Mysore and Coorg from the Inscriptions c8.s14.32

c8.s14.32

The reign of Ballāla II or Vīra-Ballāla vied in glory with that of his grandfather Vishnuvarddhana, and the whole dynasty is in consequence sometimes called the Ballālas after him. He was crowned on the 22nd of July 1173 (Kd 4, 136, 129) in the capital Dōrasamudra. In Bl 86 an account is given of a royal progress made by him in his father’s lifetime through the hill countries in the west. On this occasion Tantrapāla-Hemmāḍi claims to have induced Kongālva, Changālva, and the other chiefs of Male to do homage, and eventually to have gained the crown for Ballāla, himself being made minister. But Hs 20 shows that in 1174 Ballāla had to send an expedition under his general Beṭṭarasa against the Changālva king Mahadēva, who had retired to Pālpare, a fort in Kiggaṭnāḍ in south Coorg. Beṭṭarasa destroyed him and made Pālpare the seat of his own government. But the Changālva Pemma-Vīrappa later on attacked him, aided by the Koḍagas (or Coorgs) of all the nāḍs, and was near gaining the victory, when Beṭṭarasa eventually triumphed. This is the earliest specific mention that has been found of the Koḍagas or people of Coorg. But Ballāla’s great victories were to the north. An early conquest was that of Uchchangi, the Pāṇḍya fortress. This had been besieged by the Chōlas for twelve years and abandoned as hopeless; but Ballāla easily overcame it, and when Kāma-Dēva, the Pāṇḍya king, threw himself on his mercy, restored him to his kingdom. This was before 1177 (Ck 36), and he, in consequence, assumed the titles Giridurgamalla and Śanivāra-siddhi. A battle with Sankama-Dēva (the Kalachurya king) is mentioned in 1179 (Mg 33). But his great decisive victory was one gained at [Figure: HOYSALA STONE INSCRIPTION.