Minor majesties: the Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyar and their South Indian kingdom of Paḻuvūr, 9th-11th centuries A.D.
Minor Majesties studies the small ancient kingdom of PaluvÅ"r, a town located on the northern bank of the KÄvÄri river, about 30 kilometers north of Tanjavur. Between the ninth and the eleventh centuries C.E., PaluvÅ"r was the capital of the dynasty of the PaluvÄá1á1araiyars, a minor dynas...
| Summary: | Minor Majesties studies the small ancient kingdom of PaluvÅ"r, a town located on the northern bank of the KÄvÄri river, about 30 kilometers north of Tanjavur. Between the ninth and the eleventh centuries C.E., PaluvÅ"r was the capital of the dynasty of the PaluvÄá1á1araiyars, a minor dynasty of "little kings" who swore allegiance to the CÅla dynasty. Today, PaluvÅ"r is divided in two distinct villages, KÄ"lappaluvÅ"r and MÄlappaluvÅ"r, and four temples dedicated to the god Åiva built during the reign of the little kings remain standing. In Minor Majesties, author Valérie Gillet surveys, translates, and analyzes 136 Tamil transcriptions spread across these temples, scrutinizing in depth each one's materiality, location, and epigraphy for the first time. Through these analyses, Gillet brings forth a better understanding of the functioning of the minor dynasty of the PaluvÄá1á1araiyars whose little kings often appear in the inscriptions of the temples, as well as the interactions between the temples and their patronizing communities. The small size of PaluvÅ"r with its hub of still-standing monuments permits an exceptionally clear overview of the possible relations between distinct temples, allowing readers to unpick complexities related to temple sponsorship, organisation, and functioning. The study of PaluvÅ"r also reveals how these religious monuments-accruing wealth but, in exchange, enabling donors to accrue merit and power-became a place for the fabrication of political discourses and powers, specific social configurations, and religious practices |
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| Item Description: | Includes bibliographical references and index -- Appendix 1. The epigraphical corpus of Pal̲uvūr -- Appendix 2. The Pal̲uvēṭṭaraiyars in inscriptions outside Pal̲uvūr -- Appendix 3. Hymn 2.34 of the Tēvāram by Campantar, dedicated to Pal̲uvūr -- Appendix 4. Photographs of Pal̲uvūr -- Bibliography -- Index |
| Physical Description: | xxii, 380 Seiten, Illustrationen, Plan |
| ISBN: | 0197757715 |