Rama Varma Kulashekhara


Rama Varma, with title Kulasekhara Perumal Chakravarthikal, was the last ruler of the Chera Perumal dynasty of medieval Kerala. He was a contemporary to Chola kings Kulottunga I and Vikrama Chola. Rama Kulaskehara is best known for recovering Kollam-Trivandrum-Nagercoil region from the powerful Chola empire around 1100 AD.
Inscriptions dated in the regnal years of Rama Kulsekhara can be found at Panthalayani Kollam near Quilandy, Thiruvalur, Perunna near Changanassery, Nedumpuram Thali and at Kollam. An inscription dated to 1122 AD, found at Thiruvalanchuzhi, Tanjore, also remembers Rama Kulasekhara.
Kollam functioned as the second headquarters of the Chera/Perumal kingdom towards the final phase of Rama Varma's rule. According to scholars, "the strategic advantage of marriage relations with the old ruling clan of Kollam in securing the loyalty of Venad can also be considered in the light of continuous Chola-Pandya attacks in south Kerala". There is a tradition that Vira Kerala, a ruler of Kollam in early 12th century, was a son of the last Chera king.

Timeline

Corrections by M. G. S. Narayanan on K. A. Nilakanta Sastri and Elamkulam P. N. Kunjan Pillai are employed.
Note: Material: granite, script: Vattezhuthu with Grantha, and language: Old Malayalam

Literary evidences