#6B8E23 Dr. R. Nagaswamy An Inscription from Alankudi in Tanjore District is of great historic interest. The inscription records transactions that took place with reference to some lands in the village spread over nearly one hundred fifty years. The transactions have taken place in the reign period of five Chola Emperors viz Rajaraja I, Rajadhiraja II, Rajamahendra, Kulottunga Chola I, and finally in the reign of Rajaraja II, thus from almost 1000 CE to 1152 CE. Also the transactions relate not only to land but also Jewels of the temple, the cash amount in gold and also silver and the interest due on the amount so received. Also are recorded the land price and tax exemption and details of land measures. The circumstances under which the transactions started are also of historic interest.. It gives almost an insight into various aspects of Chola society and administrative intricacies that have not attracted attention of Scholars. An attempt is made in the following to examine this inscription from all angles. The inscription is found on the base of the main shrine of Apatashayaesvara temple of Alangudi in Nannilam talu, Tanjore District, and is dated in 1162 Ce(6th year of Parakesari Rajarja II. But it refers to the he transactions that took place in the reign of Rajaraja I, and others till the 45 th year of Kulottunga I. The village Alangudi which was also known as Jananatha Caturvedi mangalam , was in the territorial subdivision mudi conatu, in Suttamali vala nadu, The exact date of the transaction is mentioned as 6th year of Rajaraja II. The name of the God is mentioned as Thiru irumpulai utaiya nayanar. The village assembly met in full the Aatura salai named Sembiyan mahadevi and transacted the following resolution. The village Assembly took earlier some gold and silver from the temple treasury to meet some expenses of serious nature. The record says that there occurred a disaster to Rajadhiraja due to bad times in his third year 1021 CE, and got over that and to pray for the recovery of the Emperor’s body into a strong and pleasant body the village arranged for a special worship in the temple. (Vijayarajendra Cholarkku yandu munravathu, kaladosahamundaki …. Perumal Thirumeni kalyanatthirumeni yay vajra kayamum ay pujai kondarulukiakku) From the context it is clear that Rajadhuraja suffered some wounds in that year and that the villagers wanted that the emperor should regain his health and physic and arranged for the special worship in the temple. ( there are a few records of the Chola times that mention the king should attain Kalyana-thirumeni (Auspicious physical power) but in this record there is another phrase included which states he should regain Vajra kaya that seems to suggest some wound. ) Among the Chola rulers Rajadhiraja was a ruthless fighter to the very end of his life and took the front personally in most cases. His inscriptions reflect his ruthless fight and severity of treatment metted out to his enemies. He is the one Emperor among the Imperial Cholas who performed Asvamedha Sacrifice. Rajendra choa l his father anointed him as his co-ruler very early in his regin and Rajadhiraja came to have joint rule with his father in 1018 CE.So his third year fell on 1021 CE but he went on to rule upto 1054. Obviously he recovered fully and went to take part in several wars till the last one in 1054 at his advanced age and fell fighting. It is not unlikely that he ought to have suffered some wound in a fight in the third year of his joint rule. From the study of the inscriptions of Rajendra, Professor KAN Sastri concluded that there took place a fierce battle in 1021 to 1023 with the Chalukya ruler Jayasimha and there are claims and counter claims about the success. Though finally Rajendra chola won the battle the war was severe in the initial stage. In all probability Rajadhiraja ought to have taken part as youth in the battle and probably sustained some war wounds that is mentioned in this Alankudi record. The specific prayer of the village while arranging for the special worship was that Rajadhiraja should get Vajra-kaya after the Kala-dosha seems to confirm some set back to his health. However this as a result of kala doshs bad times and recovery of Vajra-kaya as prayer has not attracted the attention by historians including Prof. Sastri. The severity of the kala-dosha to Rajadjraja may further be gauged by this record. The Village Assembly took some important gold jewels and silver vessels of the temple to meet the expense of special worship for the recovery of the King. It is surprising that sacred jewels used in the temple for the main deity and other processional deities have been taken for their gold by the Assmebly members. The following Jewels were listed that were taken for their gold value from the temple treasury. Kolakai one no weiging 350 kalanju Koccakam and kodukkum one no each 150 kalanju Pattam one no 25 kalanju Pattam three nos 15 kalanju All these golden items were very very sacred in temple worship Kolakai is a globular golden object resembling a linga used in daily Sri bali ceremaony.( Rajaraja Chola made a fine golden Kolakai deva for the Tanjore temple which is the first to be mentioned in his record.) The Koccakam and Kodukku are are the spiral containers to hold the kolaka.. The Pattam is the most sacred face band that is used in decorating the main Linga and there are special chapters as patta in Agamas indicating their importance. That these were made of Gold itself would indicate their importance. Even these have been taken from the temple for their gold value indicates the seriousness of the situation. But what is more surprising is that these following jewels of Lord Nataraja were all also taken by the assembly. The neck chain The belly band (Udarabandanam) The snake hood The coils and the tail of the same And the anklet of Lord Nataraja (Kutthadum devar).were also taken from the temple treasury. It is unimaginable in modern times that jewels of Nataraja could be taken from the temple for the gold value to meet some expenses. The total value of jewels of Nataraja taken amounted to 285 kalanju. Perhaps the Village considered their king’s life was more important than the gold for when he is better he could bestow several times more than these ones. I addition the Assembly also took the jewels of Lord Rishabha-vahana-deva (Metal image) that included a four chain neckalaces, the golden Flowers, used for abhisheka the golden ear ornament (Makarakkuzai) and also the gold of his consort amounting to 286 kalanju A total of 1141 kalanju gold realized from these jewels. In addition there were some silver vessels that weighed as follows: Talikai five nos 360 palams Vattil plate with stand 37 palams Plate and a container for sandal paste 9 palams Chowries 2 nos 58 palams The village assembly thus received a total of 1141 kalanju gold and 464 palams of silver from the temple treasury. They wanted to raise paddy in the village with the money for buying seed paddy and paddy for providing special food offering during the puja arranged by them for the welfare of the king. The village assembly in return made over to the temple 5 ¾ veli of land which they owned in the village. The record also states the land of 5 ¾ veli was in liew of the gold and silver they took and also towards the interest. The exact amount of interest is not mentioned .Generally a sum of 12 1/2 % interest is levied under the Cholas. If one could surmise on the basis of this interest rate approximately 200 kalanju are expected towards interest. Computing on this basis it looks one Veli of land is valued approximately 200 kalanju of gold. This may be compounded with value at other places at the same time. We have seen the village Alankudi also had another alternate name Janantha-caturvedimangalam. Rajaraja chola had the title Jananatha and hence it is clear that he reconstituted the village as a Caturvedimangalam.named after himself. The inscrption points out the same when it says that earlier when the emperor Rajaraja aquired the common land of the village (for constituting it as a Caturvedimangalam) the land belonging to the God of this temple was included in the Catukkam (Square). The lands were then measured by the measuring rod of 16 feet in length per one kuli ((pit). 128 kuzi constituted one ma of land. The inscription records that the land measure at Alankudi consisted of 128 kuli per ma measured by 16 feet rod.. The lands now given to the temple in liew of the gold and silver the Assembly received from the temple treasury was measured by this standard measure of 128 kuli a ma. This land has been given to the temple in return for the gold and silver and also towards making the land tax free. The Assembly agreed themselves to meet the taxe dues in perpetuity. The land given were thus made tax free land. This transaction was recorded on stone in the third year of Raja-mahendra Chola (1063 CE). But these lands were found as small parcels in different hamlets of the village and hence the clubbing of them together and given to the temple as a temple land. It would thus virtually be a sale village lands to the temple in return of the gold for arranging a special worship for the well being of the young monarch. This record shows that Rajadiraja was severely wounded in the battle field immediately after his coronation. That seems to have enraged him with the result after his recovery when he went back to the battle field he mercilessly killed his opponent, captured their women and brought many temple sculptures from Chalukya country. Of all the Chola rulers he was one who was a ferocious fighter, performed an asvameda yaga and died fighting later. So much so the Chalukyas refer to him as greatest sinner. That might probably be due to the physiological shake up he received early in his life.