TAMIL-ISTORY

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Mahameghavahana kings ruled over Kalinga and Satavahan Kings ruled over southern part of India.

 They were Rivals. As per Hathigumpha inscriptions, Kharavela raided 3 times towards the south out of which 2 raids were successful except the 1st one. 

On the second raid he was able to defeat the Rasthrikas and Bhojakas who were the 2 highly guarded powerhouses for Satavahan kingdoms.

As proof of Kharavela, there are 17 lines of inscription present in Hathigumpha. 

As per them, particularly the 11th year has mentioned about the break up of a 1300-year-old confederacy of 5 Tamil Kingdoms(Cholas, Pandyas, Satyaputras, Keralaputra, and Tamraparni). 

Added to that, Ashoka’s inscriptions mentioned these people of living outside the Mayuran Empire.

 Now as per historians, Ashoka gave up his conquest after the Kalinga War. He did not proceed to conquer the Tamil territories. 

And there is a high chance that Kharavela existed with 100–200 years of Ashoka Rule as per the Hathigumpha inscriptions. So there was high chance of a war between Kalinga and Tamil kingdoms for the conquest of Power.

 Also by 11th year, Kharavela was able to conquer North India up to Ganges plain by defeating Yavanas, Magadha and other kingdoms which are mentioned as Bharatbarsha. 

This also must have raised his confidence to conquer the southern part beyond the Krishna and Godavari river. 

It is also mentioned that on the 13th year of his tenure, the king of Pandya brought various pearls, jewels and precious stones to his capital Kalinganagari and as we know Pandyas along with Chera and Chola dynasties are called as “The three crowned rulers of the Tamil Country”, so it is obvious that he had conquered the Tamil territories.

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