THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: History books are replete with references to the rule of the colossal kings of the Chola dynasty. But what they perhaps conveniently gloss over is the dominion the powerful Tamil dynasty had over hill ranges of Idukki during the early 11th century AD.
This little known facet of history was found on an inscription near Meppara in Idukki district. It has shed light into the annexation of the hilly areas around Munnar by the Cholas.
“The motive behind the conquest of the hilly terrain was apparently to gain a hold of the spices and the arterial trade route that traversed the region, archaeologist Ajit Kumar told ‘Express’.
Ajit, who conducted a detailed study of the site, is the founder head of the Department of Archaeology, Kerala University.