Senguttuvan (Vel Kelu Kuttuvan) - Third Ruler Of Chera Dynasty

Senguttuvan was one of the important and powerful rulers of South India as well as Chera empire. He succeeded his father Nedum Cheralathan after his death in a war with Chola ruler. Senguttuvan is best known for sending the first embassy to china from South India. His capital was Vanji but some say Karur was his capital. The navy of the Senguttuvan was the best navy in the world during that time. Senguttuvan was famed as an invincible warrior. The name of his queen was Venmal. He was born to Nedum Cheralathan and Nalchonai (the daughter of Chola king Manikilli).

Senguttuvan was very famous with the legendary Tamil epic Silappadikaram, which surrounds around female character named Kannaki, whose story we already discussed in the article Raja Nedunj Cheliyan I of the Pandyan dynasty. The story of Silappadikaram ( the ankle bracelet ) is still well known and exists in multiple oral and written variants in Southern India and Sri Lanka.

 Senguttuvan (Vel Kelu Kuttuvan) - Third Ruler Of Chera DynastyAccording to this Tamil legend Silappadikaram, one day the king Senguttuvan sat in his silver palace with his queen Venmal, looking out in to his gardens. He was in an unusual peaceful and joyous mood. As he watched the crystal fountains playing in the garden, he felt a sudden impulse to visit his hillls, to see the endless forests enshrouded in mist and cloud and to hear the rushing waterfalls. He set out from Vanji on his elephant along with queen and courtiers and made for Cenkunru hill where he camped on the bank of river. The local forest tribe who live there came to know that their king camped in their forest and hastened to offer their respects. They offered white tusks of elephants, bundles of sweet-smelling aghil wood, whisks of stag hair, sandalwood, cardamom and pepper, fresh coconuts, mangoes, huge jackfruit, hill plantains, strings of garlic, sugarcane, flower garlands etc,.

The king and queen were very much pleased by their offerings and accepted them with gracious thanks. The king talked with them regarding various issues. The head of the tribe told the king " we wish to tell you of a strange thing that happened in these parts. Not long ago we saw a young woman with a single breast sitting alone in the forest, under a vengai tree. It seemed that she was great pain and suffering. After some time she was received by host of gods and disappeared ".

The king was surprised on hearing this. He was curious to know about that strange woman. A poet Sattanar, told king that " I can tell you about this woman and her name is Kannagi ". He went on to relate the events of the tragedy at Madurai. He said " Kannagi wished to point out to you the injustice done to her by the king of Pandyan empire Raja Nedunj Cheliyan I. Her husband Kovalan was unjustly accused of stealing the anklet of the queen of Nedunj Cheliyan I and was killed by the order of the king. Kannaki goes mad with rage, tears off her left breast and hurls it into dust. The city burst into flame. She wanders through the countryside in a state of distraction for fourteen days, after which she was taken to heavens by gods.

The Chera king Senguttuvan, on hearing Kannaki's story, vows to honor her by travelling to Himalayas, carving out a block of stone there and bring it back to his kingdom to turn it into a monument. Senguttuvan did what he vowed and on his way to Himalayas, it was said that he defeated several northern kingdoms which would be a poetic exaggeration. After returing with the stone and with the captured kings of north, he conducted Rajasuya Yagna. A temple was built of Kannagi and the monument cut of stone brought from himalayas was installed there. This was the famous Tamil legendary epic Silappadikaram's outline through which most of the information about Senguttuvan is known.

He invaded a part of Nannan's land called Viyalur and took the Kodukur fortress in Kongu country. He also interfered in a civil war which took inside Chola kingdom and was successful in establishing his relative Killi on the Chola throne. He also defeated Yavanas and Kongu country. It was said that under his reign, The powerful Chera empire extended from Kollimallai in the east up to Tondi and Mantai in the western coast.There was no information regarding the successor of Senguttuvan. But it was clear that under the rule of Senguttuvan, Chera empire reached to new heights and full glory.