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No. 24.)
THE LARGER LEIDEN PLATES OP RAJARAJAL
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provisaces of the Deccan in his day might have contributed to the success of his arms (in his vast sobame of conquests), credit must necessarily be given to the highly powerful army " with whose aid he is expressly stated in hundreds of inscriptions to have effected the enlargement of his dominions.
A word about the conditions of the various states of the Deocan may not be out of place here. In fact it is necessary to know them to understand what opportunities presented themselves to Bajar ja L and how be availed himself of them. During the period when Rajaraja I was heir apparent, which according to the Tiruvālasgādu grant covered the reign of Uttama-Chola (A.D. 970-985), there reigned over the Pandya country & king named Vira-Pandya who boasts of " having taken the head of the Chöja king" . As opposed to this, more than one ruler of the Southern provinces, who could be regarded as his contemporaries, have assumed the title “who took the head of Vira-Pandya". One of these latter was the Chola king Aditya II alias Karikāla and about him the grant under publication states that though a young boy he played sportively, with Vtrar Pandya'. Others are the Kodumbāļur chief Vikramakēseri and Pärthivēndravarman', both of whom appear to have been the Chola king's allies. From this it can be safely said that there were hard fights between the parties. In some of these, Vira-Pandya must have been successful and in others his opponents. In ascertaining the actual truth in such a matter, the places of die tribution of their inscriptions may be regarded as a sure test of their claims. This seems to be in favour of neither party. So far, we have not come across any inscriptions of Vira Pandya in the Chola country. Nor have we any record of his opponents in the Pandya territory, as we do find, in the case of Parantaka I. and Rajaraja I. The struggle between the Cholas and the Pandya was a hard and continuous one. It commenced in the reign of Chola Parantaka I. against RajaBirtha-Pandya and his ally the king of Ceylon and was continued ever afterwards. Parāntaka II alias Sundara-Chõla is said to have driven the Påndya into the forest; and of his general Parän takan Siriyavēlār it is reported that he gave up his life in a battle in Ceylon. Aditya Karikāla's claim to have conquered Vira-Pandya has just been noted. Rājarāja I. had to renew the struggle and his success was better than that of his predecessors. The numerous inscriptions of his found all over the Påndya country .e., Madura and Tinnevelly districts-testify to the fact that his overlordship W88 acknowledged in that quarter. Even the very name of the territory was changed into Rajaraja-Pändinädu'. For this continuance of hatred between the Cholas and Pāndyne there were good grounds. From the time when the ancient Choles ceased to be a maling power and lost their hold of their ancient possessions in Trichinopoly and Tanjore districts and until Vijay&laya started a new line at Tanjore, their original home was oocupied by the Pandyas an the one side sad the Pallavas on the other, and there were severe fights between theme two power themselves. To wrest back from the new inoumbente the kingdom, which had become theirs by long enjoyment and whioh they would not easily yield, led the Cholas to be continually at was with the Pandyas.
While this was the case with the kingdoms in the extreme south of the Peninsula, the stata of affairs in the countries of Verg, Kalinga and Retta, , the dominion of the Rashtrakūtas WM
18.1. I., Vol. II, p. 420, v. 70. . Nos. 163 of 1894 and 65 of 1896, which are dated in the 4+2nd year and 18+4th year of this king.
See below, p. 241, verse. 28. Stone insoriptions of Parakesarivarman " who took the head of VirsPlodya" have been attributed to this king.
Fletorical Sketches of Ancient Dekhox, pp. 336.236 See above note 4, p. 219.
See his inscription at Apaimalai near Madura pablished in 8. 1. 1.. Vol. II, p. 239, No. 106 sleo No. 119 pf 1905.
See Madras Epigraphical Collections No. 408 of 1006. 70 of 1907, 802 and 618 of 1919
