The Colas c18.67

c18.67

The closing years of Rājēndra's reign formed the most splendid period of the history of the Cōḷas of the Vijayālaya line. The extent of the empire was at its widest and its military and naval prestige stood at its highest. There remained the necessity, ever present in military empires, of carrying out punitive expeditions to suppress outbreaks and keep the conquered territories under control. The emperor was ably assisted by his talented sons and other members of his family, and the tasks of imperial administration were thus put in commission. Large undertakings, like the Pāṇḍya war against Sundara Pāṇḍya and his confrères, or the Cāḷukya war against Āhavamalla, were carried out in these years by the heir-apparent Rājādhirāja, while a host of feudatories looked after minor affairs like the war of Cōreya in the Nambihaḷḷi region of the Mysore country in which 'cows were carried off and women's girdles were unloosed.'¹⁶¹ Among such feudatories a few naturally stand out more prominently than the rest in the records of the reign and of these a brief account may be given here.