Vira Someshwara

Vira Someshwara (Kannada: ವೀರ ಸೋಮೇಶ್ವರ) (1235–1254) was a king of the Hoysala Empire. The preoccupation of Vira Narasimha II in the affairs of Tamil country resulted in neglect of northern territories and he had to face Seuna incursions south of the Tungabhadra river.

Influence in Tamil country politics

During the time period 1225–1250, the Hoysalas consolidated their domination over the South Deccan by asserting complete influence on the Cholas and the Pandyas. Someshwara was actually given the honorific Mamadi ("uncle") by the kings of Tamil country. Magadai Mandalam was conquered by Veera Somesvara in 1236. He allied himself with Chola Rajendra III but made friendship with the Pandyas when the Chola king tried to invade Pandya territory in 1238. Later having defeated Rajendra III, Vira Someshwara again fought for the cause of the Cholas against the Pandyas.

In 1254 Someshwara divided his kingdom between his two sons, Ramanatha who ruled from Kannanur and Narasimha III who ruled from Halebidu, their original capital. Like his father Narasimha II, Someshwara stayed back at Kannanur with Ramanatha where he was killed in a war with Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan I of the Pandyan Dynasty.

References

• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, A Concise history of Karnataka from pre-historic times to the present, Jupiter books, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002) OCLC: 7796041
• K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002), ISBN 0-19-560686-8