A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c12.40

c12.40

Neḍuñjeḷiyan of Talaiyālaṅgānam came to the throne as a youth and soon after his accession, he proved himself more than equal to a hostile combination of his two neighbouring monarchs and five minor chieftains. There exists a simple poem of great force and beauty in which the youthful monarch swears an oath of heroism and victory in the ensuing fight. Despising his tender years and hoping for an easy victory and large booty, his enemies invaded the kingdom and penetrated to the heart of it; but, nothing daunted, Neḍuñjeḷiyan readily took the field, pursued the invading forces across his frontier into the Chola country and inflicted a crushing defeat on them at Talaiyālaṅgānam, about eight miles north-west of Tiruvālūr in the Tanjore district. It was in this battle that the Chera king ‘Śey of the elephant-look’ was taken captive and thrown into a Pāṇḍyan prison. By his victory Neḍuñjeḷiyan not only made himself secure on his ancestral throne, but gained a primacy over the entire state system of the Tamil country. He also conquered the two divisions (kūṟṟam) of Miḷalai and Muttūṟu from Evvi and a vēḷir chieftain and annexed them to his kingdom. The Maduraikkāñji contains a full-length description of Madura and the Pāṇḍyan country under Neḍuñjeḷiyan’s rule. The poet gives expression to his wish that his patron should spread the benefits of his good rule all over India. He makes particular mention of the farmers and traders of a place called Muḍuveḷilai (unidentified) as among his most loyal subjects for many generations. He also refers to the battle of Ālaṅgānam, calls his patron lord of Koṟkai and the warlord of the southern Paradavar—hinting that the people of the pearl-fishery coast formed an important section of his army.