Maravarman Sundara Pandyan facts for kids

Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I was a powerful king of the Pandyan dynasty. He ruled parts of South India from 1216 to 1238 CE. He is famous for bringing the Pandyan kingdom back to power. For many years, the Pandyas had been under the control of the Cholas. King Sundara Pandyan changed that.

Becoming King

Sundara Pandyan became king in 1216 CE. This happened after his older brother, Jatavarman Kulasekara Pandyan, passed away. His brother had been a vassal (meaning he was a ruler who had to obey a more powerful king) of the Chola King Kulothunga Chola III.

In 1205 CE, Kulasekara Pandyan had fought against Kulothunga Chola III and lost. The Chola army then burned down the old Pandyan coronation hall in Madurai. This event made Sundara Pandyan want revenge when he became king.

War Against the Cholas

Soon after becoming king, Sundara Pandyan decided to get revenge for his brother's defeat. He invaded the Chola kingdom. King Kulothunga Chola III was very old and nearing the end of his 40-year rule. He was not ready for the quick Pandyan attack.

Sundara Pandyan's army attacked and took over the Chola cities of Thanjavur and Uraiyur. He forced both the Chola king and his son, Prince Rajaraja Chola III, to leave their kingdom. To celebrate his big win, Sundara Pandyan held a special ceremony called a virabisheka. This was a hero's anointment in the Chola coronation hall in Ayirattali, near Thanjavur.

Later, he marched his armies all the way to Chidambaram. He camped at a place called Pon Amaravathi. To mark his victories, he performed a Thulabaram at the Chidambaram temple. This is a Hindu ritual where a person offers gifts equal to their own weight.

King Kulothunga Chola III asked for help from his son-in-law, King Veera Ballala II of the Hoysala kingdom. Ballala sent his son, Prince Vira Narasimha II, with an army. Facing this new threat, Sundara Pandyan agreed to give the Chola kingdom back to Kulothunga. But there was a condition: the Cholas had to accept that Sundara Pandyan was their new supreme ruler. The Thirukkolur inscriptions in Tirunelveli district describe Sundara Pandyan's victories over the Cholas.

The Rise of the Second Pandyan Empire

In 1217 CE, Kulothunga Chola formally accepted Pandyan rule at Pon Amaravathi. This moment was very important. It ended almost 300 years of Chola power over the Tamil country and other parts of South India. This was the start of the Pandyan comeback. The Second Pandyan Empire began, and from 1215 to 1345 AD, the Pandyas became the most powerful kingdom in South India.

After their defeat to the Pandyas, the Cholas slowly lost their land, power, and respect. They became less important and often had to follow the Pandyas' orders. The Cholas also started to rely on the Hoysalas, who were related to them through marriage.

Kulothunga Chola III died in 1218 CE, not long after his defeat by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan. His son and successor, Rajaraja Chola III, was not a strong ruler. Under his rule, the Chola kingdom faced many problems and its decline became even faster.

In 1225 CE, Sundara Pandyan defeated and drove away some Odda (Oriya) soldiers. These soldiers had invaded the Chola heartland and taken over Srirangam. Sundara Pandyan then joined forces with a local leader named Kopperunchinga I from the Kadava group. They fought against the Cholas and Hoysalas.

In 1231 CE, Kopperunchinga defeated and captured Rajaraja Chola III at Tellaru. But then, Vira Narasimha II of Hoysala stepped in. He sent his generals, Appanna and Goppayya, to fight against the Kadava-Pandyan alliance. Kopperunchinga was defeated, and Rajaraja Chola III was put back on the Chola throne in 1231 CE. While his generals were fighting Kopperunchinga, Narasimha himself defeated Sundara Pandyan at Mahendramangalam, near the Kaveri River, in 1231 CE. Sundara Pandyan had to agree to let Raja Raja be king again. After this, peace was made between the Chola, Hoysala, Kadava, and Pandyan kingdoms. This peace was made stronger through marriages between the royal families.

Legacy and Titles

Under Sundara Pandyan, the Pandyan kingdom began its great comeback. He built a strong foundation for the Pandyas to become the most powerful kingdom in the late 13th century. Before him, the Pandyas were simply vassals of the Cholas.

According to the Thiruvandipuram inscriptions, he gave himself the titles Kaliyugaraman and Adisayapandiyadevan. The coins he issued also had the title Sonadugondan, which means "Conqueror of Chola Country." He celebrated his victory over the Cholas by adding a special phrase to his meikeerthi (a type of royal praise inscription). This phrase was Tamil: சோணாடு கொண்டு முடி கொண்ட சோழபுரத்து வீராபிஷேகம் பண்ணியருளிய. His meikeerthi begins with the words Tamil: பூமலர் வளர்திகழ் and ends with Tamil: சோணாடுவழங்கியருளிய ஸ்ரீசுந்தரபாண்டிய தேவர்க்கு யாண்டு.