South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c8.s1.37

c8.s1.37

The Political Condition of the Chola Empire.—The Chola empire under Rājarāja III comprised nominally at least both the Chola and Toṇḍa-maṇḍalams, and extended from the southern extremity of the Pudukoṭṭa state to almost as far north as the northern Pennar itself. But this empire at the time at which we have arrived was very much like a house divided against itself. The emperor had under him part of it round the capital, Śrīrangam, Tanjore, and Gaṅgaikoṇḍaśolapuram being perhaps under him. The territory immediately north of it, that is the district of South Arcot, was under one family of chieftains, the most prominent member of which was the Pallava, or Kāḍava, Kopperunjingadēva (Mahārājasimha of the Sanskrit inscriptions). The territory farther north, known generally as Toṇḍamaṇḍalam, but under the Chola empire as Jayangoṇḍa-Śōḷamaṇḍalam, was under the other family of chieftains, claiming to be of Pallava descent also, who called themselves Śambuvarāyans. In this unhappy condition, the territory of the Cholas was alike exposed to attacks from the south from the rising power of the Pāṇḍyas of Madura, and in the north from the Telugu-Chola chieftains of Nellore and the Kākatīyas beyond. Each one of these sought opportunity for intervention, perhaps as friends of the Chola, but the intervention usually resulted in the appropriation of a part of the empire, or the creation of the chieftaincies whose political interests made them more loyal to the foreigner than to their own liege lord. In this condition of the Chola empire, there came about the Hoysala intervention, which was due to the family relationship between the Cholas and the Hoysalas, and the aggressive activity of the contemporary Pāṇḍyan ruler Māravarman Sundara Pāṇḍya I.