Jayantavarman

Jayantavarman (r. c. 645-670 CE) was an Indian king from the Pandyan dynasty. He ruled parts of the present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He is also known as Seliyan Sendan, Sendan being the Tamil form of the Sanskrit name "Jayantan".

Jayantavarman was the son of Avani Sulamani. K. A. Nilakanta Sastri dated his reign to c. 645-670 CE; T. V. Sadasiva Pandarathar dated it to c. 600-625 CE. Based on the later discoveries, K. V. Raman dated his ascension year to 653 CE.

The Velvikkudi inscription of his descendant uses the Chera title "Vānavan" for him. This probably signifies his victory over a Chera king. T. V. S. Pandarathar identified him as the king who ruled in Madurai, when the Chinese traveler Xuanzang visited Kanchipuram.

The rock-cut cave temple at Malaiyadikurichi in Tirunelveli district is ascribed to Jayantavarman's reign. This inscription is dated to the 17th regnal year of "Maran Sendan", and states that the cave was excavated by an officer under the royal order. It was discovered in 1959, and is written in mixed Tamil Brahmi and Vatteluttu scripts.

Another inscription ascribed to Jayantavarman was discovered in Vaigai riverbed at Madurai by a washerman, who used it for washing clothes. K. V. Raman noticed it in 1961. This inscription is dated to the 50th regnal year of "Sendan". The Sanskrit portion of this script is written in Grantha script, while the Tamil portion is written in Vatteluttu script. According to this record, Sendan performed several charitable donations (maha-dana) including Hiranyagarbha and Tulabhara. He commissioned a sluice to the Vaigai river, and named it Arikesariyan (apparently after his heir-apparent Arikesari). He also founded the city of Mangalapura. The later Velvikkudi inscription states that his grandson Kochadaiyan Ranadhiran fought maharathas (warriors; identified with Chalukyas) at Mangalapura. K. V. Raman identifies Mangalapura with modern Mangalam, located on the northern bank of the Kollidam River in Tiruchirappalli district.