Ponniyin Selvan was the sobriquet given to Raja Raja Chola, who is the greatest of them all, variously described and sung in history as the hero who conquered all the way into North of India across Vindhyas, sea-fared to Sri Lanka many a times, went across the seas to South East in those days when it was a wonder, and the only sea-faring race heard of were the Phoenecians and the Arabs.The novel describes how the people of this period bought horses from the Arabs who land on the shores of a small island, and how the sighting of this horse plays its own minor role in tracing and developing the plot further.In fact, the story revolves and shuttles between Raja Raja (meaning the King of Kings) and the political happenings at home, during his sojourn in Sri Lanka. The narrative deals with attempts by his sister Kundavai to bring back Arunmozhi (as Raja Raja was called before his crowning) to establish political peace in a land seemingly getting besot with unrest and signs of civil war, plotted by vassals and petty cheiftains.A little deal of historical knowledge helps a great extent in making the best of one's enjoyment of reading Ponniyin Selvan, and has been proved time and again how families have been victims of this infectious addiction called Ponniyin Selvan readership. So in this context, it helps to learn of Arunmozhi (Raja Raja Chola) and his family. Rajarajan Family:The original title of Arunmozhivarman (Rajaraja Cholan) was Rajakesari Varman or Mummudi-Sola-Deva. He was the second son of the Parantaka Cholan II alias Sundara Cholan and Vaanavan Maadevi. Rajarajan had an elder sister, Kundavaiyar and an elder brother, Aditya Karikalan. Rajarajan had a high regard for his sister, who spent her later life in Tanjore with her younger brother, his first daughter was named after her. Only one son and three daughters of the King are known namely; Rajendra Cholan I, Kundavai, who married the Eastern Chalukya King Vimaladitya, Mahadevadigal and another whose name is not traceable. Rajarajan had a number of queens. Lokamahadevi was probably the chief queen, who built the shrine of Sri Lokamahadesvarar, called Uttara Kailas in the Sri Panchanadisvara temple at Thiruvaiyaru.