Koon Pandiyan

Koon Pandiyan ("The hunch-backed Pandyan") was the nickname of a king who ruled Madurai around 7th century. Some historians identify him with the Pandyan king Arikesari Parankusa Maravarman.[2]

Koon Pandiyan
Nindra Seer Nedumaran,[1] Ninraseernedumaran, Kun Pandya
Reign7th century CE
SpouseMangayarkkarasiyar
DynastyPandya
Pandya dynasty
Early Pandya polity
Early Medieval Pandyas

He converted from Jainism to Shaivism, converted under the influence of Sambandar. According to a Shaivite legend, after his conversion, he ordered a massacre of 8000 Jains in Samanatham.[3] Sambandar is said to have cured his hunched back, after which he was known as Sundara Pandya ("Beautiful Pandyan").[4]

Conversion to Shaivism

In the 7th century, Jainism was one of the major religions in South India. Koon Pandian had embraced Jainism from Shaivism,[5] but his wife, Mangayarkkarasiyar, and his minister, Kulachirai Nayanar, were both Shaivites. When the king suffered from boils and incurable fever, the two invited the Shaivite saint, Sambandar, to Madurai. Sambandar is said to have cured his fever and his hunched back. After this, the king became a Shaivite, and several of his subjects converted to Shaivism during his rule. The Tamil poet Sekkizhar honoured Koon Pandiyan, Kulachirai and Mangaiarkkarasi by naming them among the 63 Nayanars in Periya Puranam.[1]

According to a Shaivite legend, when the Jains in Samanatham refused to convert to Shaivism, the king ordered their killings with the consent of Sambandar.[6] Around 8,000 Jains were said to have been killed by impalement in which the victims were forcefully put over sharp, tall, conical structures in sitting posture.[7] However, this legend is not found in any Jain text and is believed to be a fabrication made up by the Shaivites to prove their dominance.[8][9]

Legacy

Koon Pandiyan is said to have died without a legitimate heir, and after his death, a number of claimants fought with each other to control the kingdom.[10]

References
  1. "Staunch devotion". The Hindu. Chennai. 15 May 2009. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  2. "The Temple At Thirunallar". District Administration, Karaikal. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  3. Paul Dundas (2002). The Jains. Routledge. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-415-26606-2. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  4. Marco Polo; Sir Henry Yule (1875). The Book of Sir Marco Polo, the Venetian, Concerning the Kingdoms and Marvels of the East: Newly Tr. and Ed., with Notes, Maps, and Other Illustrations. J. Murray. pp. 317–. ISBN 9780404115425. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  5. Somasundaram O, Tejus Murthy AG, Raghavan DV (2016), "Jainism - Its relevance to psychiatric practice; with special reference to the practice of Sallekhana", Indian J Psychiatry, 58 (4): 471–474, doi:10.4103/0019-5545.196702, PMC 5270277, PMID 28197009{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. James Hastings (2003). Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Part 9. Kessinger Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7661-3680-9. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  7. Purnalingam Pillai, M. S. (1994). Tamil Literature - M. S. Pillai - Google Books. ISBN 9788120609556. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  8. Ashim Kumar Roy (1984). "9. History of the Digambaras". A history of the Jainas. Gitanjali. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  9. K. A. Nilakanta Sastri (1976). A history of South India from prehistoric times to the fall of Vijayanagar. Oxford University Press. p. 424. ISBN 978-0-19-560686-7. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  10. James Henry Nelson (1989). The Madura Country: A Manual. Asian Educational Services. p. 2. ISBN 978-81-206-0424-7. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
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