The Colas c21.48

c21.48

The first Kalinga War seems to have been brought about by Kalinga aggression against Vēṅgī, and to have resulted in the annexation of the southern part of the Kalinga country to the Cōḷa Empire. The chief of Kolanu, modern Ellore near the Colair lake, was evidently in league with the ruler of Kalinga, and Vikramacōḷa had to fight on two fronts simultaneously. A vassal of the Cōḷa Emperor from the distant south, the Pāṇḍya King Parāntaka, took part in this war and assisted Vikramacōḷa. The inscriptions of Parāntaka Pāṇḍya,⁹⁵ like those of Vikramacōḷa, state that Kuḷam of the Telunga Bhīma was captured and that Southern Kalingam was subdued. Bhīma was a very common name in the family; it was borne by many rulers of Kolanu, Sarōnāthas, from the time of Rājarāja I Cōḷa to at least the middle of the twelfth century a.d.⁹⁶ No details are forthcoming of this first war against Kalinga. The campaign seems to have been undertaken for the suppression of local revolts rather than for the conquest of fresh territory. Southern Kalinga was apparently the territory between the Gōdāvari and the Mahēndra mountain,⁹⁷ and this territory was already part of the Vēṅgī province some years before the war of Vikramacōḷa.⁹⁸ Possibly, the subordinate rulers whose territories were included in the Viceroyalty of Vēṅgī conspired together and rose in rebellion when the young prince Vikramacōḷa was appointed to the charge of the province. The revolt was unsuccessful, and the entire province was restored to subjection. A Tamil inscription of Kulōttunga at Simhācalam dated Śaka 1021 (a.d. 1098-9),⁹⁹ and several others at Drākṣārāma and other places attest the successful restoration of authority.