Vikrama Chola

Vikrama Chola (r. 1118–1135 ), known as Kō Parakēsari Varman, was the Chola emperor from 1118 to 1135. He succeeded his father Kulothunga I (r. 1070–1122) to the throne. Vikrama Chola was crowned as the heir-apparent by his father early in his life. He was appointed as viceroy of the Vengi province in 1089 CE, succeeding his brother Rajaraja Chodaganga. Vikrama during his tenure successfully managed to check the ambitions of the Western Chalukya Vikramaditya VI on the Vengi kingdom.Vikrama Chola inherited the territories which included Tamil Nadu and some parts of Andhra Pradesh.

In 1118, the aging Kulothunga recalled Vikrama Chola from Vengi to the south to appoint him as his co-regent. He assumed many of the titles of his father including Rajakesari when he was a co-regent. He subsequently switched to Parakesari when he ascended the throne.

Accession Vikrama Chola was crowned as the heir-apparent by his father early in his life. He was appointed as viceroy of the Vengi province in 1089, succeeding his brother Rajaraja Chodaganga. Vikrama during his tenure successfully managed to check the ambitions of the Western Chalukya Vikramaditya VI on the Vengi kingdom.

In 1118, the aging Kulothunga recalled Vikrama Chola from Vengi to the south to appoint him as his co-regent. He assumed many of the titles of his father including Rajakesari when he was a co-regent. He subsequently switched to Parakesari when he ascended the throne.

He seems to have ascended the throne sometime prior to his 10th year for we have a similar Tamil inscription of his from Srinivaspur, Karnataka that gives him the title Parakesari. The title of his chief queen Mukkōkilānadigal (Queen of the Three Worlds) is also mentioned. We also have the Saka date 1049:

Recovery of Vengi

Vikrama Chola was crowned as the heir-apparent by his father early in his life. He was appointed as viceroy of the Vengi province in 1089, succeeding his brother Rajaraja Chodaganga. Vikrama during his tenure successfully managed to check the ambitions of the Western Chalukya Vikramaditya VI on the Vengi kingdom.

In 1118, the aging Kulothunga recalled Vikrama Chola from Vengi to the south to appoint him as his co-regent. He assumed many of the titles of his father including Rajakesari when he was a co-regent. He subsequently switched to Parakesari when he ascended the throne. After Vikramaditya's death in 1126, the Cholas began a slow process of encroachment over Vengi. By 1133 Vikrama Chola was able to re-capture Vengi from Vikramaditya VI's mild son Someshvara III.

Recovery of Kerala Corrections by M. G. S. Narayanan (1972) on K. A. Nilakanta Sastri (1955, revised ed.) are employed.Vikrama Chola also oversaw the Chola recovery of the medieval Chera kingdom (in present-day Kerala) between c. 1102 and c. 1118. The last Chera ruler of Kerala, Rama Kulashekhara, is fondly remembered by a Chera princess in a record dated in the regnal years of Vikrama Chola from the Thiruvalanjuli temple (1122).

Officials General Naralokaviran alias Ponnambalakuttan continued to serve Vikrama Chola after Kulottunga I. One of the vassals in the Andhra country was Madhurantaka Pottapi Chola, the son of Siddharasa. The officer claimed descent from the Karikala Chola who raised the banks of Kaveri in epigraphs (Carana saroruha etc.).

Epigraphs A Tamil inscription of the king from Sidlaghatta district, dated in the second year of his reign and beginning with Pumagal Punara, states that Udayamartanda Brahmamarayan, an officer of the king with his residence in Arulmolideva Chaturvedimangalam, and who was well versed in Tamil, built the temple of Somesvarar in the village of Sugattur in Kaivara nadu. Vikrama Chola is called Pulivendan Koliyar kula Pati alias Rajayyar Vikrama Choladeva.