Maravarman Sundara Pandyan II ( ta, இரண்டாம் மாறவர்மன் சுந்தர பாண்டியன்) was a
Pandyan king, who ruled regions of
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
between 1238–1240 CE.
[Sethuraman, p124]
Shared rule
Sundara Pandiyan II was one of two Pandyan princes who acceded to power in 1238 after
Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I.
He shared his rule with his elder brother
Jatavarman Kulasekaran II
Sadayavarman Kulasekaran II ( ta, இரண்டாம் சடையவர்மன் குலசேகரன்) was a Pandyan king, who ruled regions of South India between 1238–1240.
Shared rule
Kulasekaran was one of two Pandyan ...
for two years.
[Narasayya, p43] This practice of shared rule with one prince asserting primacy was common in the Pandyan Kingdom. His years of reign are unclear. While KA Nilakanta Sastri mentions him as the Pandyan prince defeated by
Rajendra Chola III
Rajendra Chola III was a brother and rival of Rajaraja Chola III, and came to the Chola throne in 1246 CE. Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration, and epigraphs of Rajendra Chola III indicate there was civil war endin ...
around 1250,
[KA Nilakanta Sastri, p195.] N Sethuraman mentions another Pandyan prince -
Jatavarman Vikkiraman I as the Pandyan ruler between 1241 and 1250.
Hoysala influence
This period was marked with increasing
Hoysala
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...
influence over Chola kingdom under the rule of
Vira Someshwara
Vira Someshwara ( kn, ವೀರ ಸೋಮೇಶ್ವರ) (1234–1263) was a king of the Hoysala Empire. The preoccupation of Vira Narasimha II in the affairs of Tamil country resulted in neglect of northern territories and he had to face Seun ...
. According to KA Nilakanta Sastri
''Hoysala influence over the whole area of the Chola kingdom and even in the Pandya country increased steadily from about 1220 to 1245, a period which may be well described as that of Hoysala hegemony in the south.''
The Pandyan inscriptions of this period indicate tribute being paid to the
Hoysala
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...
king.
The ''kilacheval'' temple grants, ''Vira Somi Chathurvedimangalam'' land grants and the presence of a Hoysala general Appana Dandanayaka for settling disputes at
Thirumayam
Thirumayam is a place of historical importance located about 22 km from the town of Pudukkottai & 22 km from the town of Karaikudi. The noted Indian independence activist Sathyamurthy was born in Thirumayam in 1887.
Etymology
Thirumay ...
all indicate Hoysala dominance over the Chola Country.
[Aiyangar, p.46]
War with Cholas
Sundara Pandiyan II was attacked and defeated by the
Rajendra Chola III
Rajendra Chola III was a brother and rival of Rajaraja Chola III, and came to the Chola throne in 1246 CE. Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration, and epigraphs of Rajendra Chola III indicate there was civil war endin ...
around 1250. To prevent the complete revival of Chola power,
Vira Someshwara
Vira Someshwara ( kn, ವೀರ ಸೋಮೇಶ್ವರ) (1234–1263) was a king of the Hoysala Empire. The preoccupation of Vira Narasimha II in the affairs of Tamil country resulted in neglect of northern territories and he had to face Seun ...
temporarily allied himself with the Pandyas
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sundara Pandyan Ii
Pandyan kings
Tamil history
Year of death unknown
Year of birth unknown
13th-century Indian monarchs
13th-century Hindus