Kopperunjinga I - A great Kadava chieftain
The Kadavas were a Tamil ruling dynasty who ruled some areas of the Tamil country between the thirteenth and the fourteenth century. They were related to the Pallava dynasty and became the feudatories of the Cholas in the twelfth century. The prominent rulers of the Kadava dynasty, Kopperunjinga I, and Kopperunjinga II raised the prestige of the kingdom.
Kopperunjinga I was also known as Jiya Mahipati, Alagiyasiyan, Manavalapperumal, etc. The Chola kingdom was heading towards its decline during this period. However, there were some years where it regained the lost glory owing to the capable rule of Kulothunga Chola III. Kopperunjinga I was a subordinate of Kulothunga Chola III between 1191 and 1195 CE. He took advantage of the Pandyan invasion led by Maravarman Sundar Pandya on the Chola Empire. In this invasion, Rajaraja Chola III, the son of Kulothunga Chola III was defeated and made a subordinate to the Pandyas. At this time Kopperunjinga I took advantage of the critical situation and began strengthening his position.
CONSOLIDATION OF POSITION
The ambitions of Kopperunjinga I brought him into conflict with a number of dynasties. The Battle of Uratti was fought in 1222/23 CE between Kopperunjinga I and the Yadava king Singhana II. After that he fought with the Hoysala king Vira Narsimha in 1224 CE in which the Kadavas were defeated. However, Kopperunjinga I did not mourn this defeat and instead fought another battle with the Chola king Rajaraja Chola III at Tellaru and imprisoned the Chola monarch and his ministers at Sendamangalam in 1231-32 CE. In this he was aided by the Lankan king Parakram Bahu II. He assumed the title of Sakalabhuvanachakravartin or the Emperor of the Universe and Solanai-sirai-yittu-vaittu-Solanadu-konda-Alagiyasiyan meaning Alagiyasiyan who imprisoned the Chola and conquered the Chola country.
Kopperunjinga avenged his defeat at the hand of the Hoysalas by engaging the armies in a battle while they were preparing to siege his capital city Sendamangalam in 1241 CE. He killed the Hoysala generals Kesava, Harihara Dandanayaka, and others and seized their women and property. He built a fort at Tiruvenkadu on the banks of the river Kaveri to protect his kingdom from further attacks from the Hoysalas.
CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Kopperunjinga I was a great devotee of lord Nataraja and constructed the southern and eastern gopuras of the Nataraja temple. To commemorate his victory over the Hoysalas he got a temple dedicated to goddess Bhagwati constructed at Chidambaram in 1231 CE. Apart from this he was also a patron of Tamil literature.
Kopperunjinga I cared for his people and undertook a large number of infrastructural activities like constructing roads, building schools and colleges, ponds, tanks and canals, etc.
He died in 1242 CE and was succeeded by his son Kopperunjinga II.
