Kopperuncholan

Infobox Chola | name=Kopperuncholan
tamil = கோப்பெருஞ்சோழன்


caption =
reign= Unknown
title = Unknown
capital = Urayur
queen= Unknown
children= Unknown
predecessor= Unknown
heir= Unknown
father= Unknown
year of birth= Unknown
year of death= Unknown

Kopperuncholan was one of the Early Cholas mentioned in Sangam Literature. We have no definite details about this Chola or his reign. The only information we have is from the fragmentary poems of Sangam in the "Purananuru".

Sources

The only source available to us on Kopperuncholan is the mentions in Sangam Literature|Sangam poetry. The period covered by the extant literature of the Sangam is unfortunately not easy to determine with any measure of certainty. Except the longer epics "Cilappatikaram" and "Manimekalai", which by common consent belong to the age later than the Sangam age, the poems have reached us in the forms of systematic anthologies. Each individual poem has generally attached to it a colophon on the authorship and subject matter of the poem, the name of the king or chieftain to whom the poem relates and the occasion which called forth the eulogy are also found.

It is from these colophons and rarely from the texts of the poems themselves, that we gather the names of many kings and chieftains and the poets and poetesses patronised by them. The task of reducing these names to an ordered scheme in which the different generations of contemporaries can be marked off one another has not been easy. To add to the confusions, some historians have even denounced these colophons as later additions and untrustworthy as historical documents.

Any attempt at extracting a systematic chronology and data from these poems should be aware of the casual nature of these poems and the wide difference between the purposes of the anthologist who collected these poems and the historian’s attempts are arriving at a continuous history.

Friendship with Poets

Kopperuncholan is the subject of a number of poems in "Purananuru". Himself a poet, he is credited with a few poems in the "Kuruntokai" collection ("Kuruntokai" – 20, 53, 129, 147). He was an intimate friend of two poets: Andayar and Pottiyar. Andayar was the native of the Pandya country and gave some good advice to the Chola king. Pottiyar was a native of the Chola country. Kopperuncholan’s friendship with these two poets became a classic example in later literature like that between Damon and Pythias.

Andayar’s poems reflect the happy and joyful nature of the poet. Asked once why though old, his hair had not turned gray, he gave this answer:::"My years are many, yet my locks not grey:"
::"You ask the reason why, 'tis simply this"
::"I have a worthy wife, and children too;"
::"My servants move obedient to my will;"
::"My king does me no evil, aye protects;"
::"To crown the whole, around me dwell good men"
::"And true, of chastened souls with knowledge filled."

::(Purananuru –191)

Kopperuncholan’s Suicide

There is are a number of poems in Purnanuru in sequence describing the sad end of this king.

It seems Kopperuncholan and his two sons had a serious quarrel. A beautiful poem ("Purananuru" – 213) appeals to the Parental instincts of the king to solve these differences. However Kopperuncholas was unable to settle the differences with his sons and sought to end his life himself ("Purananuru" – 214). In the next poem ("Purananuru" – 215) Kopperuncholan expressed his desire to see Andayar before his end came and was quite confident that his friend would not fail him. Andayar came and resolved to join his friend in his desire to quit this world. Pottiyar tried to dissuade them with his concern for the fate of the Chola country. Two further poems ("Purananuru" – 218, 219) commemorate the suicide of Andayar and Kopperuncholan. Andayar and Kopperuncholan starved themselves to death.

ee also

* Sangam Literature
* Early Cholas
* Legendary early Chola kings

References

* Mudaliar, A.S, Abithana Chintamani (1931), Reprinted 1984 Asian Educational Services, New Delhi.
* Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
* Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
* Project Madurai – Purananuru eText - http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/ettuthokai/pm0057.pdf