A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c12.35

c12.35

Karikāla’s wars thus resulted in his establishing a sort of hegemony among the ‘crowned kings’ of the Tamil country and in some extension of the territory under his direct rule. The description of Kāvēri-paṭṭinam and its foreshore, which takes up so much of the Paṭṭinappālai, gives a vivid idea of the state of industry and commerce at this time. Karikāla also promoted the reclamation and settlement of forest land, and added to the prosperity of the country by multiplying its irrigation tanks. The poems also bear evidence that the king, who was a follower of the Vedic religion, performed sacrifices and lived well, enjoying life to the full.