The Colas c23.57

c23.57

The main incidents of the campaign were thus an invasion by Sundara Pāṇḍya of the Cōḷa country reaching as far north as Cidambaram and marked by considerable damage to life and property along the route of the march; the inability of Kulōttunga to resist the advance of the Pāṇḍya ruler and his seeking refuge in flight; finally, the restoration, possibly after some negotiations, of the kingdom and crown to Kulōttunga on condition that he acknowledged Sundara Pāṇḍya as suzerain. The tables were thus completely turned; in almost every detail, Sundara Pāṇḍya followed the example set by Kulōttunga during his third campaign against the Pāṇḍya country. At one stroke the Pāṇḍya king not only destroyed the overlordship of the Cōḷa and declared his own independence, but actually compelled his quondam superior to do homage to him in turn. This was in 1216-17. We shall see later that the attempt of the Cōḷa ruler to regain his independence led to another Pāṇḍyan invasion with more disastrous results.