Perumal
South Indian synonym for a king or ruler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Perumal (Tamil: பெருமாள்; literally meaning "the Great One"[1]) is the name of a Hindu deity (see Perumal). The term was also commonly used in medieval south India as a synonym for a king or ruler.[1]
Several rulers are explicitly referred to as "Perumal" in historical inscriptions. These include Sripurusha, Rachamalla, and Neetimarga of the Western Ganga dynasty; Maran Chadayan of the Pandya dynasty; Parantaka of the Chola dynasty; and Paramesvara Varma II of Kanchi from the Pallava dynasty.[2] Among the Chera rulers, notable figures bearing the title are Rama Rajasekhara (also known as Cheraman Perumal the Nayanar) and Sthanu Ravi (identified with Kulasekhara the Alvar).[3]