A War With No End

S. VENKATESAN | G. BALASHANMUGAM

China

Delhi

Kakatiya Dyn
as

Dwarasamudram

Hoysala

Dy
na
s

ty

ty

n Dynasty
dya
n
Pa

Madurai
Kayal
Lanka

Sundarapandyan's
ship approaches
Lankas shoreline.

The Pandyan fleet that

had carried soldiers
to the battle front are
anchored along the
shore.

soldiers welcome
Sundarapandyan,
As he comes
ashore.

Sundarapandyan's
horse is swift as the
wind. He is flanked
on either side by
parading soldiers.

They journey,
fording brooks
and swirling
wild streams.

A section of the
Pandyan encampment.

The sentinel
division stands
watch night
and day.

The 'Abathuthavikal',
a special squadron of
bodyguards, stand watch
outside the emperor's tent.

Sundarapandyan
enters the tent.

Distracted by the
intrusion, the
emperor looks up.

Sundarapandyan
prostrates before
Emperor Kulasekara
Pandyan.

Greetings,
Father.

You seem to have come in

some hurry, son?
Father, its
been a while
since the war
began.
I have my doubts
if our campaign is
going well.

There is nothing to
fear. Veerapandyan's
strategy is guiding the
war's course.

The ground reality

has changed, Father.
The Sinhala kingdom
has gained in strength
since they brought the
whole island under a
single umbrella.

Veerapandyan has
entered the war with
just his regiment.
does it
matter how
much power
Parakramabahu
has managed
to scrap
together?

He must
face the
consequences
of defying
the Pandyan
emperor.

And the reason

for your fear?

You underestimate
the might of the
Pandyans.

What if...

No reinforcements
have come from the
capital city.

it does not work

out for us in the
end?

No,
father!

I fear you place

a little too
much trust in
Veerapandyan.

Launching a
campaign with such
a small force does
not speak well for
an empires military
prowess.

The might of an
empire is not
determined by
the number of
soldiers in its
army, but by its
victories.

Father, Veerapandyan
hasn't brought a
single war elephant.
But our enemies have
an entire division of
them.

That applies only

to elephants of
the supradeega
breed.

The elephants
here are no war
elephants. They
are anjanam and
kumudam breeds.
They make for a
fine spectacle,
thats about all!

Even so, this is

their terrain.

They must
know every
nook and
cranny of
this jungle.

Up until now,
Veerapandyan
has not focused
on an all-out
battle.

The fury of
these ghastly
animals is
beyond measure.
a thousand
horses are no
match for a
single elephant.

His strategy
is to trap the
advancing enemy
troops to a
terrain he has
chosen. The real
assault will begin
tomorrow.

Most probably...

They might know

a lot about
this jungle, but
they don't know
a thing about
war.

Father, if they know

nothing about war,
why then is it taking
us so long to
defeat them?!

Sundarapandyan
looks at him,
astonished.

itll all be over

tomorrow.

With the first rays of the early

morning sun, the Pandyan troops
march through the jungle,
towards the battlefield.

This is the story of an unending war.

The pages and the images would take you
through the streets of Pandya land, which
had a glorious rule about 800 years ago. The
sons of Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan Sundara Pandyan and Veera Pandyan - were
responsible for the rise and fall of the
empire. It has been the habit of empires to
victimize the nation in the process of sibling rivalry. A practice that continues till
date. IT is hence a story of an unending war.

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