South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c13.s1.51.2

c13.s1.51.2

One of the predecessors of this Śambuvarāyan¹ called himself Rājagambhīra Śambuvarāyan in an inscription of A.D. 1258 in Paḍaivīḍu itself. The epic of Gaṅgādēvi refers to the siege of the hill Rājagambhīram in the course of the war,² thus making it clear that the Rājagambhīra Rājyam was no other than the kingdom of the Śambuvarāyans. It looks very probable that it was Sakalaloka Chakravartin Veṇru Maṅgoṇḍa Śambuvarāyan, whose date of accession is Śaka 1245 (A.D. 1322–23) that was overthrown by Kampana sometime about A.D. 1347, which is the first date of his successor Sakalaloka Chakravartin Rāja Nārāyaṇa Śambuvarāyan. This achievement of Kumāra Kampana must have followed close upon the disappearance of the last Hoysala Ballāḷa IV, either by natural death or otherwise, as his last date is A.D. 1346. It is in this campaign that he is taken further as far as Madura, where he overthrew in actual battle, and killed, the Sultan of Madura. Among the attributes given to this Sultan by the poetess is one, which seems to mean much more than meets the eye. He is described to be ‘one who reduced to a low condition the Chola and Pāṇḍya by his valour, who proved the hatchet to the creeper, the prosperity of the Ballāḷa.’³ This gives a clear indication that the activities of this Sultan of Madura was destructive to the prosperity of the Hoysalas.