Karunakara Tondaiman, also known as Karunakara Pallavaraiyan, was the prime minister and the general of Kulottunga Chola I (1070–1122 CE) who sacked Lanka and Kalinga to show his loyalty to his king. He is the hero of Jayamkondar's poem Kalinkkattuparani where he is stated to have been a king of the Pallavas. He later served as the prime minister to the Kulothunga Chola's son and successor, Vikrama Chola, as well.
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Having thus laid waste the whole of the sea-coast kingdom of Kalinga, and planting there a pillar of victory,
Karunakara Tondaiman, the lord of Vandaiyar, returns and lies at the feet of his master all the spoils of war
Personal life
Tondaiman was born a Pallava prince and became the prime minister and a vassal of Kulottunga Chola I. Jayamkondar describes him as a Pallava king. He was married to Alagiyamanavalini Mangai Ālvār. Another notable member of his family was his brother, Pallavaraiyan, who also accompanied him to Kalinga. His brother was the flag bearer and it was he who hoisted the flag at the pillar of victory in Kalinga.
Lankan War
The Sri Lankan vassal of the Chola kingdom during the reign of Kulottunga Chola I had betrayed the Chola sovereign and had pledged allegiance to the Sinhala king in order to become the sole ruler of the Chola province in Ceylon. When this was brought to the attention of Kulottunga Chola I, the furious king had termed the traitor, "Siva Drohin", figuratively meaning traitor of the (Shaivite) Cholas. Karunakara Tondaiman took this opportunity to show his loyalty and went on to plunder Lanka. The Karunakara Pillaiyar temple in the Jaffna peninsula was built after him. The Tondaiman aaru (river) in Ceylon was also named after him.
Kalinga War
The Kalinga kingdom was then ruled by the Chalukya emperor Anantavarman Chodaganga. When Kulottunga Chola held his court at Kanchi, it was brought to his attention that Anantavarman had failed to pay tribute on two occasions to the Chola sovereign. This was taken as a sign of slight for not recognising the Chola superiority and the King dispatched Karunakara Tondaiman to bring the Chalukya to his knees. Kulottunga Chola dispatched Karunakara Tondaiman to capture Anantavarman alive. Vikrama Chola, then a young prince then, was a part of the force under Karunakara Tondaiman.
According to tradition and the Vaishnava point of view, the god on (Tirupati) had parted with his conch and the Sudarshana chakra to Karunākara Perumāl, the conqueror of Kalinga and the hero of Jayamkondar's Kalinkkattuparani. Karunakara Tondaiman defeated the Kalinga armies of Anantavarman and planted a pillar of victory in Kalinga (modern day Odisha). Anantavarman fled, never to be found again. From the Kalinkkattuparani,
Having thus laid waste the whole of the sea-coast kingdom of Kalinga, and planting there a pillar of victory,
Karunakara Tondaiman, the lord of Vandaiyar, returns and lies at the feet of his master all the spoils of war
Vandaiyar, now identified with Vandalur is an area in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.