Complex sentence: During this time, a Pandya contrived to get himself crowned as the king, but the Raja of Tanjore defeated the former who themselves were defeated by the Vijayanagar general who drove the Tanjore Raja away from Madurai, and made himself independent.
Split into simpler sentences: During this time, a Pandya contrived to get himself crowned as the king, but the Raja of Tanjore drove him away. Then a Vijayanagar general drove the Tanjore Raja away from Madurai, and tried to make himself independent.