South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c8.34

c8.34

Kulottunga (with titles Parakēsari, Tribhuvana Chola, Vīrarājēndra and Konērinmaikoṇḍān) was in all probability the son of Rājarāja II, and came to the throne in succession to Rājādhirāja, an uncle. He took an honourable share in turning back the Ceylonese from the southern frontier of the Pudukoṭṭa State, making them beat an inglorious retreat from what promised to be a glorious invasion of conquest. Records of this ruler are available from his fifth to the fortieth year. The first eight years of his reign seem to have been uneventful. Records of his ninth year state that he assisted Vikrama Pāṇḍya against the son of Vīra Pāṇḍya, defeated the Māras (Pāṇḍya's) army, drove the Simhala (Ceylon) army into the sea, took Madura from Vīra Pāṇḍya and bestowed it on Vikrama Pāṇḍya.¹ This means that the civil war in the Pāṇḍya country was renewed after the death of Kulaśekhara, the ally of the Cholas. The Ceylonese still helped Vīra Pāṇḍya, and Kulottunga had to intervene in favour of Vikrama, the son of his father's ally. A record of his eleventh year states that Kulottunga defeated and cut off the nose of Vīra Pāṇḍya's son, bestowed the crown of Madura upon Vikrama Pāṇḍya; and, when Vīra Pāṇḍya took up arms to wipe off this disgrace, ‘took his crowned head at Neṭṭūr’,² and ‘carried his queen into servitude’. It was apparently on this occasion that both the Pāṇḍya and Kerala rulers took their seats some way from the throne, and received from him their kingdoms and new dignities.