Raja Raja-Ill (1216-1257 A. D.). He caught and imprisoned the fleeing Chola king at Sendamangalam. Hoysala aid The Cholas made alliances with the Hoysalas from the time of Kulothunga Chola III. Rajaraja III married a sister or a daughter of Vira Narasimha II. So when the Hoysala king Narasimha heard of the abduction of Rajaraja, and the subsequent devastation of the Chola country by Kopperunchinga's men, he immediately sent his army into the Chola country. The Hoysala army engaged Kopperunchinga's troops and sacked two of his towns. When the Hoysala army was preparing to lay siege to the Kadava capital of Sendamangalam, Kopperunchinga sued for peace and released the Chola king. While his generals were attacking the Kadava chieftain Kopperunchinga, the Hoysala king Narasimha himself led his troops against the Pandya. A decisive battle took place between the Pandya and the Hoysala troops near Mahendramangalam on the banks of the river Kaveri and the Pandya army was defeated. State of the Chola kingdom For the rest of his reign Rajaraja had to depend heavily on Hoysala help. There was a continuous decrease in order within the kingdom and the disregard for the central control on the part of the feudatories increased. The extent of the kingdom over which Rajaraja had nominal control remained as during the times of Kulothunga III. Civil War and Succession Rajendra Chola III who succeeded Rajaraja Chola III to the Chola throne in 1246 CE was his brother and subsequent rival. Although Rajaraja III was still alive, Rajendra began to take effective control over the administration. The epigraphs of Rajendra Chola III indicate a civil war between Rajaraja III and himself which came to end with the former killing the latter and ascending the throne. Rajendra's inscriptions laud him as the "cunning hero, who killed Rajaraja after making him wear the double crown for three years". Officials Mallan Sivan alias Brahmadaraya muttaraiyan, referred to as pillai (son) was one of the officials of Rajaraja III. He was the holder of the royal fief (arasukuru) and the governor of Urattur-nadu. See also Muthuraja References Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984). Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002). Chola kings 1260 deaths Year of birth unknown 13th-century Indian monarchs 13th-century Hindus