Pandya–Chola Succession Crisis (1172)

Timeline

1. 1172Rameswaram · Tamil NaduKing Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa sent general Lankapura with a naval force across the Palk Strait to land at Rameswaram, plundering the treasures of the Ramanathaswamy temple before establishing a fortress at Kudukalai named Parakramapura. Lankapura then allied with the fleeing Vira Pandya and advanced toward Madurai.
2. 1172–1173Madurai · Tamil NaduKulasekara Pandya sought Chola aid; Rajadhiraja II sent generals including Palavarayar to engage the enemy at Kilainel and Pannamaravadi. Lankapura's forces briefly entered Madurai and installed Vira Pandya, but the Chola army counterattacked; the civil war continued into the 1170s, ultimately favoring the faction backed by the Cholas.