South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c8.s2.2.3

c8.s2.2.3

His conquest of the Vīra Rākshasas does not from their location, refer to any conquest of Ceylon. It seems clearly to refer to the northern portion of the Chola dominions extending northwards into the territory of the Kākatīyas. The ‘ northern Lanka ’ here seems to be a variant of the old Tamil Māvilangai territory which at the time of Rājēndra III was under the Śambuvarāyans, and further north of them the Telugu-Cholas of Nellore, who were feudatories of the Kākatīyas. The reigning chief of Nellore, contemporary with Rājēndra was Manmasiddha, the patron of the Telugu poet Tikkana-Somayāji, the author of the Telugu Bhāratam and Nirvachanōttararāmāyaṇam. The latter work states of Manmasiddha that he was turned out of his kingdom by his cousins, but was restored by the Kākatiya king, Gaṇapati, through the poet's intervention.¹ He calls himself the ally of Rājendra Chola III, and the existence of the latter's records so far out as Cuddapah confirms this. It is likely that in the northern exploits of Rājendra III he got into alliance with the Nellore chief. The next following statement that he allowed Rājarāja to wear the double crown for three years and killed him afterwards is clearly a reference to his having helped Rājarāja to regain a considerable portion of his territory from the rebel chieftains within, the Pāṇḍya without, and it may be even Vīra Somēśvara in alliance with the latter.