Dr.R.Nagaswamy #708090 A certain Maravarman Kulasekhara, appear in an inscription of Chidambaram (No. 229/IV). The inscription dated in the 28th year (56th day) of the king records an order of the King's Officer, Kalingarayar and also mentions the following three Officers as Supervisors, besides others. 1. Tennavan Brahmarayar 2. Jayatunga Pallavaraiyar 3. Tillaiyambalap Pallavaraiyar These Supervisors' figure in the inscriptions of other Kings, mentioned in the same temple. It is proposed in this paper to identify the Pandyla Ruler 'Maravarman Kulasekharan' with the help of their names. There was only one Maravarman Kulasekhara who is known to historians to have ruled in the later half of the 13th Century (1268-1310) and that he was the celebrated successor of Jatavarman Sundarapandya . The three Supervisors,namely Tennavan Brahmarayar, Jayatunga Pallavaraiyar and Tillaiyambalap Pallavaraiyar, occur in several inscriptions of Kopperunjinga from his 3rd regnal (1233 AD) year to 36th regnal year (47,48,49/SII VII) Kopperunjinga ascended the throne in the year 1230. If we take this Maravarman Kulasekhara, as identical with the ruler who ascended the throne in 1268 A.D. then the his 28th year inscription, in which the same three nobles figure, would fall in 1296 A.D. It means that all the three officers held their post for over 70 years from almost 1230 to 1296 A.D. This is highly improbable. A re-examination is therefore necessary. In this connection a record dated in 1217(the 39th year) of Kulottunga III (1178-1216) is of interest. The inscription recorded in the Nataraja temple records an order of three Officers of the King. 1.Tondaiman 2.Thiruvaiyarudaiyan and 3. Madurantaka Brahma Marayan (ARE 1284-1913) Another record found in the same temple, without mentioning the name of the King, but giving his 36th regnal year, refers to the same three Officers mentioned above and also add the Officer, Tillaiyambalap Pallavaraiyar (ARE 117/1888; SII No 222/IV). This record is probably that of Raja raja III, the successor of Kulottunga III, as one of the signatory to this document was one Thirumandira Olai Rajendra Singa Muvelan, who figures in inscriptions of Raja Raja III, (ARE.299/1113). The Officer Tillaimbala Pallavaraiyar, mentioned in this record also figures in the reocrds of Koperunjinga and Pandya Maravarman Kulasekhra as pointed out earlier. A certain Pandya Jatavarman Kulasekhara, is said to have come to the throne in 1238 AD. and had a short rule (after the famous Pandya Maravarman Sundara) (KAN Pandya Kingdom .P.136) As he bears the title Jatavarman he is unlikely to be Maravarman Kulasekhara under discussion. A certain Kulasekhara is said to be a brother-in-law of Chonadu Konda, M. Sundara (ARE No. 78 of 1916) (KAN. P. K. pp. 137 F.N.) Rajendra Chola III, the last of the great Chola Emperor, who ascended the throne in 1246 and had a joint rule with his father Rajaraja III, vanquished two Pandya rulers. Regarding Rajendra's success, K.A.N. has the following to say (The Colas - P.432). "We may conclude that in a few years after he became throne apparent, Rajendra had gone some way to realise his ambitious programme of recovery. In some redaction, the Prasasti says that Rajendra was expert in cutting of the crowned head of the Pandya. Now it seems unlikely that Rajendra achieved anything against the powerful Maravarman Sundara Pandya I. But after his death, until the accession of Jatavarman Sundara Pandya in 1251 A.D. the Pandya kingdom was held by weak rulers and it is quite possible that Maravarman Sundara II (Accn. 1238) was compelled at a time to acknowledge the Chola overlordship. The identity of the other Pndya perhaps co-ruler with Maravarman Sundara II remains obseure". It is possible that the Pandya ruler Maravarman Kulasekhara under reference, is identical with the ruler defeated by Rajendra III around 1250. As his record is dated in the 28th year he should have reigned with the Chonadu Konda Maravarman Sundara I, as a co-ruler. This paper thus points to the existence of Maravarman Kulasekhara between 1225-1250 and the Officers mentioned in the record, would have thus lived in the first half the 13th Century A.D. This Maravarman was a brother-in-law of Maravarman Sundara-I and that he was defeated by Rajendra III