Vice President issues postage stamp for Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, the forgotten Tamil king Suvaran Maran who never lost a battle

On 14th December, Vice President of India, CP Radhakrishnan, released a postage stamp in the name of Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II. Following the news, curiosity arose among people about who Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II actually was as many have not heard of him before.

History is not only what we are taught, but also that which the politics of time and power quietly pushed to the margins. In fact, considering the kind of historical understanding imparted in schools and universities after Independence, it is not wrong for such questions to arise. In North India, one rarely ever gets to read or hear about Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar.

Unfortunately, even in the southern parts of India, where he ruled, detailed information about him is not available in curricula. This historical narrative has often remained limited to a few select dynasties and ideologies, in which the memories of many self-respecting rulers of South India were blurred.

In November 2025, at an event organised on Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, a minister of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu had appealed to the central government to issue a postage stamp in his name. Within exactly one month of that appeal, the central government released a postage stamp in the name of Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II.

Who was Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, the warrior king

In the name of Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, ‘Perumbidugu’ is his title and ‘Mutharaiyar’ is the name of his lineage. His actual name was Suvaran Maran. Suvaran Maran was born in the seventh century, and it is believed that between the seventh and eighth centuries CE, he ruled over the present-day regions of Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli and Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu. Inscriptions found in temples built and protected by him glorify him as a king who fought 12 wars in his lifetime and never faced defeat.

Generally, an average student of history reads about the Chola Empire or the Pandya Empire, but comparatively little or almost nothing is taught about the Mutharaiyar dynasty. Whereas, according to scholarly historians, the valour of Suvaran Maran was in no way inferior to that of the Cholas or the Pandyas.

The inscriptions engraved on the four pillars of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple located in Sendalai village of Thanjavur district provide information about him and about his Mutharaiyar lineage. All these inscriptions feature extremely beautiful and well organised writing in ancient Tamil script. These inscriptions describe the genealogy, character and Meikirthi, that is, the eulogistic praise, of Suvaran Maran alias Perumbidugu Mutharaiyan.

‘Meikirthi’ refers to those titles and names that were bestowed upon a king on the basis of his nature, bravery, courage and martial prowess. Several titles were conferred upon him in the inscriptions. Some of the prominent ones are:

Shri Tamaralayan: meaning that peace itself resided within him.

Shri Abhimanadeeran: meaning that he was an enemy of arrogant kings.

Shri Kalvar Kalavan: meaning that he destroyed thieves.

Shri Sathuru Kesari: meaning that he was like a lion to his enemies.

Suvaran Maran held many such titles.

A court of scholars, faiths and enduring legacy

In ancient historical sources, Suvaran Maran is mentioned as a ruler who was also known by the title Shatrubhayankara.

This title does not merely indicate his military strength, but also points towards the political and intellectual environment that he developed during his reign. The court of Suvaran Maran is considered to have been a centre of dialogue among scholars and ideologies.

Inscriptions state that Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar fought wars at twelve places: Kodumbalur, Manalur, Thingalur, Kanthalur, Azhunthiyur, Karai, Marangur, Pugazhi, Annalavayil, Sempon Maari, Venkodal and Kannanur. Many of these places are still known by their old names today.

Available historical evidence clearly shows that Suvaran Maran was a patron of the Shaiva tradition and provided protection to Shaiva scholars. However, his intellectual openness was not limited to a single sect. His court maintained a tradition of dialogue and scholarly debate among different religious and philosophical traditions.

In the research paper ‘Ancient Dravidian Jain Heritage’ by historian D G Mahajan, published in the Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Volume 19, 1956, it is mentioned that Jain Acharya Vimalchandra engaged in scriptural debates with Shaiva scholars in his court. Jain Acharya Vimalchandra had visited the court of Shatrubhayankara.

According to Mahajan, Acharya Vimalchandra belonged to the Jain tradition of Shravanabelagola, in the then Mysore State, and he engaged in ideological debates with Shaiva and other scholars in the court of Suvaran Maran.

This episode shows that the rule of Suvaran Maran was not confined merely to political dominance but was also an important centre of religious coexistence and intellectual discourse.

The inscriptions also reveal that poets such as Acharya Pachilavel Namban, Acharya Aniruddha, Kottatru Ilam Perumanar and Kuvvan Kanjan adorned his court. All four poets sang of his bravery and valour, which is engraved on the four pillars of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.

There is also an inscription in the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple at Kanchipuram which mentions that a Mutharaiyar king was formally welcomed during the coronation of Nandivarman II. It is believed that this ruler was Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II himself. Dennis Hudson’s book Body of God: An Emperor’s Palace for Krishna in Eighth Century Kanchipuram also provides a detailed account of him.

The inscriptions of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple also describe in detail the wars fought by him. One inscription states that his flag was the ‘vel’, that is, a spear, and that after the battle he fought at Azhunthiyur, the land there turned red with blood. It is even said that Suvaran Maran had elephants plough that blood-soaked land.

At the administrative level as well, Suvaran Maran oversaw the construction of reservoirs, canals and bridges in many regions of Tamil Nadu. Since in that era the only source of water for irrigation was rainfall, this effort by Suvaran Maran reflects his foresight.

Many such interesting details about Suvaran Maran and the Mutharaiyar dynasty are scattered across different sources. Now that the central government has issued a postage stamp in his name, it can be hoped that Suvaran Maran will also be included in curricula and children will be informed about him, so that future generations may develop self-awareness.

They should realise that the history of India is not limited to just a few famous names, but includes countless figures like Suvaran Maran, whose memory needs to be revived as a demand of the times.