South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c8.s2.7

c8.s2.7

Divisions in the Chola Kingdom.—At the stage at which we have now arrived, we find the kingdom of the Cholas proper divided into three parts with a variety of political interests. The first is the territory extending south-wards from Chidambaram and the Veḷḷār to well into the interior of the present day district of Ramnad. This still continued to be nominally under the Cholas, constantly struggling to keep out the Pāṇḍya with the assistance of the Hoysala. The capital was still at Gaṅgaikoṇḍaśolapuram, and the northern frontier seems to have extended along the Uḍaiyārpāḷayam road to Kaṇṇanūr, north of Śrīraṅgam, which was the head-quarters of the Hoysala Someśvara. This last ruler was still in occupation of Kaṇṇanūr. The Chola for the time being was Rājēndra III, after the death of Rājarāja III, but Rājēndra’s territory to begin with seems to have lain farther north in the Chola country, and beyond that, into the territory of the Telugu-Choḍas of Nellore. He was the successful rival for the Chola throne and was in occupation of it about the year A.D. 1250.