Muthuraja

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Mutharaiyar or Muthuraja are a community of landowners who ruled over Kaveri Delta Region before the Cholas. Mutharaiyar^[1] (A.D 655 - A.D 851) earlier were a line of kings and were for a long time feudatory to the Pallavas, ruling part of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. Some historians have suggested that Mutharaiyars may have belonged to the Pandya clan while others have associated them with Pallavas.

History

Muthurajas (A.D 655 - A.D 851) were Tamil kings who ruled parts of Thanjavur, Tiruchy, Pudukkottai, Tiruvarur, Nagappattian, Dindikkal, Karur and madurai districts of Tamil Nadu. They were a long time feudatory to the Pallavas.

As their territory lay between the Pandya and Pallava kings, they were involved in almost all the contests between the two powers. Their subordination was of great assistance to the Pallavas not only in their struggle against the Pandyas but also in holding the Cholas under subjection.

End of Mutharaiyar rule/Rise of Cholas

Making use of the opportunity during a war between Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya rose out of obscurity and captured Thanjavur in 848 C.E.

During the 8th century Mutharaiyars family of chiefs rule was ended by Vijayalaya. Mutharaiyars are considered to be part of the Pandya dynasty tree (as per a section of historians Mutharaiyars, Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas belong to common ancestry). At this time there was a great struggle going on between the Pallavas and the Pandyas for the political supremacy of South India. In this disturbed state of affairs, Vijayalaya seems to have found a good opportunity to defeat the Muttaraiyan chiefs, and make himself the ruler of Thanjavur and the surrounding Chola country.

Vijayala Chola conquered Thanjavur from Elango Mutharayar who was the final ruler of Mutharaiyar dynasty. It is said that in the year A.D.852 Vijayalaya Chola waged war with the Muttaraiyar king Sattan Paliyilli (A.D.826-852) in the neighbouring east, and captured his territory of Thanjavur. While Vijayalaya Chola was a Pallava feudatory, the Muttaraiyan chief was a Pandya feudatory. Making use of the opportunity during a war between Pandyas and Pallavas, Vijayalaya rose out of obscurity and captured Thanjavur. As a result of this defeat of Muttarayar chiefs, Cholas became so powerful that Pallavas were also wiped out from Thanjavur region at a later stage.

Origin

As per Chola-Muthariyar research centre Tanjore, Cholas & Muthuraja were two branches of same people, who clashed on the issue of control over Kaveri Delta. Even today, Muthuraja is the majority community in the ancient Chola capital city Uraiyur.

Nāladiyār

During the pre-Chola period, the chiefs of the Muthuraja/Muttaraiyar community ruled over the Tanjore district in Tamilakkam. They controlled the fertile plains of the Kaveri region.^[2] When the Cholas came to power, the Muttaraiyar were turned into feudatories. Muttaraiyar literally means King of three territories.^[3] They built many temples for Siva.^[4] One of the most famous from this clan was Peru Muttaraiyar, who was known for his great wealth and grand feasts. Two stanzas (200, 296) of Nāladiyār, one of the works of ancient Tamil literature, is dedicated to him.^[5][6] One of their titles was Lord of Tanjore.^[7][8]

During the period of Ko Rajakesarivarman Rajaraja Chola I, we know of at least one high ranking chief and a feudatory of the Chola from this community: Śēkkizhār Araiyan Sankaranarayanan, also known as Chola-Muttaraiyan. Araiyan, which is the Tamil equivalent of the Sanskrit Raja or King, in this context means a chieftain or a governor.^[9] The title Chola Muttaraiyan means that he was a subordinate of the Chola ruler and was the Lord of the Muttaraiyar people.

Temple building

Muthurajas were instrumental in building many magnificent Temples^[10][11] including Narthamalai A cluster of small hillocks, 25 km from Tiruchi on the Tiruchi-Pudukottai road hosts some of the finest and oldest architectural models and rock cut cave temples, and the longest of rock-cut edicts, similar to Asokan edicts the likes of which are extremely rare in the south. Narthamalai, a heritage complex, consists of nine small hillocks - Melamalai, Kottaimalai, Aluruttimalai, Kadambarmalai, Perayarmalai, Uvakkanmalai, Manmalai, Bommattimalai and Ponmalai and the shrub forests surrounding the same is a habitat for peacock, deer and other animals. According to mythology they were parts of the Sanjeevimalai carried by Hanuman during the war between Rama and Ravana.

Thirumaiyam Temple

Thirumaiyam Temple is located in Tamil Nadu. The cave temple was established by Kuvavan Mutharayar during his rule at Thanjavur from 610 AD – 649 AD. There stands a statue of Kuvavan Mutharayar in the form of Twara Balaga (Dwara Palaka = Gate keeper = Security guard) on the right side of temple door. It is believed that Kuvavan was brought from Renadu (Rayalseema) as a step son by his ancestor Nalladi alias Bhima Solan. Mahendra Pallavan took over Kanchi from Bhima Solan.

On the left side of temple entrance, there stands another Twara Balaga, which is said to be the statue of Kuvavan's younger brother Punnia-kumaran. At the time of Kuvavan's rule Punnia Kumaran was the Yuvaraja. That is why the Dwara Palaka on left entrance is seen without crown. At that time his father was on the seat of power in Renadu. The elder brother Kuvavan was crowned as king at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The younger brother was serving his elder brother faithfully by staying with him. The elder brother Kuvavan honored his younger brother for his love and faithful services by installing his statue along with him as Dwara Palaka in Thirumayam^[12] temple in Pudukottai Temple.

Pazhiyileeswaram

Another rock-cut cave temple, dedicated to Shiva, opposite to the Vijayalaya Chozhisvaram temple, about 30 feet south of Samanar-Kudagu.

This Shiva cave temple was excavated in the seventh year of the Pallava ruler Nripatunga (862 AD.) by a Muttaraiyar chief, Sattan-Pazhiyili, son of Videl-Vidugu Muttaraiyan, which is where the temple gets the name. An inscription on the basement, states that the temple was excavated by Pazhiyili. It also states that his son built the front mandapam and installed a nandi, while his daughter Pazhiyili Siriya-Nangai made a gift of land to the temple.

Pazhiyili was a Mutharayar king, who ruled in 857 AD in Narthamalai region. Pazhiyili figures in the inscriptions found near Pudukkottai - Narthamamai - in 857 AD. Pazhiyili practised Shaivaite Hinduism and donated lands to Siva temple and named it as Pazhiyileeswaram. Pazhiyili as the contemporary chieftain under Pallava rule in Kodumbalur region and deviating from his predecessors practised Saivism and made a rock cut temple.

List of rulers

• Perumbidugu Muttaraiyan alias Kuvavan Maran (c. CE 655-c.680)
• Ilangovadiyariyan alias Maran Paramesvaran (c A.D. 680-c.705)
• Perumbidugu Muttaraiyan II alias Suvaran Maran (c. CE 705-c.745)
• Videlvidugu Vilupperadi-Araisan alias Sattan Maran (c.A.C. 745-c.770)
• Marppidugu alias Peradiaraiyan (c. CE 770-791)
• Videlvidugu Muttaraiyan alias Kuvan Sattan (c. CE 791-c.826)
• Sattan Paliyili (c. CE 826-c.851)

During Nayak rule

During Nayak rule between 16th century & 18th century, Muthuraja community served in the army as soldiers and generals since Muthurajas were one of the communities belonging to Kshatriya^[13]Varna.

During British rule

During British rule many of the prominent Zamindars at Tiruchy belonged to Muthuraja community.

Post Independence Tamil Nadu

Post-independence, Muthuraja community has dominated the politics of Trichy across political spectrum including DMK, AIADMK, Indian National Congress.

References

1. ^ http://www.iasexams.com/NCERT-Books/NCERTBooksforClass7/FreedownloadClass7HistoryNCERTBook/Class7_History_Unit02_NCERT_TextBook_EnglishEdition.pdf
2. ^ The political structure of early medieval South India, page 112
3. ^ Journal of Indian history, Volume 19, page 40
4. ^ Early Chōl̤a art:origin and emergence of style
5. ^ History of Tamil language and literature:beginning to 1000 A. D., page 89
6. ^ Śaṅgam polity:the administration and social life of the Śaṅgam Tamils, page 33
7. ^ Tirupati Balaji was a Buddhist shrine
8. ^ The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age
9. ^ Indian archaeological heritage: Shri K.V. Soundara Rajan festschrift, Volume 1, page 32
10. ^ http://tamilheritage.wikispaces.com/Development+of+Temple+Architecture
11. ^ http://www.pilgrimtrips.com/cave-temple-in-india/cave-temples-in-south/
12. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=4LoVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA119
13. ^ http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/religion/4785-poonal-3.html