaanakya, in Patna, Was Chanakya Tamilian
second Asokha stopped his wars after kalinga is what I understand so did he leave kalinga and marched on the western front to reach tamuil nadu??
Moreover this war did not have direct interference of Ashoka, but it was under his order the Kosar's of present Kolapur, lead the war.
Ashoka, was also ruthless before Kalinga War. Though the disintegration of Maurya Empire was attributed to missing war's after Ashoka got converted to Buddhism, but it is also mainly due to his ruthlessness once upon a time.