Kingship in early Medieval India
by Sudip Narayan Maitra | 2015 | 67,940 words
This thesis is called: Kingship in early Medieval India: A comparative study of the Cholas and the Eastern Gangas. It represents a detailed empirical study of “kingship and polity” of two broad deltaic alluvial stretch of land on the “eastern coast”, namely ‘Mahanadi’ and ‘Kaveri’ delta. These were among the main centers of political and cultural a...
Part 11 - Divine Imagery (of the Kaveri Delta and the Cholas)
Portrayal of a divine image of a king of this period under discussion is understood by scholars in several connotations. As suggested by R.S. Sharma, the western ‘divine right’ theory is by no way confused with Indian examples.[1] The divine image of a king built up through several ways. Assuming titles identical to a god, equating the king as hero or gods in their own social groups by showing resemblance with puranic accounts, repeated linking up their deeds as with the deed of a god in Epic literatures, are may be the ways to achieve the kingship to god-ship.
By resembling kings with Visnu, kings were referred as the lord of the earth or Bharta.[2] The husband of earth and goddesses of prosperity is also equating with typical Ksatriya form of marriage, svayamvara. Through this marriage the kings are either capturing or the goddess of the earth choosing the king as their husband is repeatedly found in Pandya and Chola meykkiiitis.[3]
Kings were frequently compared with gods and puranic images. Pallava Paramesvaravarman is associated with Siva.[4] King Narasimhavarman described as incarnation of Narasimha or Visnu himself.[5] Mahendravarman equated with Mahendra or Siva.[6] The Pandya line is equated with their traditional dynastic heritages as taking parts in the Mahabharata war[7] and also negotiating peace with Ravana.[8] The titles adopted or were conferred on kings were equally important for the linkage with the gods and their divine attributes. In a similar manner Chola rulers also adopted mythical ancestry and claimed to be originated in solar dynasty.[9] Epithets like ravivamsa-dipah, ravikula-tilakah are some examples of it.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
In Pallava grants, Velvikudi plates and other plates
[3]:
[4]:
Kuram Plates, Thirty Pallava Copper Plates, Madras 1996, p.46,, II, 4-6
[5]:
Ibid, p.47, II, 14-15
[6]:
Ibid.
[7]:
PCP, p.6
[8]:
Ibid.
[9]:
Anbil Plates, Epigraphica Indica, Vol. XV, No. 5, vv.5-7, p.59; Larger Leiden Plates, Epigraphica Indica, Vol. XXII, No. 34, v.3, p.238; Tiruvalangadu plates, SII, Vol. III, No.205, v.4, p.393.