Battle of Nettur - 1188 CE
Kulothunga Chola III was the last recognised mighty monarch of the Chola Empire who delayed the process of collapse of the dynasty for about a generation with his wit, courage and valour. He ruled the great Chola Empire once ruled by great rulers like Karikala Chola, Vijayalaya Chola, Aditya Chola I, Rajaraja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I, etc. Kulothunga Chola III succeeded Rajadhiraja Chola II to the throne and during his reign he waged wars on Pandyas, Hoysalas, Sinhalas of Ceylon, Chodas of Velanadu, etc.
BACKGROUND
Kulothunga Chola III fought 3 wars with the Pandyas. During the initial days of his rule, there was a civil war going on in the Pandyan country where two Pandyan princes were fighting for the throne. It started during the reign of Parakrama Pandya who was the father of Vira Pandya and it involved the Chola emperor Rajadhiraja Chola II and the Ceylonese king Parakramabahu I of Sinhala. Vira Pandya somehow managed to capture the Pandyan throne during the rule of Rajadhiraja Chola II. While on the other hand, Vikrama Pandya was eager to wage war on Vira Pandya and capture the throne. Taking advantage of the situation, the Sinhalese king Parakramabahu joined hands with Vira Pandya and recognised him as the king of the Pandyan Empire. On the opposite side, Vikrama Pandya leaked this plan of Parakramabahu to Kulothunga Chola III and sought his help in defeating Vira Pandya to become the king of the Pandyan Empire. The first battle was fought which resulted in the defeat of the Pandyan and Sri Lankan forces. Vira Pandya was driven out of the Pandyan kingdom and was replaced by Vikrama Pandya in 1182 CE. The Sri Lankan forces withdrew from the Pandyan kingdom and they retained only the area around Rameshwaram.
BATTLE
After his exile, Vira Pandya along with his allies- the Sinhala and the Venad kingdoms started preparations for another effort to retrieve his fortune. He invaded the Pandyan kingdom in 1188 CE and tried to reclaim his throne. However, he was stopped by the large army of Kulothunga Chola III on the battlefield of Nettur. Vira Pandya tried hard to defeat the Chola army but their massive strength and the lack of support from the allies of Vira Pandya led to him losing the battle. He fled the battlefield.
AFTERMATH
After his defeat in the battle, Vira Pandya fled to the kingdom of Venad. However, both, Vira Pandya and the King of Venad later realized the massive strength of the Chola Empire and considered it wise to make peace with the Cholas. Both of them submitted to the Chola kingdom and offered their obedience to the court at Madurai. In return, Vira Pandya was given a vast land grant in Madurai but he was stripped of his regal title and royal possessions.
