It is from these colophons and rarely from the texts of the poems themselves, that the names of many kings and chieftains and the poets patronised by them are gathered.

The task of reducing these names to an ordered scheme in which the different generations of contemporaries can be marked off one another has not been easy.

According to Manimekalai, the battle was fought by a junior Chola prince in the reign of Mavankilli, also called Nudumudikilli and Killivalavan.

Manimekalai vividly describes this battle as a great event in Chola history rather than a petty quarrel between two brothers as seen from Purananuru.

The poet Kovur Kilar addresses Nedunkilli in two poems (Purananuru – 44, 45) and gives some details regarding the civil conflict.

The poet graphically describes the strife the ordinary people went through because of the siege, and demands that Nedunkilli come out and fight like a man.

Manimekalai mentions of a great battle of Kariyaru in which the 'Chola junior prince' (Ilankon) defeated the Pandya and Chera kings.