# Cenkuttuvan

Chenkuttuvan (c. 180 CE), literally 'the Righteous Kuttuvan', title Kadal Pirakottiya, identified with Kadalottiya Vel Kezhu Kuttuvan, was the most celebrated Chera ruler of early historic South India. He is also mentioned in Chilappathikaram, the Tamil epic poem purportedly composed by Chera prince Ilanko Adikal.
Chenkuttavan is eulogized by the poet Paranar in the fifth decade of the Pathitrupathu Collection, of the Ettuthokai anthology of the early Tamil texts. According to early Tamil literature, the Chera ruler achieved a major victory against a northern "Arya" king, occupied the forests of "Idumbil", won another significant victory at a location called "Viyalur" (possibly against the powerful chieftain Nannan), destroyed Kodukur (perhaps in the Kongu country), defeated a chieftain named Mannan of Mokur, and successfully intervened in a succession dispute in the Chola kingdom, installing his contender on the throne. Chenkuttavan was likely a member of the Muchiri-Karur branch of the Chera family. During his reign, the Chera territory encompassed the Malabar Coast (present-day Kerala) and the interior Kongu country. The influx of Yavana (Greco-Roman) gold into south India through the Indian Ocean spice trade during Chenkuttavan's reign is memorably described in ancient Tamil poems.
The military achievements of Chenkuttavan are described — albeit in an exaggerated manner — in the medieval Tamil epic poem Chilappathikaram. A method known as Gajabahu Synchronism/Triple Synchronism, based on text proper, Canto 30:160 of the poem, is used by scholars to date Chenkuttavan Chera to c. 2nd century CE.

## Early Tamil texts

Chenkuttavan is praised by poet Paranar in the fifth decade of Pathitrupathu Collection of the Ettuthokai anthology. Chenkuttuvan is described as the Lord of the Kudavar people (that is, the Kudanadu) in the Pathitrupathu.
Chenkuttavan was the son of the Chera ruler "Imayavaramban" Nedum Cheralathan and Chola Manakilli, a princess from family of the Cholas of Uraiyur. "Kalankayakkanni" Narmudi Cheral and "Adu Kottu Pattu" Cheralathan were his elder and younger half-brothers, respectively (Pathitrupathu Collection). The wife of Chenkuttuvan was certain Illanko Venmal, the daughter of a Velir chieftain (Chilappathikaram). According to Pathitrupathu, Chenkuttuvan ruled the Chera country for 55 years. Chenkuttuvan's son was known as "Kuttuvan Cheral" (the possible ruler of Umpar Kadu region).
The patikam to Pathitrupathu, Decad V, mentions Chenkuttuvan's expedition to bring the sacred stone for the creation of the Pattini idol, during which he defeated an Arya king. Scholars believe that the exaggerated account of Chenkuttuvan's expedition to the Ganges Valley, as found in Chilappathikaram, may have been a later interpolation into this text or an associated ancient (now lost) tradition.

### Relation with maritime trade

Poet Paranar praised the Chera ruler for his naval powers -
   "Kuttuvan not finding an enemy worthy to fight with became angry, with martial might besieged the sea and with magnificent spear drove back the sea whose wave rose high".
Early Tamil poems Purananuru 343 refer to the "hill products" and "sea products", later mainly being precious pearls, of Chenkuttuvan and to the Yavana or Graeco-Roman gold that "reached ashore by boats", in exchange. Chenkuttuvan's mastery over the sea might have led to the often used title Kadal Pirakottiya, which roughly translates as "One who Lagged the Sea Behind". In the Pathitrupathu, Chenkuttuvan is described as "the conqueror of the cool sea with resounding waves".

## Military achievements

Poet Paranar also praised Chenkuttuvan's military prowess -
   "Kuttuvan of the Gold Garland, whose army destroyed the beauty of many lands, till the noise rose loud of the drums used in numerous battles with the monarchs of the country between Comorin (Cape Comorin) on the south and Himalayas, the mountain that rises high as the northern boundary."
The following are the military achievements of Chenkuttuvan from early Tamil poems.
* The panegyric to the fifth decade describes Chenkuttuvan as "the king feared by the northerners", who wanted to take a sacred stone for the idol of the goddess Pattini. He is also reported to have killed a certain "Arya king" and bathed in the sacred Ganga River.
* Chenkuttuvan camped at a location called "Idumbil" with his warriors. He won a major victory at another location called "Viyalur" (perhaps in the country of Ezhimala Nannan and against Nannan). The "fort" of Kodukur, perhaps in the Kongu country, was also destroyed.
* He also defeated a chieftain called "Pazhaiyan" Mannan of Mokur (while aiding his ally Arukai, an enemy of the chief of Mokur) (Pathitrupathu, 45, V Pathikam and repeated in Chilappathikaram, XXVIII, 124-26).
* It is recorded that Chenkuttuvan successfully intervened in a succession dispute in the Chola kingdom and established his relative (brother-in-law) Killi on the throne. The other nine Chola contenders to the throne were defeated in a battle at a location known as "Neri-vayil".
Additional achievements described in Chilappathikaram include;
* In the Chilappathikaram, Chenkuttuvan is described as the ruler who "overthrew the Kadambu [tribe] with fences of the vast/dark water" or as the one "who overthrew the Kadambu of the sea."
* He also conquered the Kongar people (Kongu people) in a martial campaign (Chilappathikaram, XXV, 152-53).
According to a few verses in Pathitrupathu, the warriors of the Chenkuttuvan used bull-hide shields to protect themselves from the enemy darts (Pathitrupathu, 45).

## Chenguttavan Chera in Chilappathikaram

Authorship of the Tamil epic Chilappathikaram is traditionally ascribed to prince Ilanko Adikal (literally "the prince ascetic"; Kudakko Cheral Ilanko), who appears in the work as the younger brother of Chera. The third part of Chilappathikaram (the Vanchi Kantham) narrates Chenkuttuvan's expedition to the Himalayas to collect the virakkallu (sacred stone) for an idol of the goddess Kannaki, also known as Pattini.
According to the patikam of Chilappathikaram, the royal astrologer at the Chera king’s court predicted that the younger prince, Ilanko, would succeed the king. In response, Ilanko immediately renounced his claim to the throne and chose to live as an ascetic. He relocated to a monastery (Kunavayir Kottam) on the outskirts of Vanchi, where he composed the epic Chilappathikaram.

### Context

Chera king Chenkuttuvan and his queen, Ilanko Venmal, were moved by Kannaki's tragic story, and the queen wanted her to be worshipped as a "Goddess of Chastity". In response, Chenkuttuvan sought advice from his court, which suggested carving a stone block from the sacred Himalayas to create the "virakkallu" (the sacred stone for the Kannaki idol).
The king then ordered a military expedition to the Himalayas. Setting out from his capital, Vanchi, Chenkuttuvan first led his army to the Blue Mountain (the Nilgiris), where he was welcomed by learned Brahmanas, the people of Konkana country, the Karunatar, and the people of Kongu country, as well as the Ovar. There, he also met Sanjaya, an envoy of king Nutruvar Kannar (the Satavahana). Sanjaya informed Chenkuttuvan that the Nutruvar Kannar had no conflicts with the Chera ruler. Chenkuttuvan responded that he needed boats to cross the River Ganges.
The king then ordered the martial expedition to the Himalayas. Chenkuttuvan, starting from his capital Vanchi, first moved his army to the Blue Mountain (the Nilgiris), where he was welcomed by learned Brahmanas, people from Konkana country, the Karunatar, people from the Kongu country, the Ovar and Sanjaya, the envoy of king Nutruvar Kannar (the Satavahana). Sanjaya informed Chenkuttuvan that the Nutruvar Kannar have no differences with the Chera ruler. Chenkuttuvan responded, that he needed boats to cross the River Ganges.
The Chera army then marched to the Ganges, crossed it using the boats provided by the Nutruvar Kannar, and camped in the uttara country. Soon, the northern Arya rulers—led by Kanaka and Vijaya, sons of Balakumara, along with allied princes Uttara, Vichitra, Rudra, Bhairava, Chitra, Singha, Dhanurdhara, and Sveta—confronted Chenkuttuvan’s forces with a massive army. After a fierce battle, the northern alliance was defeated, and the sacred stone for the Kannaki Pattini idol was secured.
Princes Kanaka and Vijaya were taken as prisoners and brought to the southern country. Two and a half months after his departure, Chenkuttuvan returned victoriously to Vanchi, where the temple for Kannaki Pattini was consecrated with the virakkallu from the Himalayas. The Bhagavati Temple in Kodungallur, Kerala, is believed to be the Kannaki temple thus consecrated.

## Dating Chenkuttavan Chera

A method known as Gajabahu Synchronism/Triple Synchronism, first propounded by scholar V. Kanakasabhai Pillai, is used by the scholars to date Chenkuttavan Chera to 2nd century CE. The method is often criticized for its dependency on numerous conjectures. However, complementary epigraphical/archeological evidence broadly seems to support the Gajabahu chronology dating. The method was famously supported by scholar K. A. Nilakanta Sastri. As stated in Chilappathikaram (text proper, canto 30:160), several neighboring kings were invited by king Chenkuttavan to the installation of Kannaki-Pattini at Vanchi. These included the "Arya" kings Kanaka and Vijaya, the Kongu king of Kudaku, the king of Malva, and "Kayavaku", the king of Lanka.
The 30th Canto, 160, in translation, reads -
   "The monarch of the world [Chenkuttavan] circumambulated the shrine thrice and stood there proffering his respects. In front of him the Arya kings released from prison, kings removed from central jail, the Kongu ruler of Kudaku, the king of Malva and Kayavaku, the king of sea-girt Ceylon, prayed reverently to the deity thus...
Kayavaku, the king of Lanka, can be identified with Gajabahu I, king of Sri Lanka (r. c. 173 — 195 CE). In this context, Chenkuttavan (and the early Tamil poems) can be dated to either the first or the last quarter of the 2nd century CE. This method is considered the "sheet anchor" for dating events in early historic Tamil texts (and the early historic rulers of southern India).

## In popular culture
### Films

* The film 1956 Tamil film Raja Rani (1956) by A. Bhimsingh features actor Sivaji Ganesan playing the role of Chenkuttavan in a play within the film.
* Chenkuttavan is briefly portrayed by an uncredited actor at the beginning of the Tamil-language film Poompuhar (1964).