Irunkōvēl

Irunkōvēl, also known as Irungkōvēl, Irukkuvēl, and Ilangōvēlir, was a title of the Irunkōvēl line of Velir kings. The Irunkovel line of kings ruled over Konadu identified with the Kodumbalur and surrounding areas in ancient Tamilakkam. They trace their lineage to the clan of Krishna; one of the inscriptions at Kodumbalur belonging to one of the kings in the Irunkovel line, namely Tennavan Irunkōvēl alias Maravan Bhutiyar. They belong to Kallar family, K. A. Nilakanta Sastri mentions in his study.^[1]

Moovar Koil Temple Complex built by Irunkovel chieftain Boothi Vikramakesari

The contemporary of Karikala

The most famous among them was a contemporary of Karikala Chola as well as poet Kapilar and lived during the Sangam era.^[2] There is a song of Kapilar when Irunkovel would not accept Pari s daughters.^[3] Sangam literature mentions a chieftain called Irunkovel who could trace his lineage back over 49 generations to residence in Dvārakā.^[4] He is later defeated by Karikala Chola and becomes a subordinate to the Chola sovereign.^[5]

Irungola Cholas

The Irungovel chieftains were not merely feudatories but were related to the Cholas through matrimony.^[6][7] The Cholas considered the offspring of these unions as one of their own and referred to them as Irungolar meaning child or son in their epigraphs.^{[citation needed]} These princes assumed both the Chola and Irungovel titles like for example there was one Adavallan Gangaikonda Cholan alias Irungolan during the time of Kulottunga I and then there was a certain Sendamangalam Udaiyan Araiyan Edirili Cholan alias Irungolan during the reign of Kulottunga III.^[8]

Genealogy

Nankudi Vellalar (Nangudi Vellalar or Sivakalai Pillaimar), is a Tamil sub caste of Vellalar found in Tamil Nadu, India. They claim descent from the Velir clan of Irungovels.^[9] The hereditary headman of the caste was always invested with the title Irungovel.^[10]

References

Citations

1. K. A. Nilakanta Sastri (1935). The Colas. G .S .Press. p. 136.
2. Historical heritage of the Tamils, page 287
3. The four hundred songs of war and wisdom : an anthology of poems from classical Tamil : the Puṟanāṉūṟu. p. 128.
4. Seneviratne, Sudharshan (1994). "The Twilight of Perumaka: South Indian Polity Restructured and Incorporated". In van Bakel, Martin; Hagesteijn, Renee; van de Velde, Pieter (eds.). Pivot Politics: Changing Cultural Identities in Early State Formation Processes. Het Spinhuis. p. 165. ISBN 9789055890071.
5. Studies in Indian epigraphy, Volume 32, page 58
6. Indu Banga; Urban History Association of India; Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (1991). The City in Indian History: Urban Demography, Society, and Politics. South Asia Publications. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-945921-17-2. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
7. Tirumalai, R. (1994). Collected Papers: Studies in South Indian Epigraphy and History of Land Organisation, Development and Accounts and Select Chola, and Pandyan Townships. T.N.D.A. pub. Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamilnadu. p. 177. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
8. Balasubrahmanyam, S.R.; Venkataraman, B.; Ramachandran, B. (1979). Later Chola Temples: Kulottunga I to Rajendra III (A.D. 1070-1280) (in Javanese). Mudgala Trust. p. 80. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
9. Ramanathan, P. (1969), Iruṅkoveḷ and the Koṭṭai Veḷāḷar Pg no. 341
10. Sinnakani Pg no. 248

Bibliography

• Historical heritage of the Tamils By Ca. Vē Cuppiramaṇiyan̲, Ka. Ta Tirunāvukkaracu, International Institute of Tamil Studies
• Studies in Indian epigraphy, Volume 32 By Epigraphical Society of India

Further reading

• Ramanathan, P. (1969). "Iruṅkoveḷ and the Koṭṭai Veḷāḷar--The Possible Origins of a Closed Community". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 32 (2): 323–343. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00055324. JSTOR 614004. S2CID 130792459.