Battle of Kandalur Salai

Part of Expansion of Chola empire under Raja Raja I
Chola-Chera conflicts

Extent of the Chola Empire under Rajaraja I

Date	End of the 10th century AD
Location	Kandalur
Result	Decisive Chola victory.

Belligerents

Chola dynasty

Later Chera dynasty

Commanders and leaders

Raja Raja Chola I

Bhaskara Ravi Varman I

The Kandalur War (or Kanthalur War) was a naval battle between Chola Empire and Later Chera forces at the port-town of Kandalur salai (now called Valia-ssala), near Vizhinjam in present-day Kerala state, South India around the end of the 10th century AD and was the beginning of the larger military campaigns of the Chola Empire under Raja Raja Chola I.

A hero-stone belonging to the reign of the Chola emperor, Raja Raja I, unearthed in Tamil Nadu in 2009, talks about Raja Raja Chola I “beheading the Malai Alargal” - the Chera warriors of Kanthalur Salai. The inscription settles a long-standing debate about what Raja Raja Chola did at Kanthalur Salai. There was a debate whether he had destroyed the boats, brought under his control an autonomous Vedic educational centre situated there or defeated the Chera warriors trained there in Vedas and warfare. By this discoveries the latter proves to be the fact. It touches on points that he built a mantapa there, that he split in two a naval vessel belonging to the Chera king and that he destroyed a number of boats.

The kingdoms of Pandya, Kulasekhara (Later Chera) and Sinhala were often allied against the Cholas at the end of the 10th century (around 985 AD) and Chola king Raja Raja Chola I's initial campaigns were against the combined Pandya and Kulasekhara armies.

The Kandalur War is often regarded as the first military achievement of Raja Raja Chola I’s reign (985 - 1014 AD). The arrest and ill-treatment of an envoy of the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I by the Kulasekhara (Later Chera) king Bhaskara Ravi Varman I (962- 1019 AD) led to the initial skirmishes. This is an example of the reaction to the breakdown diplomatic immunity. In this campaign Rajaraja is said to have destroyed a fleet in the port of Kandalur, which appears to have been situated in the Chera kingdom. However, some years' fighting apparently was necessary before the conquest could be completed and the conquered country could be sufficiently settled for its administration could be properly organized.

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Wikipedia