 However , according to Subrahmanyam 1989 , the polity that Chikka Devaraja left for his son was " at one and the same time a strong and a weak " one . Although it had uniformly expanded in size from the mid @-@ 17th century to the early 18th century , it had done so as a result of alliances that tended to hinder the very stability of the expansions . Some of the southeastern conquests ( such as that of Salem ) , although involving regions that were not of direct interest to the Mughals , were nonetheless the result of alliances with the Mughal governor of Sira and with Venkoji , the Maratha ruler of Tanjore ; the siege of Tiruchirapalli had to be abandoned because the alliance had begun to rupture . ( See Map 7 . ) Similarly , in addition to allegedly receiving a signet ring and a Royal State Sword or Sword of State , a consequence of the diplomatic mission sent to Aurangzeb in 1700 was formal subordination to Mughal authority and a requirement to pay annual taxes ; there is evidence too that the administrative reforms Chikka Devaraja has instituted might have been a direct result of Mughal influence . 
