The Colas c21.17

c21.17

Bilhaṇa says that Jayasiṁha, the newly appointed viceroy of Banavāse, contemplated treason against his brother Vikramāditya, within a year after his appointment, and that he sought the aid of Kulōttuṅga in his attempted revolt.⁴⁰ It is not necessary to pursue the story of this rebellion here; for Bilhaṇa's account makes it clear that Kulōttuṅga took little or no part in the civil war that followed. This was obviously because he had more important affairs claiming his attention. Vikramāditya, thus left free to deal with the rebellion, suppressed it without any difficulty, and, as we shall see, soon began to add to the troubles of Kulōttuṅga by establishing friendly relations with his enemies. Soon after Vijayabāhu proclaimed himself ruler of the whole of Ceylon after his expulsion of the Cōḷas from the northern half of the island, Vikramāditya sent him a friendly embassy with rich presents.⁴¹ In fact, throughout his long reign Vikramāditya was untiring in the pursuit of his design against Kulōttuṅga in all possible quarters. But Bilhaṇa's rhapsodic account of a final expedition against Kāñcī for the exercise of his hero's arms itching for a fight in the absence of suitable foes,⁴² can hardly be accepted as true.