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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[Vol. XXV.
His campaign against the Panlya.
In regard to Virarājēndra's southern campaigns, the one against the Pāņdya is in a way confirmed by the existence of his inscriptions' at Kanyakumari (Travancore), Āttür (Tirunelveli District) and Tirupputtūr (Ramnad District). Before the 3rd year of his reign, he had appointed prince Gangaikonda-Chöļa as the Chola-Pandya viceroy over the Påndya country in continuation of the previous system of administration, but this Chola prince was not left undisturbed for long, for according to a record dated in the 3+1st year, Virarājēndra marched against a certain Srivallabha, apparently & Pandya, and killed his son Virakësari. As this campaign has not been referred to in the Tiruveņkādu record dated in the 2nd year+230th day of his reign but is mentioned in the Karuvur inscription of this king dated in the 3+1st year, it has to be placed towards the end of his 3rd year, i.e., in about A.D. 1065. This victory also appears to have been of a temporary nature, for Virarājēndra's successor Kulõttunga-Chola I had again to go to war against the five Pandyas' a few years later. His campaign against U dagai.
In the course of this southern campaign, the Chēra must have also felt the impact of the Chola army and consented to pay tribute. The Kēraļa king and his sons are described to have fled before the mad elephant of Virarājēndra in a battle at Udagait and to have hidden themselves in the western ocean. In an inscription copied at Kilür in the South Arcot District, dated in the 29th year of Rājarāja I, the king is stated to have burnt the city of Udagai' during his Malainādu campaign. From these references, it is clear that Udayai was a city in the Chēra dominion, and was, in all probability identical with Udaiyampērūr, the big city of the Udaiyas (the Chēras)'in the northern portion of the Travancore State, which is only three miles distant from Trichūr and which in the olden days was an important place in the Chēra territory. The Chēra contemporaries of Rājēndra-Chola I were Rājasimha and his son Rajaraja who figure in the Mannärköyil inscription of Jațāvarman Sundara-Chola-Pandva, but who the contemporary of Virarājēndra was, is not clear. His conquest of Ceylon.
The conquest of Simhalam is only briefly referred to in the present record; but the Tirumukkūdal inscription dated in the 5th year of the king, describes this campaign in some detail and refers to his defeat of the Ceylon king Vijayabāhu and the subjugation of the island girt round by the waters of the sea. Though this is perhaps a sweeping claim, it has to be conceded that a portion of the island was under Chöļa yway at this period. As the Manimangalam record of the 10th September A.D. 1067 does not refer to this expedition, it will have to be placed towards the end of that year, about November or December A.1). 1067. Virarājēndra's predecessor Rājēndradēva had also invaded Ceylon and an inscription of his is found there. Inscriptionsll of Adhirājēndra, the successor of Virarājēndra, are also found at Polonnaruva (Ceylon). The latter
: Noe. 400 and 401 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection for 19:29-30 and No. 110 of 1998. .8.1.1., Vol. V, No. 976.
8.1. I., Vol. III, No. 20. The Pandya king Srlvallabha was the contemporary of Rajendra-Chola I also. . 8. 1. I., Vol. III, No. 30.
8.1. I., Vol. VII, No. 863. • Udagai has been taken to be a Pandya city (S.I.I., Vol. II, p. 08). Ante. Vol. XI, p. 294.
Ante, Vol: XXI, No. 38, where this point has been examined by Mr. K. V. Nubrahmanyu Ayyar in detail. The Polonnaruva inscription of Vijayabahu (ante: Vol. XVIII, No. 38) may be considered to mark the eclipee of Chöļa power in Ceylon, for no inscriptions of later Chola kings are found actually in that island.
If the Ceylon expedition of the 5th year took place about November 1067, and an incident of April A.D. 1068 fell in the 6th year, the date of accession of Virarajendra can be narrowed down between the limits-December 1062 A.D. and March 1063 A.D. A date in his 7th regnal year (Kauni, br. 7, Thurschy, Irigasirsla) was A.D. 1089, September 10, Thursday (No. 160 of 1037-38). 10 8. I. I., Vol. V, No. 1408.
118. I. I., Vol. IV, Nos. 1388 and 1392.
