South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c8.s1.40

c8.s1.40

We have already pointed out that the last great Chola Kulottunga III ruled from A.D. 1178 to A.D. 1216. He was succeeded by Rājarāja III. The great war against the Ceylonese took place early in the life of Kulottunga III. When these foreigners were driven out of India, the civil war continued in the Pāṇḍya country. The Cholas upheld the claims of Kulaśēkhara Pāṇḍya and so long as Kulottunga lived Kulaśēkhara’s successful rival found it impossible to retaliate upon the Chola. When Kulottunga died and was succeeded by Rājarāja, the Pāṇḍyas found the opportunity. About the same year as the accession of Rājarāja III there came to the Pāṇḍya throne a Māravarman Sundara Pāṇḍya. In some of the records of his ninth year he claims to have burnt down Tanjore and Uraiyūr, probably as the result of a Pāṇḍya invasion from the south. It is this invasion from the south that called for the active intervention of Hoysala Narasimha. He placed himself between the Pāṇḍya and Chola capitals, in the region round Śrīrangam, and for the time deterred the Pāṇḍya from advancing further. It was possibly then that Tammusidhi advanced upon Kāñchi.¹