The Pandyan Kingdom from the Earliest Times to the Sixteenth Century c15.74

c15.74

that Vīra Pāndya ‘fought with the Chola king a battle at Kāvikkalam, killed (in fight) one of the two kings of Ceylon, captured his army, chariots, treasures, throne, crown, necklaces, bracelets, parasols, chauris and other royal possessions, planted the Pāndya flag with the double fish on the Kōnamalai and the high peaks of the Trikūtagiri mountain, and received elephants as tribute from the other king of Ceylon (whom, perhaps, he raised to the throne).’ Lastly the introduction refers to the king’s settlement of his relations with a Śāvan-maindan (சாவன்மைந்தன்) who was at first recalcitrant but submitted afterwards. It is possible that these facts are implied also in the attribute given to Vīra Pāndya in an inscription in his tenth year which says ‘he took the crown and the crowned head of Śāvaka’. But the meaning of these references is by no means clear yet.¹ However, most of these campaigns must be the same as those mentioned in the records of Jatāvarman Sundara Pāndya, and if the statements in these introductions of Vīra Pāndya are true, there can be no doubt that Vīra played a decisive part in some of the most important achievements in Sundara Pāndya’s reign. The conquest of Ceylon narrated in such detail is not mentioned in any records dated earlier than the tenth year of Vīra Pāndya. It should, however, be remembered