CHOLIANISATION

CHOLIANISATION




A long time ago, when I was doing historical and archeological research as a favourite hobby, I noticed a great many things that struck me.
One among them was 'name changes'.
I noticed that a particular region or province was called 'kEraLasinga vaLanAdu'. During the time of the rule of Kulothunga Cholza I and Vikrama Cholza, it was called Rajendra Cholza VaLanaadu. Pandya nadu was renamed as RajaRaja PandiMandalam. 'NirupaseKhara ChathurvEdimangalam' was called 'CholzaMarthanda ChathurVedimangalam'. An irrigation lake was called 'SriKundhavai pErEri'. A canal leading from it was called 'KarikAl ChOlza vAykkAl'.
I gave a name for this process of making everything Cholza. I called it ChOliyanisation'. 
       There was an Archeological Seminar organised by Tamilnadu Archeological Department and another one by Madurai University which were held at Madurai in 1971. I submited a paper where I mentioned about this process of Cholianiation. 
Later on I found in a few books something on the same phenomenon. One of the authors had given the name 'Cholaisation'. One author went to the extent of called it 'Cholification'.
It all meant the same thing. 
RajaRaja Cholza tried very hard to subdue the Pandyas. The Pandyas had a network of Pandyas. There were five of them ruling over different parts of the country at any one time. They were bothers or paternal uncles. They were not distinct collateral branches. Fathers brothers or own brothers held the four rulerships. The Big Chief ruled at Madurai. 
They had their head-quarters at different parts of the country. Madurai, Kilzaikarai, Thirunelveli, Thiruvadanai, and ThenKasi. They had standing armies at all these places. Furthermore they had faithful feudatories who pledged fealty to their overlords. 
Even though the Cholzas tried very hard for more than one hundred years, they had very little success against the Pandyas. Finally RajaRaja succeeded. But even then Manabharana Pandya and others escaped and waged limited wars of attrition upon the Cholza. 
Ulimately Rajendra Cholza captured the country and subdued it.
He hated the Pandyas and their country so very much that he imposed very harsh terms and subjected them to the utmost cruelty, insult, and humiliation. Their treasures were also taken away. 
Then he took a very extreme measure.
He erased out the dynasty of the Pandyas. 
In their place, he created a new dynasty. The sons of the Cholza emperor became the rulers of the Pandya country. They adopted the Pandya name and Pandya titles - Sundara Cholza Pandya, etc. Hence they were known as the 'Cholza Pandya Viceroys'.