The Cholas and Kaṇṇagi

The Cholas ruled parts of south India from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE. That's about sixteen centuries; few dynasties anywhere lasted so long.

Chola king Karikāla is said to have beaten the Cheras and Pāṇḍyas together, and become the strongest.

He did many works for his people. The most famous is the Kallaṇai, or Grand Anicut: a clever system to divert the Kāveri's water, placed at just the right spot below Srirangam island. It sent water to the central and southern Kāveri delta.

So more land could be farmed, and the area got the name 'rice bowl of the South'. Repaired many times, it is still in use today, watering fields for millions in Tamil Nadu!

Now a famous story: the *Silappadikāram*, 'The Tale of the Anklet', written soon after the Sangam poems. Kaṇṇagi lived happily with her husband Kovalan in the rich Chola city of Puhār. Kovalan fell for a dancer and lost all his money. He realised his mistake and came back; Kaṇṇagi forgave him. They went to Madurai, the Pāṇḍya capital, to start again.

Kaṇṇagi gave Kovalan one of her anklets to sell. But he was falsely accused of theft and executed by the Pāṇḍya king. Heartbroken, Kaṇṇagi proved his innocence by showing her second anklet. The king saw his terrible mistake and died of shock.

Kaṇṇagi cursed Madurai, and the god of fire destroyed the city. She walked west to the Chera kingdom, where she was honoured as a goddess. She is still worshipped in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The epic is about justice, and a ruler's duty (dharma) to protect it. The king falls not for cruelty but for judging in a hurry. It also takes us through rich trading cities, three kingdoms and many schools of thought.