Maaravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I

Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I
Reign	c. 1268 – c. 1308 CE
Dynasty	Pandyan

Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I (Tamil: முதலாம் மாறவர்மன் குலசேகர பாண்டியன்) was a Pandyan king, who ruled regions of South India between 1268–1308 CE, though Sen states he ruled until 1310. His death lead to the Pandyan Civil war in 1308-1323.

Kulasekara Pandyan I acceded to the Pandyan throne in the year 1268 CE after his father Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I. During the middle part of the 13th century, Pandya kingdom was ruled by many princes of the royal line. This practice of shared rule with one prince asserting primacy was common in the Pandyan Kingdom. The other princes of the Pandyan royal family with whom Kulasekara Pandyan I shared his rule were Jatavarman Vira Pandyan I (1253-1275 CE), his brother Maravarman Vikkiraman III (acceded 1283 CE)and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan II(acceded 1277 CE).Marco Polo refers to him as the "eldest of five brother kings".

Kulasekara Pandyan presided over the second Pandyan empire at its height of power and extension. He warred against the Hoysalas under Ramanatha and the Cholas under Rajendra Chola III. He defeated them both in 1279 CE and ended the three century long Chola rule. The defeat of Ramanatha ended the Hoysala control of Tamil Nadu. He also fought a war in the present-day Kerala area and captured Kollam.

Kulasekara Pandyan sent an expedition to Sri Lanka under his minister Kulasekara Cinkaiariyan Aryacakravarti in the late 1270s, defeating Savakanmaindan, a tributary to the Pandyans on the Jaffna kingdom. This expedition plundered the fortress of Subhagiri (Yapahuwa) and returned with the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha. This expedition took place near the end of the Sri Lankan king Bhuvanaikabâhu I's reign (1272-1285 CE). Bhuvanaika Bahu's successor Parâkkamabâhu III went on a personal embassy to Kulasekaran's court and persuaded him to return the tooth relic. Sri Lanka was under Pandyan Suzerainty for the next twenty years and only regained its independence during the Pandyan Civil war of 1308-1323 that followed Kulasekaran's death.

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