Thirumangai Alvar

Thirumangai Alvar (IAST: ), also referred to as Thirumangai Mannan is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvars, and the most superior Alvar in the context of composition of verses. He holds the title Narkavi Perumal, the mark of an excellent poet, and Parakala (Beyond Time). Though he is respected as a Vaishnava saint-poet, he initially worked as a military commander, a chieftain, and then a robber. After his conversion to Vaishnavism, he confronted practitioners the sect of Shaivism, as well as Buddhism and Jainism. The traditional date attributed to Thirumangai is year 399 of Kali Yuga, that is 2702 or 2706 BCE, making him traditionally the last of the Alvar saints. Modern scholars have placed the Alvars in between 5th to 9th centuries based on few historical evidence. Dr. N. Subba Reddiar summarizes their views and arrives at the date 776 AD for Thirumangai, making him chronologically the eighth Alvar, though even these dates are disputed. Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar notes he is generally dated to 7th-8th century. Professor of Religion and Asian Studies, James G. Lochtefeld of Carthage College dates Thirumangai to the 9th century. He is generally considered to be a contemporary of Pallava king Nandivarman II (731 CE - 796 CE) as he refers to the later Pallavas of Pallava dynasty in his hymns. The hagiographies detailing the life of Thirumangai and other Alvars are Divya charitam (11th century) and Guruparampara-prabhavam-arayirappadi (13th century) and Guruparampara-prabhavam-muvayirappadi (14th century). Other Vaishnava scholars have written hagiographics based on the above works later. Thirumangai was born in the Kallar caste in Thirukuraiyalur, a small village in Tamil Nadu. Thirumangai's real name was Kaliyan or Kalikanti. Thirumangai's father was Nilam, a general under the Chola empire. He was skilled in archery and worked as a military commander himself for the Chola king.