The lists of legendary early Chola kings are recorded in Tamil literature and in the inscriptions left by the later Chola kings.
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.
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.
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 BCEMaandhuvaazhi C. 2980 BCEEl Mei Nannan C. 2945 BCEKeezhai Kinjuvan C. 2995 BCEVazhisai Nannan C. 2865 BCEMei Kiyagusi Aerru C. 2820 BCEAai Kuzhi Agusi Aerru C. 2810 BCEThizhagan Maandhi C. 2800 BCEMaandhi Vaelan C. 2770 BCEAai Adumban C. 2725 BCEAai Nedun jaet chozha thagaiyan C. 2710 BCEEl Mei Agguvan a.k.a. Keezh nedu mannan C. 2680 BCEMudiko Mei Kaalaiyam Thagaiyan C. 2650 BCEIlangok keezh kaalaiyan thagaiyan a.k.a. Ilangeezh nannan C. 2645 BCE -start of Kadamba lineage by his brother Aai Keezh NannanKaalaiyan gudingyan C. 2630 BCENedun gaalayan dhagayan C. 2615 BCEVaengai nedu vael varaiyan C.2614 BCEVaet kaal kudingyan C. 2600 BCEMaei Ila vael varaiyan C. 2590 BCESibi Vendhi C. 2580 BCEParu nonji chaamazhingyan C. 2535 BCEVaeqratrtri chembiya chozhan C. 2525 BCESaamazhi chozhiya vaelaan C. 2515 BCEUthi ven gaalai thagan C. 2495 BCENannan that kaalai thagan C. 2475 BCEVel vaen mindi C. 2445 BCENedun jembiyan C. 2415 BCENedu nonji Vendhi C. 2375 BCEMaei Vael paqratrtri C. 2330 BCEAai Perun thoan nonji C. 2315 BCEKudiko pungi C. 2275 BCEPerun goep poguvan C. 2250 BCEKoeth thatrtri C. 2195 BCEVadi sembiyan C. 2160 BCEAalam poguvan C. 2110 BCENedun jembiyan C. 2085 BCEPerum paeyar poguvan C. 2056 BCEKadun jembiyan C. 2033 BCENedun kathan C. 2015 BCEParu nakkan C. 1960 BCEVani sembiyan C. 1927 BCEUdha chira mondhuvan C. 1902 BCEPerun kaththan C. 1875 BCEKadun kandhalan C. 1860 BCENakka monjuvan C. 1799 BCEMaarko vael Maandhuvan Aaththikko C. 1786 BCEMusukunthan Vaendhi C. 1753 BCEPeru nakkan Thatrtri C. 1723 BCEVaer kaththan C. 1703 BCEAmbalaththu Irumundruvan C. 1682 BCEKaari mondhuvan C. 1640 BCEVennakkan Thatrtri C. 1615 BCEMaarko chunthuvan C. 1565 BCEVaer parunthoan mundruvan C. 1520 BCEUdhan kaththan C. 1455 BCEKaariko sunthuvan C. 1440 BCEVendri nungunan C. 1396 BCEMondhuvan Vendhi C. 1376 BCEKaandhaman C. 1359 BCEMundruvan Vendhi C. 1337 BCEKaandhaman C. 1297 BCEMonjuvan Vendhi C. 1276 BCEAni sembiyan C. 1259 BCENungunan Vendhi C. 1245 BCEMaarkop perum Cenni C. 1229 BCEMonjuvan Nanvendhi C. 1180 BCEKop perunar chenni C. 1170 BCEMonthuvan jembiyan C. 1145 BCENarchenni C. 1105 BCECaet chembiyan C. 1095 BCENakkar chenni C. 1060 BCEParun jembiyan C.1045 BCEVenjenni C. 998 BCEMusugunthan C. 989 BCEMaarkop perun jembiyan C. 960 BCENedunjenni C.935 BCEThatchembiyan C. 915 BCEAmbalaththu iruvaer chembiyan C. 895 BCEKaariko chenni C. 865 BCEVenvaer chenni C. 830 BCEKaandhaman, C. 788 BCEKaandhalan C. 721 BCECaetchenni C. 698 BCEVani nungunan C. 680 BCEMudhu sembiyan Vendhi C. 640 BCEPeelan jembiyach chozhiyan C. 615 BCEMaeyan gadungo C. 590 BCEThiththan C. 570 BCEPerunar killi Porvaiko C. 515 BCEKadu mundruvan C. 496 BCEKopperunjozhan C. 495 BCENarkilli Mudiththalai C. 480 BCEThevvan go chozhan C. 465 BCENaran jembiyan C. 455 BCENakkam peela valavan C. 440 BCEIniyan thevvan jenni C. 410 BCEVarcembiyan C. 395BCENedun jembiyan C. 386 BCENakkan aran jozhan C. 345 BCEAmbalathu irungoch chenni C. 330 BCEPerunar killi C. 316 BCEKochaet Cenni C. 286 BCECerupazhi Erinda Ilanjaetcenni, C. 275 BCENedungop perunkilli C. 220 BCECenni Ellagan C. 205 BCEPerun gilli C. 165 BCEKopperun jozhiyav ilanjaetcenni C. 140 BCEPerunar killi Mudiththalai ko C. 120 BCEPerumpootCenni C. 100 BCEIlam perunjenni C. 100 BCEPerungilli Vendhi aka Karikaalan I C. 70 BCENedumudi Killi C. 35 BCEIlavanthigaipalli Thunjiya Maei Nalangilli Caet Cenni, C. 20 BCEAai Vaenalangilli C. 15 BCEUruvapakraer Ilanjaetcenni, C. 10 – 16 CE16–30 CE Kingdom ruled by a series of Uraiyur chieftainsKarikaalan II Peruvalaththaan, C. 31 CEVaer paqradakkai Perunar killi, C. 99 CEPerun thiru mavalavan, Kuraapalli Thunjiya C. 99 CENalangilli C. 111 CEPerunarkilli, Kula mutrtraththu Thunjiya C. 120 CEPerunarkilli, Irasasuya vaetta C. 143 CEVael kadunkilli C. 192 CEKochenganaan C. 220 CENalluruththiran C. 245 CEThere 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.
ManuIkshvakuVikukshiPuranjayaKakutsthaKakshivatAryamanAnalapratapaVenaPrithuDhundhumaraYuvanasvaMandhataMuchukundaValabhaPrithulakshaParthivachudamaniDirghabahuChandrajitSankritiPanchapaSatyavrataRudrajitSibiMaruttaDushyantaBharataCholavarmanRajakesarivarmanParakesarinChitrarathaChitrasvaChitradhanvanSuraguru (Mrityujit)ChitrarathaVyaghraketuNarendrapatiVasu (Uparichara)VisvajitPerunatkilliKarikalaKochchengannan