Ellalan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ellalan |
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Statue of Ellāḷaṉ in the premises of Madras High Court in Chennai
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| King of Anuradhapura | |
| Reign | c. 205 – c. 161 BCE |
| Predecessor | Asela |
| Successor | Dutugamunu |
| Born | 235 BCE |
| Died | 161 BCE |
| Issue | Veedhividangan Princess Shardha |
| Dynasty | Chola Dynasty |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Ellalan (Tamil: எல்லாளன், romanized: Ellāḷaṉ; Sinhala: එළාර, romanized: Eḷāra) was a king from the Chola dynasty in Southern India. He ruled the Anuradhapura Kingdom in what is now Sri Lanka. His reign lasted from about 205 BCE to 161 BCE.
Ellalan is often called Elara the Pious or Manu Needhi Cholan. Even though he was an invader, people in Sri Lanka remember him as a very fair and wise ruler. Ancient texts like the Mahavamsa describe his justice.
The Mahavamsa says he treated everyone fairly, whether they were friends or enemies. It even tells a story about him punishing his own son for an accident. Ellalan's enemy, King Dutugamunu, also respected him greatly. After Ellalan died in battle, Dutugamunu ordered a monument to be built where he was cremated. This shows how much respect Ellalan earned.
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Early Life and Rise to Power
The ancient text Mahavamsa describes Ellalan as a "Damila of noble descent." He came from the Chola-country in Southern India. We don't know much about his early life.
Around 205 BCE, Ellalan led an invasion into northern Sri Lanka. He attacked the Rajarata kingdom, which had its capital in Anuradhapura. Ellalan defeated King Asela of Anuradhapura and became the sole ruler of Rajarata. His kingdom was mainly north of the Mahaweli River.
Ellalan is also mentioned in famous Tamil writings like the Silappatikaram and Periya Puranam. His name became a symbol for fairness and justice in Tamil literature. His capital city was Thiruvarur.
The Battle and Ellalan's Death
Even though Ellalan was known for his fair rule, some people resisted him. A young Sinhalese prince named Dutugamunu from the kingdom of Mahagama led this resistance. Dutugamunu grew stronger by defeating his own brother, Saddha Tissa.
A war between Ellalan and Dutugamunu became unavoidable. The last years of Ellalan's rule were spent fighting this war. Ellalan was nearly 70 years old when he faced the much younger Dutugamunu in battle.
The Mahavamsa describes many sieges and battles during this conflict. Both sides used war elephants in their armies. Ellalan's war elephant was named Maha Pambata, which means 'Big Rock'. Dutugamunu rode an elephant named 'Kandula'.
The final battle happened near Anuradhapura. Both kings rode into battle on their war elephants. Ellalan was "in full armour" with his army. Dutugamunu's forces defeated Ellalan's army. Dutugamunu declared that only he would kill Ellalan. The two kings met at the south gate of Anuradhapura. They fought a duel while riding their elephants. The aged King Ellalan was finally killed by one of Dutugamunu's darts.
After Ellalan died, Dutugamunu ordered that he be cremated right where he fell. A monument was built over that spot. The Mahavamsa says that even today, princes of Lanka become silent when they pass this place. The Dakkhina Stupa was thought to be Ellalan's tomb until the 19th century. It was called Elara Sohona, meaning 'Ellalan's Tomb'. Later, the Sri Lankan Department of Archaeology renamed it.
The Legend of Manu Needhi Cholan
Ellalan earned the special title "Manu Needhi Cholan." This means "the Chola who follows justice." He received this title because of a famous story about how he gave justice to a cow.
The legend says that King Ellalan had a giant bell hanging in front of his courtroom. Anyone who needed justice could ring it. One day, the king heard the bell ring and came out. He saw a cow ringing the bell. When he asked what was wrong, he learned that the cow's calf had been accidentally killed under the wheels of his own son's chariot.
To give fair justice to the cow, Ellalan made a very difficult decision. He ordered his own son, Veedhividangan, to be killed in the same way, under the wheels of a chariot. This way, Ellalan suffered as much as the cow did. The story says that the god Shiva was so impressed by the king's justice that he blessed Ellalan. Shiva brought both the calf and Ellalan's son back to life.
Another story from the Mahavamsa tells how Ellalan accidentally hit a Chetiya (a Buddhist monument) while riding his cart. He ordered his ministers to kill him as punishment. But the ministers told him that Buddha would not approve of such an act. Instead, they advised him to repair the damage, which he did.
These stories show why Ellalan's name is still used as a symbol of fairness and justice in Tamil literature.
Modern Recognition
The Sri Lanka Navy has a base in Karainagar, Jaffna, named SLNS Elara. This shows that Ellalan is still remembered and honored in modern Sri Lanka.
See also
- Tamil Nadu History
- History of Sri Lanka
- List of Tamil monarchs
