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No. 32.]
ALAMPUNDI PLATE OF VIRUPAKSHA.
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rendered possible in these alphabets, and are of frequent occurrence in Grantha and Tamil inscriptions. Another graphical peculiarity of the Alampůndi plate deserves to be noted. The consonant group nr of the Tamil names Palakunra (1. 15) and tanri (1. 23) is, in the absence of Grantha letters to represent it, denoted by the group nr, as it would be vulgarly pronounced even now. The language of the subjoined inscription is incorrect Sanskrit, verse (1l. 1 to 22, and 26 to 33) and prose (ll. 1, 22 to 26, and 34).
The first and second verses of the inscription contain invocations addressed to the Boarincarnation of Vishna and to the goddess of the Earth, respectively. The third verse refers to Bukkarája (I.), who belonged to the race of the Moon, and who was the son of Samgama (I.) by Kåmåkshi. Bukka's son was king Harihara (II.) who, as in other inscriptions, is said to have performed "the sixteen great gifts" (verse 4). Harihara (II.) married Malladevi, who belonged to the family of Ramadêve; and their son was Virupaksha (v. 5), who conquered the kings of Thundira, Chola and Pandya, and the Simhalas, and presented the booty of his wars to his father (v. 6). On the day of the Pushya-sankranti of the year Raktákshin (v. 8), which corresponded to the Bake your 1805, king Virupaksha (v.7) granted to certain unnamed Brahmaņas of varions gôtras the village of Ålampûndi (v. 9). This village had been the object of a previous grant by Harihara (II.) (v. 9) and had then received the surname Jannambikábdhi (v. 10). The pronouns mama and maya in lines 17 and 21 show that both Harihara's previous grant and the present donation of Virupaksha were made at the instance of a princess who was the sister of Harihara (II.) (v. 9) and, consequently, the paternal aunt of Virupaksha, and whose name must have been Jannêmbikê, because the village of Alampûndi received the surname Jannâmbikábdhi (.e. Jannimbika-samudram) after her own name. The description of the boundaries of the granted village is contained in lines 22 to 26. Then follow three of the customary imprecatory verges. The inscription ends with the name Sri-Harihara.
The Ålampūnļi plate would add considerably to our knowledge of the history of the first Vijayanagara dynasty, if we could be quite sure of the genuineness of the plate. As in other inscriptions of this dynasty, the first historical person is said to have been Samgama (I.). The Âlampůndi plate is the only inscription which informs us of the name of Samgama's queen, viz. Kâmâkshi. According to the same plate the queen of Harihara II. was Malladevi. The Satyamangalam plates of Dêvardya II. give the name of Harihara's queen as Malåmbika. As the two names Malladevi and Malambik& are very similar, we may, for the present, consider them as identical. The Âlampūņdi plate adds that Malladevi belonged to the family of Råmadêve. It is not impossible that Malladevi was related to the Yadava king Ramachandra, who was also called Ramsdeve, and who reigned from Saka-Samyat 1193 to 1230.7 It is from the present inscription that we first leark that Harihara II. had a sister called Jannâmbikê and & son called Virupaksha, who is reported to have made extensive conquests in the south, and whom his father appears to have placed in charge of at least a portion of the South Arcot district. The date of the grant of Virupaksha (Saka-Samvat 1305 for 1307, the Raktákshi samvatsara) is a few years later than the accession of Harihara II.8 In referring to a previous grant of the village of Alampûndi by Harihara II. himself, the inscription implies that the latter was ruling over a portion of the modern South Arcot district even before Saka-Samvat
In the Tamil inscriptions contained in Volume I. of Dr. Hultzacb's South Indian Inaoriptions, especially in the comparatively modern opes among them, several instances of this peculiarity occar on esch page; see, e.g., page 72, where there are no less than nine cases.
ante, p. 116. On this name see ante, p. 119, note 6. The Raktakabin year does not correspond to Suka-Sao vat 1305, but to 1307 current.
Abdhi is a more poetical synonym of ramudra, a frequent ending of village names; bence the actual surname was probably Jannambik samudram, ante, p. 37, verse 9.
Dr. Fleet's Kararese Dynasties, p. 71. • Haribara Il. must have ascended the throue between Saka-Samvat 1298 and 1801 ; ante, p. 115, note 11.
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