Vengi, and appears to have treated him with cordiality. When this man died in 1077, Kulóttunga appointed his own second son, Rájarája II, as viceroy of Vengi. The latter seems to have been uncomfortable and insecure in his position. An inscription of this date says that finding ' a kingdom not such a pleasure as the worship of the illustrious feet of the elders, he returned to his parents, after having ruled over Vengi for one year.'*[1] He was replaced (1078) by his younger brother Vira Chóda, 'the brave prince, the incarnation of valour,' who ' joyfully put on the tiara of the world.' This prince was superseded in 1084 by Kulóttunga's eldest son Rájarája Chóda Ganga, but was reinstated in 1088-89 and continued to rule till at least 1092-93. He was then succeeded by another and better known brother, Vikrama Chóla, who ruled the Vengi country till about 1118. The reasons for these constant changes are nowhere stated; but it would appear that Kulóttunga placed no great reliance on his sons' loyalty to himself.
The only event of importance in this period is the conquest of Kalinga which was achieved by Kulóttunga some time before 1095-96. Kalinga was feudatory to Vengi and had withheld tribute for two years. Vikrama Chóla also claims to have effected this victory, and it was perhaps achieved during his viceroyalty. He governed the Vengi country for some 20 years, and in 1118 he was called to the south to become co-regent with, and shortly afterwards the successor of, Kulóttunga, who seems to have died in that or the following year. On his departure a certain Chóda, the son of Gonka, was appointed as viceroy of Vengi, and was even honoured with adoption into Kulóttunga's family. His descendants (see below) long played a prominent part in the history of the district.
The Chóla supremacy in Vengi was at this point disturbed for a few years by the aged Western Chálukya king Vikramáditya VI, who took advantage of the departure of Vikrama Chóla and the death of his old enemy Kulóttunga to invade this northern province of theirs. Their viceroy Chóda submitted to him, and from 1120 to 1124 Vikramáditya was undisputed king of Vengi. His rule cannot have lasted long, as inscriptions of Vikrama Chola, dated 1127 and 1135 respectively, occur in Kistna. After the latter of these years, however, neither he nor his successors took an active part in the government of Vengi. Occupied with their own troubles in the south, the Chólas gradually lost their influence in that province, and, though they were recognized as overlords by
- ↑ * S. Ind. Inscr., i, 60.
