Nalankilli
Nalankilli was a Tamil King of the Early Cholas of the Chola Dynasty who ruled Tamilakam and was mentioned in the ancient Sangam Literature. He was the son of Karikala Chola the Great. Nalankilli was mentioned in context with a civil war between him and another Chola king Nedunkilli. The information known about him are from the fragmentary stanzas of the Purananuru and the Buddhist epic Manimekalai.
Nalankilli in Sangam Literature
Nalankilli is the subject of no fewer than fourteen poems in the Purananuru. Among these, the poet Kovur Kilar contributes nearly half, suggesting that Nalankilli, like the renowned Karikala Chola, enjoyed a form of broad hegemony among the Tamil kingdoms. Kovur Kilar’s verses, though marked by poetic exaggeration, portray Nalankilli as a powerful and respected ruler within the Tamil political landscape.Nalankilli as a Patron and Contributor to Literature
Like many princes of his time, Nalankilli was not only a patron of literature but also a poet himself. Two of his compositions have survived, one of which is notable for its unique and eerie tone — an uncanny oath that reflects both his literary skill and the distinctive style of royal expression during the Sangam age.Nalankilli the Ruler
Nalankilli forms the subject of no fewer than fourteen poems in Purananuru. These poems suggest that Nalankilli continued to enjoy a vague hegemony among the other Tamil kings as did by Karikala Chola. The same poet Kovur Kilar, proving that he was not a sycophant, exhorts his patron to sue for peace instead of continuing the siege of Urayur against the rival Chola Nedunkilli.Kaverippatinam was Nalankilli’s capital and he enjoyed the benefits of its extensive trade. However the people were not in a contented state of mind due to the continuing civil strife. We perceive this from the melancholy tones of the poems by the poet Urayur Mudukannan Sattanar on Nalankilli.
Nalankilli like many other princes of his age, cultivated literature himself, and two of his poems survive.
Civil War
Purananuru speaks of the war between two Cholas Nalankilli and Nedunkilli, which lasted until the death of Nedunkilli at the battlefields of Kariyaru. These two Cholas must have belonged to the rival branches of the Chola families, which ruled from Kaverippattinam and Urayur as their capitals.Kovur Kilar's pleadings were of no avail and the civil war only ended with the death of Nedunkilli.
Nalankilli died at a place called Ilavandigaippalli.