Kulothunga Chola II

Kulothunga Chola II இரண்டாம் குலோத்துங்க சோழன்
Rajakesari
Chola territories c. 1150 CE
Reign	c. 1133 – c. 1150 CE
Predecessor	Vikrama Chola
Successor	Rajaraja Chola II
Died	1150 CE
Queen	Tyagavalli Mukkokilan
Issue	Rajaraja Chola II
Father	Vikrama Chola

List of Chola kings

Early Cholas

Interregnum (c. 200 – c. 848)

Medieval Cholas

Vijayalaya Chola	848–891(?)
Aditya Chola I	891–907
Parantaka Chola I	907–950
Gandaraditya Chola	950–957
Arinjaya Chola	956–957
Sundara Chola	957–970
Aditya Chola II	(co-regent)
Uttama Chola	970–985
Rajaraja Chola I	985–1014
Rajendra Chola I	1012–1044
Rajadhiraja Chola	1044–1054
Rajendra Chola II	1054–1063
Virarajendra Chola	1063–1067
Athirajendra Chola	1067–1070

Later Cholas

Kulothunga Chola I	1070–1120
Vikrama Chola	1118–1135
Kulothunga Chola II	1133–1150
Rajaraja Chola II	1146–1173
Rajadhiraja Chola II	1166–1178
Kulothunga Chola III	1178–1218
Rajaraja Chola III	1216–1256
Rajendra Chola III	1246–1279

Chola society

Kulothunga Chola II was a 12th-century king of the Chola Dynasty of the Tamil people of South India. He succeeded his father Vikrama Chola to the throne in 1135 CE. Vikrama Chola made Kulothunga his heir apparent and coregent in 1133 CE, so the inscriptions of Kulothunga II count his reign from 1133 CE.

Kulothunga II reigned over a period of general peace and good governance. There is no record of any warfare except for the reduction of Chola control over the conquered Eastern Chalukyas territories, which had been won by his father.

Kulothunga II appears to have been popular as evidenced by Sekkizhar's work Periya Puranam.

Patron of Chidambaram

Chidambaram is one of those five places where Chola princes were invested with the crown. Kulothunga was a great devotee of the Chidambaram Temple to Lord Shiva in that city, and he celebrated his coronation there. He also financed an elaborate renovation of the temple. The poem Kulothunga Cholan Ula describes in the work carried out. It is possible that this renovation work was a continuation of work started by Vikrama Chola.

Chidambaram Temple as seen in 1913.

Personal life and family

Kulothunga II preferred to live in Chidambaram rather than the royal capital at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

Of the various titles had, Anapaya was perhaps his favourite. It is found in his inscriptions as well in the poetic tribute Kulothunga Cholan Ula. He was also called Tirunirruchola.

Kulothunga II is known to have very sadistically persucted several Vaishnavites out of his sheer hatred towards Worshipers of Lord Vishnu.

Kulothunga II was succeeded by Rajaraja Chola II in 1150 CE.

Preceded by Vikrama Chola	Chola 1133–1150 CE	Succeeded by Rajaraja Chola II

References

Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).

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