Your message in 3506 is well received with due respect.
Re 3507, Kandalur chalai, figures from RR Chola's 3rd Regnl yr inscriptions, known interpretations are :
1. Kandalur chalai is Vizhignam (Sastry) near Trivandrum (Sastri) 2. Pandarathar opines this may be a food-court ?? 3. Some opine this as Educational Academy (Kalvi chalai) 4. More opinions are polarised toward calling this place as "Royal Naval Academy" where Martial Arts (Nija - Kungofo - kalari .. alike) were also taught .. 5. Fall out of disrespect shown to RR's Ambassodor at Udagai (not Nilgris)
Personally I have a theory to putforward:
Udayarkudi inscriptions mention the names of Chera (Warriors)Brahmins who were responsible for AK's assassination and they were "Drohins" - not enemies..Ravidasan.. Parameswaran & Co., who were BRAHMADIRAYARs under UTHAMA'S RULE... Kalki maintains that it was Pandya's assassin group which plotted the murder of AK..having Chera names .... That is why he leaves the execution part to anybody's guess... If Chera's played a role, there should be reason ..
RR sets his priorities like this: Find & eradicate the reasons ..
1.In 2nd Regnl Yr: Informs Veeranarayana Chaturvedi Mangaluthu Grama Sabaiyor that the lands of the Drohin's confiscated, auctioned and realisations utilised for Avaneeswarar temple & siva brahmana bojanam etc.,, (Udayarkudi):: Identifies Charas as Drohins .. about Pandya's there is no mention in Udayarkudi ..
2. In 3rd Regnl Yr RR Destroys Kalndalur chalai Martial art academy..
Dr. Kudavoil Balu says confiscation of lands took place during Uthama's period, but was pronounced in RR's period .. Sastri is clear that Uthama character is clouded. Sethuraman agrees with the interpretations but exonorate Uthama because "Semibiyan Madeviar Thiruvayiru Udhitha Uthama Chozhar" scribes RR...
I am inclined more towards Sastri...
Dr. jaybee, eagerly we all are awaiting your views,
What I was having in mind, is to make our enterprising young minds to think in various planes and levels.
We come across books like "Art of War' by Sun Tzu and his predecessor, Sun Pin.
These books are now being used for management procedures.
There is even a book called 'Leadership Qualities of Attilla the Hun' This is also another management book.
Let us see the historical war as an enterprise and the war lords as entrepreuners. Let us see the war strategies as organisational and project management strategies.
There is not much graphical descriptions about wars and the carrying out of wars, among the Tamils.
The wars described in 'MahaVamsa' chronicles about Commandant Lankapura's invasion of Pandyanaadu, contain clashes that took place in various parts. Not much details.
Sandilyan has made use of this theme in his 'Kannimaadam'. But almost all of it is very very fictitious.
But the other foreigners have written graphically about their wars.
Arrian's description of the Battle of Hydaspes, gives us details about the movements, manoevours, and strategies of Alexander's army and how Porus was defeated.
We have descriptions about the Battle of Tarain - between PrithviRaj Chauhan and Mohammed of Ghur.
Talikot and the Panipat Battles also.
But what about the wars and battles of Rajaraja and his dynasty.
Starting right from Vijayalaya, there had been wars every generation except for the period of Anabhaaya Kuloththungga II.
But there is one thing...
planning that would have been used.
You can reconstitue the personalities, leadership qualities, strategies of RajaRaja, Rajendra, etc.
Thusway, the historical figures are not merely ghosts and shadowy figures shrouded in the mists of obscurity.
They jump out with life.
That is why I proposed one of the battles of Rajaraja.
Can some of you work on the war planning, strategies, logistics, and the implementing of the war?
That would be a useful entrepreunership training:-)
It is a very interesting excercise you have put us on to.
Tamil Writer Balakumaran has written a monthly Novel by name KADIGAI based on Kandalur Chaalai war. I am sure our other members will take up lead.
In group discussions we used to mention: Let us move from MGR - Sivaji - Rajani - Kamal Rasigar mandrams to RR Chola - Rajamallan - Sundara pandya - Baskara Ravi Fan Clubs....
Though these mails appear to be individual ones, they are reflecting collective feelings of our members.. of course individual rights are never ivaded ..
In 1967 Hindi Agitation ... that's when you were in Madurai Medical College, is it?
Though the schools were closed, still I, as a kid, shivered at the very sight of "Irumbu Thoppi Police" (Reserve Police) in my remote village near Trichy.. Those who were in Power at that point of time are yet to see the day light .. That single thing paved way for ascendency of Dravidian Rule in TN.. which has seen more than one generation (30 yrs)... Believe it, inspite of having very good contacts in Hindi belt / business - working class, I am yet to learn to read or speak Hindi ... Listening to Hindi Film songs and seeing a movie once a while is an exception .. You reminded me of those days..!
We take this opportunity to pray for your continued support ...
Re 3507, Kandalur chalai, figures from RR Chola's 3rd Regnl yr inscriptions, known interpretations are :
2. Pandarathar opines this may be a food-court ??
Why can't the Kandalur chalai be a food-court as Pandarathar opines?
Chalai can be taken in the meaning of Unavu chaalai. Kalam can mean to the unit for measuring rice and grains. Aruthu means yielding and Aruli stands for donating.
There might be some huge 'Panjam' or flood in chera nadu and due to that the people might be starving. There were rare possibility of having panjam in chera nadu but there were chances for flood. Rajaraja might have donated big amount of rice and grains to save the people. Pagaivanukkum aruludhal oru uyarndha panbu. The gesture of donating even to enemy countries differentiates Rajaraja from other kings. He would have been very proud of this noble gesture. So, he added to his mei-keerthi. It might have been documented in some inscriptions of Kandalur which is not visible now.
The phrase 'Aruli' perfectly fits here.
Why should he add the notes of donations in his mei-keerthi? I don't know whether there is any restriction that the mei-keerthi can contain only the victories of a king. Rajaraja might have wanted to have his mei-keerthi in the order of i. God's blessing, ii. Donations for noble cause and iii. Victories. So, 'Thirumagal pola...' at first, 'Kandalur chaalai...' next and 'Ganga paadiyum venga naadum...' in the last.
I haven't read the book of Pandarathar and i don't know how he justifies his view. My opinion is that this may also be possible and due to some unclear shadows, we are unable to stick to a single theory.
Does this 24 hour represent the time from the start to finish of the war or the time from the event of disrespect of the ambassador to the destruction of kandhaluar Salai?
Are any details on the strength of Chera forces in Kandhalur Salai available?
If the chera numbers were big, mobilising an army and defeating them within 24 hours seems to be a big task.
I have read a novel named "Kandhalur Salai" itself during my schooling. I read that even before I read PS. That time I was not that inclined towards historical novels, so I may not be able to give a clear picture.
sure whether it was the current Udagai) and it was described as a hilly area and the messenger was imprisoned at the top of the hill so that no one could reach him. The path to the top was like a maze and a person would be lost easily, if he tried also.
Regarding the war, it was described like, the trees in the shore side were bent and tied to the ground along with some theeppantham/neruppu pori. At the unexpected time, the theeppandhams were lit and the ropes that tied the tree to the nails in ground were cut. That time, the bent trees swang towards the ships in the sea and the "fire" in the tip of the tree were fired in full force and hit the ships.. Like this, kandhalur salai naval base was destroyed.
Like Mansur Alikhan killing Sarath Kumar in Captain Prabhakatan by tying him with the bamboo tree and cutting the ropes.
I believe the above funda would have been followed for destrying the naval base.