Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c7.s1.24

v1.c7.s1.24

Meanwhile, the Muhammadan arms, which had devastated the whole of western India and a very large part of southern India, were called into requisition by the once-feudatories of the Hoysalas, the Pāṇḍyas of Madura. These over-lords of Madura set an example that was to be the bane of the country for centuries to come. "Sundara, the son and murderer of Kales-Dēva (i.e., Kulaśēkhara) gained the throne of the Pāṇḍya in A.D. 1310 by defeating his brother, Vira, and being defeated by him later, fled to Delhi to bring in Muhammadan intercession on his behalf".⁴ Little did Sundara Pāṇḍya realize that the foreigners into whose hands he was thus playing himself, were a people who would not rest content with sending a mere contingent to the south. Mālik Kāfūr, now that another golden opportunity was given him for the subjugation of the whole of the south, rapidly turned his attention to the little principality of the Pāṇḍyas in the extreme south of the peninsula. After subduing Ma'bar, where he destroyed a Golden Temple, and beat "two Rāis",⁵ he entered the Pāṇḍya land,⁶ where at "Sett Bund Rameswar" he set up a mosque.¹ A Muhammadan Viceroy was established at Madura,² and the victory of the Muhammadans over the Hindus seemed complete.