Nedunjeliyan
Also called: Talaiyalanganattu Nedunjeliyan · Topic: Sangam Age and Early South India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Nedunjeliyan was a Pandya king of the Sangam age. He ruled from Madurai. He is famous for one big victory, the battle of Talaiyalanganam. That is why he is called Talaiyalanganattu Nedunjeliyan. Sangam poets praised him as a great warrior king.
Example
At Talaiyalanganam, Nedunjeliyan defeated the Cheras and the Cholas together, along with five local chieftains. The long poem Maduraikkanchi praises him and describes his capital, Madurai. Poems in the Purananuru also praise him. The Purananuru is a collection of puram poems, meaning poems about war and public life.
Don't confuse with
- The Pandya king in the Silappadikaram: the epic's Pandya king, also named Nedunjeliyan, wrongly puts Kovalan to death and then dies of shock. He is a different figure from the winner of Talaiyalanganam.