The Colas c19.48

c19.48

Where Rājēndra's records simply state that Āhavamalla desired to avenge himself for the defeat at Koppam and advanced in great force, those of Vīrarājēndra show us the extent of the progress made by the Cāḷukyas by recording the necessity for chasing them through Gaṅgapāḍi to the banks of the Tungabhadrā and thereby indicate how little the Cāḷukyas had suffered in the actual extent of the territory ruled by them even after Koppam. They also imply, by what they say about Cāmuṇḍarāya's movement against Vēṅgī, that an important, but unsuccessful, attempt was made by the Cāḷukyas to divide the attention of the Cōḷas between two fronts. This is noteworthy as evidence of the interest of the Western Cāḷukyas in Vēṅgī apart from any complications arising with regard to the succession after the death of Rājarājanarēndra.¹²² We have already had some evidence, though slight, of the eagerness of the Western Cāḷukyas to court the friendship of their Eastern cousins. In fact the possession of Vēṅgī made the Cōḷas formidable to the Western Cāḷukyas; the Cōḷas well understood the importance of Vēṅgī to them and took care to marry their princesses to the rulers of Vēṅgī for generations together and otherwise to keep on friendly terms with them. For the same reason, the Western Cāḷukyas, who looked upon Vēṅgī as a lost dominion, sought to build up their power there.¹²³