Uttama (Chola dynasty)

Role in Aditya II’s Assassination

An inscription from the reign of Rajaraja I reveals that the properties of certain individuals were confiscated after they were convicted of treason. The inscription also indicates that these individuals were involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Aditya II. Dated to the second regnal year of Rajaraja Chola, the Udaiyargudi inscription records that the government seized the lands of several people and their relatives, including Soman, Ravidasan (alias Panchavan Brahmadhirajan), Parameswaran (alias Irumudichola Brahmadhirajan), and Malaiyanur Revadasa Kramavittan, along with the property of Kramavittan’s son and mother. This action was taken in response to their role in the murder of Karikala chola who took the head of the Pandya. Notably, Ravidasan and Parameswaran held government positions.

Despite Aditya II’s assassination in 971, no action appears to have been taken by Uttama Chola during his reign to bring the perpetrators to justice. In his authoritative work The Cholas, historian K.A.N. Sastry submitted that circumstantial evidence—based on an inscription at the Udayarkudi temple—implicates Uttama in the conspiracy.

However, subsequent research has challenged Sastry’s interpretation, suggesting he may have misread the inscriptions. It seems reasonable to conclude that if any credible evidence had existed against Uttama, Rajaraja’s son, Rajendra Chola, would not have adopted the coronation title of Madhurantaka II.

All indications point to Uttama being a devout and upright ruler. An ardent devotee of Shiva, inscriptions from Konnerirajapuram (also known as Thirunallam) and Kanchipuram reflect his piety. Under the guidance of his mother, Uttama played a significant role in codifying temple patterns, epigraphy, art, sculpture, and administrative record-keeping.

Chola army and campaigns

Not much is known about the military conquests of Uttama, but by his time most of Thondaimandalam had been recovered from the Rashtrakuta. His dominions included Kanchi and Tiruvannamalai to the north. Many of his inscriptions are found in around Chengalpattu and North Arcot districts. The Chola army seems to have been in continued battles with the Pandyas and their ally the Sinhalas in Eelam or Sri Lanka. Several Chola coins of Uttama have been found in the Pandya country and in Eelam as proof of Uttama's activities there. We have a copper-plate inscription of him, now at the Government Museum Chennai. It bears the symbol of a seated tiger with two fish beside it and bears the line This is the matchless edict of the King who taught justice to all the Kings in his realm. But the genealogical section of the plates was lost. However, we do have the appendix portion at the end.

There are indications he upgraded the army, not just in troop levels but also in quality and organization. It is known through inscriptions that, at least from Uttama's time, warriors were provided with waistcoats of armour.

An important general during his reign was Paluvettaraiyar Maravan Kandanar, who also served under Sundara Chola. His son Kumaran Maravan also served Uttama.

Personal life

Uttama was the son of Gandaraditya Chola and Sembiyan Mahadevi, who was the daughter of a Malavarayar chieftain. Uttama had several queens, some of whose names are known. His chief queen was Orattanan (Urattayana) Sorabbaiyar Tribhuvana-Mahadeviyar. Other queens included Kaduvettigal Nandippottairaiyar, likely a Pallava princess, and Siddhavadavan Suttiyar, who was related to Vikramasola-Miladudaiyar, a prominent feudal king ruling over Miladu (part of present-day South Arcot District).

Uttama was named Gandan Madhurantakan, also known as Uttama, by his father after his paternal uncles. Unlike some other Chola kings, Uttama took after his mother and was known for his piety. His devout nature and support allowed Sembiyan Mahadevi to continue her temple restoration work. Uttama is remembered for his compassion, even towards his enemies.

As with most ancient Indian kings, Uttama was religiously tolerant. Although a Shaivite (worshipper of Shiva), he also donated to temples dedicated to Vishnu, especially to the Ullagaladar temple. He also granted large degrees of autonomy to his districts. He brought in the best talent from other kingdoms. Kachipeedu (modern Kanchipuram) is also mentioned as one of his prominent cities. He is known to have contributed money, cattle, sheep to temples in modern Kumbakonam, Thirunallam (modern Konnerirajapuram), Thiruvallarai, Thirupatturai, Thirunedugalam, Thiruvisalur, Thirunaraiyur, Thiruvalangadu, Thirukkodika, etc.

Uttama's mother pioneered the process of kalpani—converting brick, mortar, and wooden structures into granite, and there is inscriptional evidence to show that he actively funded his mother in this work. She made a conscious effort to copy the older inscriptions before she re-built the temple, for example in a temple in Aavatuturai which was sung by the Moovar, that is the Saivite saints, Appar, Sundarar and Sambandhar there is an older inscription from the time before the temple was rebuilt. At other places like the Choleeswara temple at Kurralam which was sung by Appar and Sundarar, there is an inscription that says it was built by Sembiyan Mahadevi She survived this king and lived on for another 16 years into the reign of Rajaraja I.

Two sculptures of Uttama (Madhuranthaka Devar) and his mother can be found in the Southern wall of the inner Prakara of the Konnerirajapuram (a.k.a. Thirunallam) temple near Kumbakonam. The inscription under the sculpture identifying Sembiyan Mahadevi identifies her, and the Archaeological Survey of India interprets the bearded man behind her as Gandaraditya Chola.

Death and succession

Uttama died in 985. Although he had at least one son (Madhurantaka Gandaraditya), the line of succession passed back to Parantaka II's family. Rajaraja Chola I succeeded as the Chola Emperor. Madhurantaka served as an official in Rajaraja's court.

Inscriptions

The following is an inscription of Uttama from the Umamaheswaraswami temple in Konerirajapuram,

A record of the Chola king Madhurantakadeva alias Uttama Chola.

Records that the temple of Tirunallamudaiyar was built of stone by Madevadigalar alias Sembiyan Madeviyar queen of Gandaradittadeva and mother of the king

Yet another inscription of him from the Masilamanisvara temple in Tirumullaivayil,

Dated in the reign of the Chola king Parakesarivarman alias Uttama Chola deva;

records in his fourteenth year, gift of land by Sembiyan Madeviyar, queen of Gandaraditta Perumal and daughter of Malavarayar. The lands were purchased from the villagers in Ambattur in Ambattur-nadu, a district of Pular kottam