Vellan Kumaran
Vellan Kumaran, diksa name Chaturanana Pandita, was a Kerala commander in the Chola army and a close confidant of prince Rajaditya. He was probably one of the few Chola commanders to have survived the battle of Takkolam in 948/49 AD. Kumaran is best known for engraving his own tragic autobiography in an inscription at Tiruvotriyur, Madras.
Kumaran was the son of Rajasekhara, the chieftain of Valluvanatu in Kerala. He is also described as a native of "Nandikkarai Puttur" in Kerala. The inscriptions say that he went to Chola country after completing education in his boyhood and became a commander to prince Rajaditya in the Chola army. After the battle of Takkolam, he became an ascetic and settled at Tiruvotriyur as the disciple of certain Niranjana Guru. Eventually Kumaran, now known as Chaturanana Pandita, became the founder of a matha at Tiruvotriyur.
The true significance of the life of Kumaran was discovered by historian V. Raghavan.
Background
Chola defeat at Takkolam
The battle of Takkolam was a military engagement between a contingent of troops led by Chola prince Rajaditya and another led by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III. The battle resulted in the death of Rajaditya on the battlefield and the defeat of the Chola garrison at Takkolam. The battle is considered as the climax of the confrontation between the Cholas and the Rashtrakutas for mastery of south India.The collapse of the Chola resistance after the battle of Takkolam lead to the destruction of the Chola empire. The Rashtrakutas conquered eastern and northern parts of the Chola empire and advanced up to Rameswaram. As per the Karhad copper plates of Krishna III the king "uprooted the Cholas, distributed their territory among his followers, and extracted tribute from the Chera and Pandya kings" during his campaign. The Sravana Belgola record of Ganga king Marasimha also claims victory of the Chera king for his predecessor Bhutuga II.
The death of prince Rajaditya is unusually commemorated by the Cholas. The Chola version of the events can be found in Larger Leiden Grant of Rajaraja I and Tiruvalangadu Plates of Rajendra I.
Kerala military personnel at Takkolam
Prince Rajaditya was the son of the Ko Kizhan Atikal, the Chera/Perumal princess, and the Chola king Parantaka I. It is known that the Ko Kizhan Atikal, mother of prince Rajaditya, was present at Rajadityapura with her entire entourage for some time.Prince Rajaditya commanded a whole contingent of Kerala military personnel in Tirumunaippati Natu as early as the 930s.
| Country | Chiefdom or clan name | Location inside chiefdom | Name |
| Malaiyala | Maluvacchar | Attankan Chattan | |
| Malaiyala | Netunkalai Natu | Isanamangalam | Manavallan Kannan |
| Malaiyala | Iravi Kotai | ||
| Malaiyala | Netumpuraiyur Natu | Vakkanatu, Mankarai | Kantan Kaman |
| Malaiyala | Kantiyur Vel Kula | Sundaran | |
| Malaiyala | Tirukunrappozha | Parivarattu Chevakan, Chenta Kumaran | |
| Malai Natu | Matai Vazhkai | Iyakkan Iraman |
According to historians, the mid-10th century witnessed a large migration of Kerala people into the Chola country in search of "commercial profit and military adventure". A warrior known as Malaiyana Otrai Chevakan shows up in the army of prince Arikulaseri from a record from Kizhur, South Arcot. Several merchants from Kodungallur in Malai Natu are present in inscriptions from Kudumiya Malai, Tirucchanur, Udaiyargudi, Tirumalpurarm and Tiruvenkatu.