The invasion of the Pandyan country in AD 1180 by Kulottunga III has been noticed above. We saw how the victorious Chola drove Virapandya out of the Pandyan kingdom and restored that kingdom to his nominee Vikrama Pandya. This Vikrama Pandya naturally depended on Chola support all the time.
The Chola emperor had to intervene and win the battle of Nettur to obtain the throne for Vikrama Pandya when in AD 1187 Virapandya attacked the latter. This shows that even seven years after he became king Vikrama Pandya could not consolidate his position. Virapandya who took refuge in the Chera court earlier came to Madurai to seek pardon from the Chola emperor who was holding court there.
Kulottunga III, it is said, paced his foot on the head of Virapandya in token of the latter’s total subordination to the Chola. Then the Chola emperror gave a bit of the Pandyan kingdom to Virapandya for him to rule over. What ultimately happened to this Virapandya is not known. Vikrama Pandya, however, ruled the kingdom fairly peacefully and subject to Chola authority till he passed away in 1190. But thereafter there was a change in the political climate in South India.