A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c14.58

c14.58

Pāndya affairs first claimed his attention. The tireless Parākramabāhu renewed his efforts against the Cholas and even persuaded Vira Pāndya to make common cause with him, and the ruler of Vēṇāḍ also probably joined the combination. A certain Vikrama Pāndya, perhaps some relation of Kulaśekhara, who must have died in the interval, sought Kulottunga's help against Vira Pāndya. There followed an invasion of the Pāndya kingdom as a result of which the Pāndya and Sinhalese forces were defeated in battle, Vira Pāndya being driven into exile, and Vikrama Pāndya installed on the throne of Madura. This campaign must have come to an end before 1182. From his exile, with the aid of his allies, Vira Pāndya made another effort to retrieve his fortune, but the attempt was crushed on the battlefield of Nettūr. Thence he fled to Ceylon. But there was no further fighting as both the ruler of Vēṇāḍ and Vira Pāndya made up their minds to submit to Kulottunga, and offered obeisance to him in his open durbar at Madura. On the same occasion, according to (probably exaggerated) Chola inscriptions, Kulottunga ‘placed his foot on the crown of the king of Ceylon’. This second campaign occurred sometime before A.D. 1189. Vira Pāṇḍya was treated better than he had a right to expect. His life was spared and he was allowed some land and other wealth suited to his new station.