The Pandyan Kingdom from the Earliest Times to the Sixteenth Century c16.22

c16.22

The inscriptions of Māravarman Kulaśēkhara ‘who conquered all countries’ are very numerous and found mostly in the eastern Tamil districts and the regnal years mentioned in them range from 3 to 44. A few of these records begin with a historical introduction ‘Tēr Pōi etc.’ which is not of much value as most of it is poetry. The only definite statements made in it are that the tiger of the Cholas had been sent to rule the forests, that all religions flourished in friendly toleration of one another and that the rulers of various countries brought their tributes to the king.¹ We also learn that the king had a palace at Jayangondaśōlapuram and that the king’s throne in the palace was called Kalingarāyan. This is clear proof that the Cholas had ceased to exist as a power. The last of them who made any attempt to save the Chola line from annihilation was Rājēndra III and he had probably ceased to rule when Māravarman Kulaśēkhara came to the throne.¹ An epigraph from Śērmādēvi (No. 692 of 1916) dated in the twentieth year of the king furnishes some commentary on his title and mentions that he conquered the Malaināḍu, Śōṉāḍu, the two Kongus, Iḷam and Toṇḍaimaṇḍalam. These are probably references to campaigns rendered necessary on account of some local trouble or other, for most of the territories mentioned had been brought under subjection by Jaṭāvarman Sundara Pāṇḍya and Vīra Pāṇḍya.