Virarajendra Chola

During the early period of his reign, Virarajendra fought and killed the king of Pottapi, and king of the Kerala (Chera Perumal) country. He also had to suppress a rebellion in the Pandya territories by the Pandya princes[*]. While these battles were progressing, the Western Chalukya Someshvara I invaded the Chola country, who probably was fooled into thinking that with a new king at helm, the Chola country was there for his taking and he thought he could overcome his earlier humiliation at the hands of Virarajendra's predecessor, Rajendra-II. First, Someshvara-I sent his son Vikkalan (Vikramaditya VI) for plundering Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the capital of Virarajendra. Virarajendra was returning after subduing the Pandyas, the Sinhalas and the Chera Perumal kings and making them tribute paying subordinates[*]. He immediately undertook the task of safeguarding the Chola capital and routed Vikramaditya VI from the Chola capital. Next he chased the Chalukya princes Vikramaditya (Vikkalan) and Singhanan at Gangapadi. He completely overwhelmed the Chalukya army led by both princes and sons of Someshvara-I and proceeded to the Chalukyan capital. There he routed for the first time Someshvara-I who fled the battlefield.[7] The third war fought by Virarajendra against the Chalukyas was when Someshvara-I sent his son Vikramaditya VI to occupy Vengi on the presumption that due to the death of his old nemesis Rajendra-II, Vengi could be made subordinate to Western Chalukya rule. Virarajendra's armies routed the Western Chalukyas at Vengi, after which they surrounded Kalyanpura, the Chalukyan capital and burnt the fortress at Kampili taking precious wealth, the Chief queen of Someshvara-I, eliminated his generals and trusted feudatories and took away his horses and prized elephants.

Virarajendra successfully quelled the rebellions at Ceylon, Madurai and the Chera Perumal Kingdom, Potappi and converted the Western Chalukyas (at the seven and a half lakshas of Rattapadi) into tribute paying subordinates[*].

Virarajendra’s reign is marked by the numerous inscriptions detailing his various victories with the Western Chalukyas. Virarajendra was involved in the battles against the Western Chalukyas even before he became king. Under the command of the then heir to the throne Rajamahendra, Virarajendra fought the Chalukya forces in the battle of Mudakaru.[8] During Virarajendra’s reign, Someshvara, the loser of this battle sought to wipe the disgrace of his defeat at Madukaru and called for battle with the Cholas. On each of the confrontations with the Cholas, Someshvara-I not only disgracefully ran away from the battlefields, but also allowed many of his generals or Mahasamantas and Dandanayakas to become sitting ducks at the hands of the Chola kings. In his inscriptions at Karur and Tindivanam, Virarajendra claims proudly that Someshvara-I's sons Vikramaditya-VI (called Vikkalan) and Jayasimha-III (called Singhanan) fled the battlefield with dishevelled hair.[**] Virarajendra further claimed that he defeated Someshvara-I's armies not less than five times. These battles took place at Kudalasangamam, Gangaikondacholapuram, Karur, Kampili and Vengi. On each occasion, the generals of Someshvara-I like Chamundaraja were beheaded, Maduvana, Vikramaditya VI fled the battlefield with 'disshevelled hair', Jayasimha-III, Annala and finally Ahavamalla Someshvara-I too fled the battle shaming themselves permanently. In another war, it was the time of Someshvara-I's second son, Someshvara-II to be expelled from Kannada country itself. Each time Someshvara-I tried to wipe out the previous disgrace, he was repeatedly routed in war and shamed even more with him losing not just his kingdom but even his wives, treasures, horses, elephants etc. ending up in possession of the Chola King[++]. Each time Someshvara-I lost, he had to sue for peace and became a tribute paying subordinate of Virarajendra. Someshvara-I took one final chance and called Virarajendra for battle.

Someshvara I wrote the Chola king assigning a site in a place called Kudal Sangamam for the battle, ironically near the site of the previous battle in which the Chalukya forces were so utterly defeated. Receiving this message, Virarajendra immediately set out for the battle and camped near Kandai for the Chalukyan army to arrive.[9] The exact date set for the battle, according to Virarajendra’s inscription found at Manimangalam, was Monday, 10 September 1067 C.E.[*][++]

The Chola army awaited the expected battle for more than a month; the Chalukya king never met the appointment. The Chola army then devastated the surrounding countryside, erected a pillar of victory on the banks of the Tungabhadra River[*][++].

There is no verifiable and known reason for Someshvara’s inability to face the Cholas at Kudala Sangama. There was a running succession feud between his first son and chosen heir, Someshvara-II and Vikramaditya-VI. Apparently, Vikramaditya-VI did not want to fight for his father. In fact as per the inscription of Virarajendra at Perumber, after the expulsion of Someshvara-II from Kannada country, it seems that the greedy Vikramaditya-VI fell at the feet of Virarajendra and 'handed' him the entire 'seven and a half lakshas' of Rattapadi (Chalukyan Kingdom, ostensibly, he resented Someshvara-II being the heir to Someshvara-I and not himself). Virarajendra immediately nominated Vikramaditya-VI as the heir to the Chalukya throne and also gave his daughter in marriage to him on extracting the promise that his daughter's son will succeed Vikramaditya-VI as the next Chalukya King.[++]

Surely, the above developments would have discouraged the already disgraced Someshvara-I even further. Whatever may be the reason, Someshvara and he committed suicide by drowning himself in March 1068 C.E. But Virarajendra's records say that the Salukki hid himself in the western sea, which indicates the probability of Someshvara-I having been drowned in the Arabian sea while running away from the Cholan army. This was in sharp contrast to Virarajendra's predecessor Rajadhiraja who lost his life in the battlefield while fighting the enemy.[1]

From Kudal Sangamam, the Chola army proceeded to Vengi to re-establish their control on the Eastern Chalukyan Kingdom. The raiders from Western Chalukya (some sources say that Someshvara-I had sent his son Vikramaditya VI (Vikkalan) and a senior trusted General to capture Vengi and install a puppet ruler subordinate to Someshvara-I. In a battle on the banks of the Krishna River, near Visaiyavadai or modern Vijayawada ++, Virarajendra crushed the Western Chalukya army led by Jananatha. Virarajendra then proceeded to conquer the entire Eastern Chalukya kingdom, defeated and re-captured Kalinga whose king had been in alliance with the Western Chalukyas. Virarajendra installed Vijayaditya, the Eastern Chalukya prince on the Vengi throne.

Vijayabahu, the Sinhala king, who had been ruling a tiny southern portion of the island around the Rohana district, sought to extend his power and expel the Chola occupier. Mahavamsa records that Virarajendra sent the Chola army stationed in the island to attack the Rohana district. Vijayabahu then sent for help from the king of Burma who sent ships and soldiers to assist Vijayabahu. With this help Vijayabahu succeeded in creating revolt in the northern provinces of Lanka. Although the Chola forces in the island and reinforcements sent from the mainland could control these revolts, Vijayabahu continued to create revolts and disturbances within the Chola occupied areas of the island for the next few years.

Virarajendra's records from his seventh year mention that he conquered Kadaram on behalf of a king who had come to ask for help and protection and handed it over to him. The possible date for this occurrence is 1068 C.E. There is not any more information to be gleaned from this inscription. In 1045 Airlangga, who ruled Srivijaya, divided the Kahuripan kingdom into two, Janggala (Malang) and Kediri and abdicated in favour of his two sons to live the life of an ascetic. During Virajrajendra's invasion in 1068, one of these sons might have ruled in Kedah. As yet we have no knowledge of the Srivijaya king who asked for help and the details of this naval campaign. The Cholas continued a series of raids and conquests throughout what is now Indonesia and Malaysia for the next 20 years. This first re-affirmed the hold of the Chola kingdom on the far east, it also enabled freeing of any barriers put by some kingdoms in the Java-Malaya peninsula on traders from Chola territories including from their subordinate divisions in Sri Lanka. While Srivijaya, Kediri, Champa etc. became independent later on, both during the time of Virarajendra till almost the last days of the Chola kingdom, at least till 1215 CE, trade relations between Tamizhagam and the Far East continued unhindered.