Virarajendra Chola took over for his brother Rajendra Chola II around 1063 CE. He was a brave, capable, wise, and powerful king who not only maintained the Cholas' status but also increased their strength. He supported the arts and was especially fond of temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Arulmolinangai is the name of his queen. Virarajendra Chola previously assisted his father, Rajendra Chola, in administration, and later assisted his brothers, Rajadhiraja Chola and Rajendra Chola II, during their respective reigns. In this article, we will discuss the Ruler of Chola Dynasty Virarajendra (1063 - 1067 CE) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Virarajendra - Background

• Virarajendra Chola (1063 – 1067 CE) was a Tamil Chola emperor who spent the majority of his life as a subordinate of his two elder brothers Rajadhiraja I and Rajendra II. He is the son of Rajendra I.
• During his early reign, he granted the maintenance of a school to study the Vedas, Sastras, and Grammar, as well as a hostel for the students. He also built a hospital called Virasolan for the sick.
• Virasoliyam, the famous grammatical work in Tamil, was written during Buddhamitra's reign.
• Virarajendra's reign falls during a period of the medieval Cholas when the Cholas were attempting to expand their borders while also preserving their existing territories, but appeared to stutter in their efforts due to the death, in his prime, of the eldest brother and king Rajadhiraja-I and the short reign of Virarajendra's elder brother Rajendra-II.
• By succeeding one another, the three brothers ruled for a total of 16-20 years.
• The traditional enemies and subordinates of the Cholas, namely the Singhalas (Ceylon), Pandyas, and even the Chera Perumals, saw this rapid succession as a golden opportunity, with each adversary either attempting to gain independence or declaring war on the Cholas.
• Virarajendra, on the other hand, proved to be a very capable and brave ruler who was kind and protective to his subjects, reimposed authority on Chola dominions, and was especially ruthless to the Cholas' old foes, both the Chalukyas and the Pandyas.

Continuing Battle with Chalukyas

• The numerous inscriptions detailing Virarajendra's victories over the Western Chalukyas bear witness to his reign. Even before he became king, Virarajendra took part in battles against the Western Chalukyas.
• Virarajendra fought the Chalukya forces at Mudakaru under the command of Rajamahendra, the then heir to the throne.
• During Virarajendra's reign, the loser of this battle sought to avenge his defeat at Madukaru by summoning the Cholas to battle.
• Someshvara-I not only disgracefully fled the battlefields during each of his conflicts with the Cholas, but he also allowed many of his generals, or Mahasamantas and Dandanayakas, to become sitting ducks at the hands of the Chola kings.
• In another war, Someshvara-I’s second son, Someshvara-II, was expelled from Kannada country itself.
• Each time Someshvara-I attempted to avenge the previous disgrace, he was defeated in battle and humiliated even more, losing not only his kingdom but also his wives, treasures, horses, elephants, and so on, all of which ended up in the hands of the Chola King.
• When Someshvara-I lost, he had to sue for peace and become Virarajendra's tribute-paying subordinate. Someshvara-I took one last chance and summoned Virarajendra to fight.
• The Chola army had been waiting for the expected battle for more than a month, but the Chalukya king never showed up.
• The Chola army then destroyed the surrounding countryside and built a victory pillar on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.

War in Sri Lanka

• Vijayabahu was the Sinhala king at the time, ruling a small portion of southern Sri Lanka. The Cholas ruled over the majority of the Sri Lankan island. Vijayabahu began to rebel against the Cholas' dominance on the island.
• The revolts were controlled and suppressed by Virarajendra's army stationed on the island.
• Vijayabahu then approached the King of Burma for assistance. Burma's king dispatched ships and troops to aid Vijayabahu.
• Virarajendra then sent an extra battalion of army to face the combined forces and was successful in defeating them.

Kadaram Campaign

• According to Virarajendra's records from his seventh year, he conquered Kadaram on behalf of a king who had come to ask for assistance and protection and handed it over to him.
• This occurrence could have occurred in 1068 C.E. This inscription does not provide any additional information.
• In 1045, Airlangga, the ruler of Srivijaya, divided the Kahuripan kingdom into two parts, Janggala (Malang) and Kediri, and abdicated in favour of his two sons to live an ascetic life.
• One of these sons may have ruled in Kedah during Virajrajendra's invasion in 1068. We still don't know anything about the Srivijaya king who requested assistance or the specifics of this naval campaign.
• For the next 20 years, the Cholas conducted a series of raids and conquests throughout what is now Indonesia and Malaysia.
• This not only reaffirmed the Chola kingdom's hold on the far east, but it also enabled the removal of any barriers erected by some kingdoms in the Java-Malaya peninsula against traders from Chola territories, including their subordinate divisions in Sri Lanka.
• While Srivijaya, Kediri, Champa, and other states gained independence later, trade relations between Tamizhagam and the Far East remained unbroken from the time of Virarajendra until almost the end of the Chola kingdom, at least until 1215 CE.

Alliance with Chalukya Vikramaditya

• When Someshvara I died, his son Someshvara II ascended to the Chalukyan throne in April 1068 CE.
• Soon after, a feud erupted between him and his younger brother Vikramaditya, resulting in a civil war in the Western Chalukya country.
• Vikramaditya VI fled to the Chola court of Virarajendra Chola, where he was well received, and Virarajendra himself records that he recognised Vikramaditya VI as the king of Western Chalukya.
• Virarajendra married his daughter to Vikramaditya VI and formed an alliance with him, bringing the two empires' long feud to an end.

Virarajendra - Inscriptions

• There are numerous inscriptions detailing his victories against the Western Chalukyas. Even before he became king, Virarajendra was involved in the battle against the Western Chalukyas.
• He fought the Chalukya forces in the battle of Muddakaru under the command of Rajamahendra.
• He defeated the Chalukyas repeatedly in battles at Kudal Sangamam, Gangaikondacholapuram, Karur, Kampili, and Vengi.
• According to the inscriptions at Perumber, after the expulsion of Somesvara II, Vikramaditya VI apparently handed over the entire Chalukyan Kingdom to Virarajendra.

Death and Accession

• Virarajendra Chola died in 1070 AD after a brief but extremely successful rule.
• His son and heir apparent, Athirajendra Chola, succeeded him.
• His accomplishments are comparable to those of Rajendra Chola I, who not only maintained such a vast empire but also made conquests and expanded it.

Conclusion

Virarajendra Chola was a brave, able, wise, and strong King who not only maintained the Cholas' status but also increased Chola strength. He died in the year 1070 AD. Throughout his life, he supported the arts and cared for temples dedicated to all deities, particularly Lord Vishnu. Athirajendra Chola succeeded Virarajendra Chola. There was civil unrest in the Chola kingdom, and he was killed as a result of it.