Rama Varma Kulashekhara

Rama Varma Kulashekhara
1102
Reign	1090–1102 AD
Coronation	1090
Predecessor	Ravi Rama Varma (1082–1090 AD)
House	House of Cheras or Kulasekharas

Cheraman Perumal Juma Masjid, believed by Muslims to have been built upon the request of an unknown Chera dynasty ruler and probably the first Mosque in India

Rama Varman Kulashekhara (reign 1090- 1102 AD) was the last King of the Later Chera Dynasty and the first ruler of the independent Venad state, according to the Rameswarathukoil Inscription. After significant military success over the Chola dynasty he abdicated the throne and is claimed to have converted to Islam. Kotha Varma Marthandam succeeded him as the ruler of Venad.

The end of the Chera dynasty

Rama Varman Kulashekhara ascended the throne during a period of severe crisis. Kulothunga Chola I had occupied Nanjanad and south Kerala and was proceeding towards Kollam, the capital of the Venad kings in 1096 AD. Rama Varma resolved to beat back the Cholas and rallied all his patriotic forces. A large body of Chera army transformed into suicide squads (Chavers). The capital city of Mahodayapuram (present Kodungallur) and surrounding places were devastated in the long war and the king, without even a palace of his own, is known to have stayed at alternative frugal accommodations.

Towards the end of the war he shifted the capital from Mahodayapuram to Kollam and led a large army to stem the Cholas in the south. Kulothinga was defeated and withdrew towards Kottar. The Cholapuram records (1100 AD) that codified the achievements of Kulothunga Chola refer to this. The Cholas could not regain their influence beyond Nanjanad after this defeat. The death of Rama Varman Kulashekhara marked the end of the Kulashekhara kingdom of Mahodayapuram. Venad attained the status of an independent kingdom, of which Rama Varman Kulashekhara is regarded as the founder.

Cheraman legend

The later life of the last Cheraman is shrouded in mystery. Following his disappearance the chieftains of empire partitioned the land and proclaimed their independence in early 12th century. These fiefdoms would later emerge as the kingdoms of Kolathunadu, Kozhikode and Kochi.

A legend tells of the mysterious disappearance and conversion to Islam of the last Cheraman Perumal which, however, is neither corroborated by any contemporary record^[1] nor was mentioned by any of the several Arab and European travellers who visited Kerala including Suleiman, Al Biruni, Benjamin of Tudela, Al Kazwini, Marco Polo, Friar Odoric, Friar Jordanus, Ibn Batuta, Abdur Razzak, Nicolo Conti etc. But it was after the Portuguese' arrival that middle eastern travellers like Sheikh Zainuddin spoke of the legend;

On a moon-lit night the king while walking on the rooftop of his palace along with the queen saw the moon suddenly splitting into two halves. Later he came to know through the Arab traders that a prophet called Muhammad had wrought a miracle on that fateful night, and sundered the moon before a crowd of dazed spectators. Impressed by this new messenger of God in Arabia, the king set out for the holy land after dividing his kingdom and assigning various territories to local chieftains to ensure smooth governance. In Arabia he met the Prophet and embraced Islam in the presence of Abu Bakr Siddique, who later became the first caliph. Cheraman, who took a Muslim name, Tajuddin, died on his way back to India and was buried on the shore of the Arabian Sea at Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman. It is said that he had earlier written letters to the local rulers of Malabar and sent it through his ministers along with Malik bin Dinar, a companion of the Prophet. In the letters he had asked them to "receive the bearers of the letters and treat them well and help them to construct mosques at Kodungallur and elsewhere". The rulers of Kerala honoured the letters and permitted Malik Bin Dinar and his fellow Arab traders to build mosques in Kerala. The mosque built in the early 7th century at Kodungallur, known as Cheraman Malik Masjid, still exists with its original structure and is said to be the oldest mosque in the sub-continent. It is named after both Cheraman Perumal and Malik bin Dinar. ^[2] Another mosque built during this period was the Malik Dinar Mosque.

William Logan^[3] accepted the story as authentic but changed the date of conversion from 345 AD to 825 AD. The Perumal, however, could not have met Muhammad (570–632 AD) either in 825 AD or in 345 AD. The mosque at Kodungallur, purportedly built on the instruction of the last Perumal in 629 AD exhibits the style of middle Chola architecture and a team of historians who studied its foundation safely placed it in the 12th century.^[4] The mosque at Madayi, one of ten believed to have built at the instruction of the last Perumal, had a plaque attributing its foundation to Hegira 518 i.e., 1124 AD.^[3][5]

Some have argued that it is not Rama Varma Kulashekhara but Bhaskara Ravi Varma who is the protagonist of this legend. However, the life of Bhaskara Ravi Varma is well documented and there is no report of his having left his empire. Another school of thought believes that he converted to Buddhism or Jainism and there is yet another version according to which Perumal converted to Christianity, went on a pilgrimage to Mylapore, died there and is buried beside the tomb of St. Thomas, the Apostle.^[1] Prof. A. Sreedhara Menon concluded that the legend of Rama Varama Kulashekhara's conversion originated as a figment of imagination or as a case of mistaken identity and continued to be reproduced without critical examination.^[6][7]

See also

• Cheraman Perumal
• Chera Dynasty
• Kulashekhara

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sreedhara Menon.A,A Survey of Kerala History(1967),p.121. D.C.Books Kottayam
2. ^ Interview wih Raja Valiyathampuram of Kodungallur in Central Kerala http://www.iosworld.org/interview_cheramul.htm
3. ^ ^{a b} William Logan, Malabar Manual, Asian Educational Services, 1996 ISBN 8120604466, 9788120604469
4. ^ Narayanan M. G. S., Calicut: The City of Truth. p.58- 59, Calicut University Press (2006)
5. ^ Narayanan M. G. S., Calicut: The City of Truth, Calicut University Press (2006)
6. ^ Sreedhara Menon A., A Survey of Kerala History(1967), p.121. D.C.Books Kottayam
7. ^ Menon K. P. Padhmanabha, History of Kerala, New Delhi (1993)

Sources

• Roman Karur, Dr. Nagaswamy R.,(1995), Brahadish Publications, Chennai

http://tamilartsacademy.com/books/roman%20karur/cover.html

• Tamil Coins, Dr. Nagaswamy R.,(1981), State Department of Archaeology, Tamil Nadu http://tamilartsacademy.com/books/coins/chapter01.xml
• History of Mosque and tradition on Bahrain Tribune
• India's President makes a visit to the mosque
• The Land of the Permauls. Cochin, Its Past and Its Present 1863. Chapter 2. Page 44, The Last "Permaul." Dr. Francis Day.
• Interview with Raja Valiyathampuram of Kodungallur in Central Kerala http://www.iosworld.org/interview_cheramul.htm

See also

• Chera Dynasty
• Cheraman Perumal
• Kulashekhara

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sreedhara Menon.A,A Survey of Kerala History(1967),p.121. D.C.Books Kottayam
2. ^ Interview wih Raja Valiyathampuram of Kodungallur in Central Kerala http://www.iosworld.org/interview_cheramul.htm
3. ^ ^{a b} William Logan, Malabar Manual, Asian Educational Services, 1996 ISBN 8120604466, 9788120604469
4. ^ Narayanan M. G. S., Calicut: The City of Truth. p.58- 59, Calicut University Press (2006)
5. ^ Narayanan M. G. S., Calicut: The City of Truth, Calicut University Press (2006)
6. ^ Sreedhara Menon A., A Survey of Kerala History(1967), p.121. D.C.Books Kottayam
7. ^ Menon K. P. Padhmanabha, History of Kerala, New Delhi (1993)

Sources

• Roman Karur, Dr. Nagaswamy R., (1995), Brahadish Publications, Chennai
• Tamilartsacademy.com, Tamil Coins, Dr. Nagaswamy R., (1981), State Department of Archaeology, Tamil Nadu.
• History of Mosque and tradition on Bahrain Tribune
• India's President makes a visit to the mosque, Hindu.com
• The Land of the Permauls. Cochin, Its Past and Its Present 1863. Chapter 2. Page 44, The Last "Permaul." Dr. Francis Day.
• IOSworld.org, Interview with Raja Valiyathampuram of Kodungallur in Central Kerala.

Persondata
Name	Rama Varma Kulashekhara
Alternative names
Short description	Last king of the Chera Dynasty
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death