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Dandanayaka. In 1104 A. D. he overcame and conquered the Changaloa kings and when Jagaddeya Santara invaded his kingdom, he flung him back in addition, capturing his treasury and the central ornament of his necklace. The great debater Charukirti Muni was his guru. When "King Ballal, encloser of the forces of strong enemies, terrifier in war by his cavalry, was verily in a moribund condition through severe illness, he quickly restored him to health."
King Ballal was succeeded by the famous Vishnuvardhana-Deva (Bittideva), who was one of the most brilliant monarchs of Karnataka and "was the rescuer of his country from the Cholas as well as the establisher of independence of the Hoysalas”. He greatly extended his Kingdom and ruled from 1111 to 1141 A.D. from his new capital Dorasamudra.3 Many of the notable victories which marked his rule were won by his great Jain generals. In his early life he was a firm believer of Jainism, but he was converted afterwards to Vaishnavism by Ramanuj in 1116. Inspite of his conversion, Vishnuvardhana continued to honour and patronise the Jain gurus. In • l. Rice, loc. cit., p. 99,
2. Ep. Car., II, 254, p. 113. 3. Rice, loc. cit. p. 100. 4. Saletore, loc. cit. pp. 78-79.
