The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c8.368

c8.368

A.D. 941-943. During this period Parāntaka Chōḷa I invaded Ceylon, then under king Udaya III, whose accession took place in 941. After A.D. 943 records of Parāntaka state that he 'took Ceylon.' [Parāntaka's third war with Ceylon is described in the Mahāwaṁśa (ch. liii, 39-51 ; liv, 48). King Udaya was a drunkard, and Parāntaka, hearing of his incapacity and desiring at the same time to become absolute lord of the whole Pāṇḍya kingdom, demanded from him the crown jewels and apparel which Rājasimha III, the Pāṇḍya king, had left in Ceylon about A.D. 918 at the close of the second war. On Udaya's refusal to surrender them Parāntaka sent an army to take them by force. His general was successful. Udaya was defeated, and the Pāṇḍya jewels, etc., were taken to the mainland. The chronicle adds that Udaya sent over an army to the Chōḷa country in retaliation, and that the expedition was successful, the regalia in question being recaptured and taken to Udaya's capital. This recapture may have taken place at any time between A.D. 943 and 949, when Udaya's reign terminated. It is possible that the reason why Parāntaka gave way in this matter was because of the danger he was in from an attack by the Rāshṭrakūṭas. Udaya died while repairing his palace, which the Chōḷa army had destroyed.]