Legendary early Chola kings

The lists of legendary early Chola kings are recorded in Tamil literature and in the inscriptions left by the later Chola kings.

Chola Empire

The genealogy of the Chola empire as found in the Tamil literature and in the many inscriptions left by the later Chola kings contains a number of kings recorded for whom there is no verifiable historic evidence. There are as many versions of this lineage as there are sources for them. The main source is the Sangam literature – particularly, religious literature such as Periapuranam, semi-biographical poems of the later Chola period such as the temple and cave inscription and left by medieval Cholas.

Irrespective of the source, no list of the kings has a high level of historic fact and, while they generally are similar to each other, no two lists are exactly the same. Modern historians consider these lists not as historically reliable sources but as comprehensive conglomerations of various Hindu deities and Puranic characters attributed to local chieftains and invented ancestry of dynasty attempting to re-establish their legitimacy and supremacy in a land they were trying to conquer.

Prehistorical Cholas

A number of typical hero and demi-gods found their place in the ancestry claimed by the later Cholas in the long typical genealogies incorporated into the copper-plate charters and stone inscription of the tenth and eleventh centuries. The earliest version of this is found in the kilbil Plates which gives fifteen names before Chola including the genuinely historical ones of Karikala, Perunarkilli and Kocengannan. The Thiruvalangadu Plate swells this list to forty-four, and the Kanya Plate runs up to fifty-two.

The Cholas were looked upon as descended from the sun. These myths speak of a Chola king, supposed contemporary of the sage Agastya, whose devotion brought the river Kavery into existence. There is also the story of the king Manu Needhi Cholan who sentenced his son to death for having accidentally killed a calf.He was called thus because he followed the rules of Manu; his real name is not mentioned and is thought to be Elaran according to Maha vamsam who was also attributed with a similar story. King Shivi who rescued a dove from a hawk by giving his own flesh to the hungry hawk was also part of the early Chola legends. King Shivi was also called Sembiyan, a popular title assumed by a number of Chola kings.

Cholas of the Sangam period

Though legendary and apocryphal, the early Chola kings of the Sangam period and the life of people contributed much to the cultural wealth of the Tamil country. The Sangam literature is full of legends about the mythical Chola kings.

The dates of accession are approximate interpolation of the Hindu Puranic Timeline.

• Eri Oliyan Vaendhi C. 3020 BC
• Maandhuvaazhi C. 2980 BC
• El Mei Nannan C. 2945 BC
• Keezhai Kinjuvan C. 2995 BC
• Vazhisai Nannan C. 2865 BC
• Mei Kiyagusi Aerru C. 2820 BC
• Aai Kuzhi Agusi Aerru C. 2810 BC
• Thizhagan Maandhi C. 2800 BC
• Maandhi Vaelan C. 2770 BC
• Aai Adumban C. 2725 BC
• Aai Nedun jaet chozha thagaiyan C. 2710 BC
• El Mei Agguvan a.k.a. Keezh nedu mannan C. 2680 BC
• Mudiko Mei Kaalaiyam Thagaiyan C. 2650 BC
• Ilangok keezh kaalaiyan thagaiyan a.k.a. Ilangeezh nannan C. 2645 BC -start of Kadamba lineage by his brother Aai Keezh Nannan
• Kaalaiyan gudingyan C. 2630 BC
• Nedun gaalayan dhagayan C. 2615 BC
• Vaengai nedu vael varaiyan C.2614 BC
• Vaet kaal kudingyan C. 2600 BC
• Maei Ila vael varaiyan C. 2590 BC
• Sibi Vendhi C. 2580 BC
• Paru nonji chaamazhingyan C. 2535 BC
• Vaeqratrtri chembiya chozhan C. 2525 BC
• Saamazhi chozhiya vaelaan C. 2515 BC
• Uthi ven gaalai thagan C. 2495 BC
• Nannan that kaalai thagan C. 2475 BC
• Vel vaen mindi C. 2445 BC
• Nedun jembiyan C. 2415 BC
• Nedu nonji Vendhi C. 2375 BC
• Maei Vael paqratrtri C. 2330 BC
• Aai Perun thoan nonji C. 2315 BC
• Kudiko pungi C. 2275 BC
• Perun goep poguvan C. 2250 BC
• Koeth thatrtri C. 2195 BC
• Vadi sembiyan C. 2160 BC
• Aalam poguvan C. 2110 BC
• Nedun jembiyan C. 2085 BC
• Perum paeyar poguvan C. 2056 BC
• Kadun jembiyan C. 2033 BC
• Nedun kathan C. 2015 BC
• Paru nakkan C. 1960 BC
• Vani sembiyan C. 1927 BC
• Udha chira mondhuvan C. 1902 BC
• Perun kaththan C. 1875 BC
• Kadun kandhalan C. 1860 BC
• Nakka monjuvan C. 1799 BC
• Maarko vael Maandhuvan Aaththikko C. 1786 BC
• Musukunthan Vaendhi C. 1753 BC
• Peru nakkan Thatrtri C. 1723 BC
• Vaer kaththan C. 1703 BC
• Ambalaththu Irumundruvan C. 1682 BC
• Kaari mondhuvan C. 1640 BC
• Vennakkan Thatrtri C. 1615 BC
• Maarko chunthuvan C. 1565 BC
• Vaer parunthoan mundruvan C. 1520 BC
• Udhan kaththan C. 1455 BC
• Kaariko sunthuvan C. 1440 BC
• Vendri nungunan C. 1396 BC
• Mondhuvan Vendhi C. 1376 BC
• Kaandhaman C. 1359 BC
• Mundruvan Vendhi C. 1337 BC
• Kaandhaman C. 1297 BC
• Monjuvan Vendhi C. 1276 BC
• Ani sembiyan C. 1259 BC
• Nungunan Vendhi C. 1245 BC
• Maarkop perum Cenni C. 1229 BC
• Monjuvan Nanvendhi C. 1180 BC
• Kop perunar chenni C. 1170 BC
• Monthuvan jembiyan C. 1145 BC
• Narchenni C. 1105 BC
• Caet chembiyan C. 1095 BC
• Nakkar chenni C. 1060 BC
• Parun jembiyan C.1045 BC
• Venjenni C. 998 BC
• Musugunthan C. 989 BC
• Maarkop perun jembiyan C. 960 BC
• Nedunjenni C.935 BC
• Thatchembiyan C. 915 BC
• Ambalaththu iruvaer chembiyan C. 895 BC
• Kaariko chenni C. 865 BC
• Venvaer chenni C. 830 BC
• Kaandhaman, C. 788 BC
• Kaandhalan C. 721 BC
• Caetchenni C. 698 BC
• Vani nungunan C. 680 BC
• Mudhu sembiyan Vendhi C. 640 BC
• Peelan jembiyach chozhiyan C. 615 BC
• Maeyan gadungo C. 590 BC
• Thiththan C. 570 BC
• Perunar killi Porvaiko C. 515 BC
• Kadu mundruvan C. 496 BC
• Kopperunjozhan C. 495 BC
• Narkilli Mudiththalai C. 480 BC
• Thevvan go chozhan C. 465 BC
• Naran jembiyan C. 455 BC
• Nakkam peela valavan C. 440 BC
• Iniyan thevvan jenni C. 410 BC
• Varcembiyan C. 395BC
• Nedun jembiyan C. 386 BC
• Nakkan aran jozhan C. 345 BC
• Ambalathu irungoch chenni C. 330 BC
• Perunar killi C. 316 BC
• Kochaet Cenni C. 286 BC
• Cerupazhi Erinda Ilanjaetcenni, C. 275 BC
• Nedungop perunkilli C. 220 BC
• Cenni Ellagan C. 205 BC
• Perun gilli C. 165 BC
• Kopperun jozhiyav ilanjaetcenni C. 140 BC
• Perunar killi Mudiththalai ko C. 120 BC
• PerumpootCenni C. 100 BC
• Ilam perunjenni C. 100 BC
• Perungilli Vendhi aka Karikaalan I C. 70 BC
• Nedumudi Killi C. 35 BC
• Ilavanthigaipalli Thunjiya Maei Nalangilli Caet Cenni, C. 20 BC
• Aai Vaenalangilli C. 15 BC
• Uruvapakraer Ilanjaetcenni, C. 10 – 16 AD
• 16–30 AD Kingdom ruled by a series of Uraiyur chieftains
• Karikaalan II Peruvalaththaan, C. 31 AD
• Vaer paqradakkai Perunar killi, C. 99 AD
• Perun thiru mavalavan, Kuraapalli Thunjiya C. 99 AD
• Nalangilli C. 111 AD
• Perunarkilli, Kula mutrtraththu Thunjiya C. 120 AD
• Perunarkilli, Irasasuya vaetta C. 143 AD
• Vael kadunkilli C. 192 AD
• Kochenganaan C. 220 AD
• Nalluruththiran C. 245 AD

Genealogy from Chola inscriptions

There is no concordance between various Chola inscriptions as far as their ancestry is concerned.

The genealogy of the Chola family conveyed by the Thiruvalangadu copperplate grant consists of names that are mostly mythological.

• Manu
• Ikshvaku
• Vikukshi
• Puranjaya
• Kakutstha
• Kakshivat
• Aryaman
• Analapratapa
• Vena
• Prithu
• Dhundhumara
• Yuvanasva
• Mandhata
• Muchukunda
• Valabha
• Prithulaksha
• Parthivachudamani
• Dirghabahu
• Chandrajit
• Sankriti
• Panchapa
• Satyavrata
• Rudrajit
• Sibi
• Marutta
• Dushyanta
• Bharata
• Cholavarman
• Rajakesarivarman
• Parakesarin
• Chitraratha
• Chitrasva
• Chitradhanvan
• Suraguru (Mrityujit)
• Chitraratha
• Vyaghraketu
• Narendrapati
• Vasu (Uparichara)
• Visvajit
• Perunatkilli
• Karikala
• Kochchengannan