South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c9.16

c9.16

Jaṭāvarman Sundara Pāṇḍya I.—It was in this state of political affairs in the Chola kingdom that there came to the Pāṇḍya throne a ruler, apparently one among a number, 3, 4, or 5, according to the particular period under reference, who claims to have reduced the whole of the Chola Empire to subjection under him; and this was Jaṭāvarman Sundara Pāṇḍya, whose accession is dated in the year A.D. 1251, and whose rule perhaps lasted on to his twenty-third or twenty-fourth regnal year. He assumed the title ‘who took all countries’. There are numbers of his records all through the Chola country up to Nellore,³ which clearly indicate the extension of his authority all through this region. His inscriptions, such as they are, recite all his great deeds, but do not give us exactly to understand the order of occurrence of various of his achievements. As recorded in these inscriptions he entered the Malaya country (Malabar), defeated and destroyed the army of the Chera, killing the latter in battle.¹ He then put another ruler on the throne, possibly a counter claimant, or a member of the royal family. He then entered the Chola country apparently by way of Pudukoṭṭa. He placed the Chola under tribute and marched against the Hoysala. He destroyed the army of the Hoysala killing several of his generals, among whom was Śingaṇa Daṇḍanāyaka given over to an elephant.² He did not pursue the Hoysala who was then in full flight. He, however, ordered the death of the Chēra who played the traitor by pretending to be his ally while working in the interest of his enemies.³ He then attacked Kaṇṇanūr-koppam, the capital of the Hoysalas in the Chola country, and brought the Chola country as much under his authority as the Pāṇḍya country itself was before. He then levied tribute of elephants upon the Hoysala who had retired behind the first line of his outposts in the Tamil country.⁴ It was apparently at this time that he mastered possession of Magadai country (the Āttūr division of the Salem district) and the neighbouring parts of South Arcot, and further west of this the Kongu country. It was then that he received tribute in jewels and elephants sent by the ruler of Ceylon. Apparently Vīra Pāṇḍya his co-regent, who claims the conquest of Ceylon, sent from the king the tribute.¹ Without accepting the tribute sent by the Pallava Chief, Sundara Pāṇḍya marched upon Śendamangalam the citadel of Kopperunjinga (Kāṭakadurgam of the Sanskrit records) and laid siege to it. He took the fortress and bestowed it again upon the Pallava.² He then visited Chidambaram where he paid his worship at the shrine of Naṭarāja, covered the roofing with gold and anointed himself ruler of the Pāṇḍya and Chola kingdoms, after performing a tulābhāra ceremony (weighment, against gold and pearls).³