During his reign, Rajendra Chola III undertook military campaigns against the Hoysala dynasty, who were significant political actors in southern India at the time. According to inscriptions, in the mid-13th century—around 1252 CE—Rajendra Chola III initiated hostilities against the Hoysala ruler Vira Someshwara. These campaigns appear to have been part of a broader effort to reassert
Chola authority and counter regional rivals. Epigraphic evidence records that Rajendra Chola III achieved certain successes, including engagements that subdued opposing forces and symbolically asserted dominance over the Hoysala ruler. Some inscriptions describe the Chola king as having humbled Someshwara and celebrate his victories in conventional royal rhetoric. There are also references to conflicts involving allied or subordinate chiefs, suggesting that the warfare extended beyond a single decisive battle. However, the long-term impact of these victories appears to have been limited. Despite possible setbacks, the
Hoysala position in the region does not seem to have been significantly weakened. Contemporary and later developments indicate that the balance of power in the Tamil region continued to shift, with the Pandya dynasty emerging as the dominant force in the later 13th century. == War with Jatavarman Sundara Pandya ==