Ilamchetchenni

Abstract

This paper examines Ilamchetchenni, an early Chola king known through Sangam Tamil literature. It focuses on his military achievements, particularly the Seruppazhi/Pazhi campaign, in which he is said to have defeated a Mauryan army that advanced into northern Tamilakam with the assistance of the Vadugars and Kosars, drawing on evidence from the Akananuru and Purananuru. The study also examines the proposed connection between these events and Mauryan expansion, comparing interpretations by historians including K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, K. N. Sivaraja Pillai, N. Subrahmanian, and Manmatha Nath Das. The paper distinguishes direct Sangam evidence from later historical interpretations and evaluates Ilamchetchenni’s place in the political and military history of early Tamilakam.