Rajaditya Chola

Rajaditya Chola (fl. mid-10th century AD) was a Chola prince, son of king Parantaka I (r. 907–955) and a Chera princess (the Ko Kizhan Adigal), known for commanding the Chola troops in the battle of Takkolam (948–949).

The death of prince Rajaditya in the battle is unusually commemorated by the Cholas. The Chola version of the events can be found in Larger Leiden Grant (1006 AD) of Rajaraja I and Tiruvalangadu Plates (1018 AD) of Rajendra Chola. Indirect references to the battle can also be found in the inscriptions of Vellan Kumaran, a Chera commander in the Chola army.

Early life Rajaditya was the son of the Ko Kizhan Adikal, the Chera princess, and the Chola king Parantaka I (r. 907–955 AD). The marriage between a Chera princess and Parantaka, c. 910 CE, is mentioned in the Udayendiram plates of Ganga king Prthivipati II Hastimalla.

It seems that Chola king Parantaka I anticipated a climactic battle with the Rashtrakutas and their allies in Tirumunaippati Nadu. Sometime in the 930s, or perhaps as early as 923 AD, prince Rajaditya was sent with a substantial military contingent, including elephants and horses, as well as his entire household, to Rajadityapura (Tirunavalur/Tirumanallur) in Tirumunaippati Nadu (to protect the northern edges of a nascent Chola state).

Battle of Takkolam Battle of Takkolam, Takkolam is a town in Arakkonam taluk of the Vellore district, northern Tamil Nadu.

The Battle of Takkolam, fought in 948–949 CE, resulted in the death of Rajaditya on the battlefield and the defeat of the Chola garrison at Takkolam. The Chola prince died instantly. The Chola army was subsequently defeated and retreated in disorder.

The subsidiary record engraved on the upper part of slab throws some more light on the incident:

Chola-Chera relations (c. 9th-10th centuries AD)

Ecphory

On 24 Feb 2025, in the honor of Rajaditya chola's greatness, the central government officially announced the name of the CISF Regional Training Centre (RTC) operating in Thakkolam as "Raja Aditya Cholan Regional Training Centre".

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) celebrated its 56th Raising Day on 7 March 2025 in Takkolam, Tamil Nadu, where Home Minister Amit Shah officially announced the name of the training center complex as "Raja Aditya Chola Training Center".