Chera Kings of the Sangam Era

சங்ககாலச் சேரர்கள்

Abstract

The Cheras were rulers of an ancient royal lineage. The Chera kingdom comprised what is today
Kerala and the Kongu region combined. There is no clear understanding yet about the origin of the Cheras. People of this lineage ruled Tamil Nadu even before the Sangam period. Ashoka’s inscriptions refer to them as “Keralaputras.” Ptolemy, a foreign traveler, confirms the antiquity of the Cheras and calls them “Cheralputros.” The Cheras were people of the hill country who gave great importance to maritime trade, wore garlands of palmyra flowers, and possessed a powerful navy. The Sangam text called Patirruppattu beautifully praises the Chera kings. It is very beneficial to study the Chera kings of the Sangam period. Let us examine them here through Sangam literature.