________________
No. 23.)
TIRUVENDIPURAM INSCRIPTION OF RAJARAJA III.
163
Dorasamudra. Finally, a mutilated inscription in the Ranganatha temple at Srirangam (No. 54 of 1892), dated in A.D. 1233,9 records a grant by a femalo relation of BhujabalaBhimaklava-Dandandyaka, the great minister (mahápradhana) of Pratápachakravartin Pobala brf-Vira-Narasimhadeva.
Among the opponents of Narasimha II., the Harihar inscription of A.D. 1224 and the Basarkļu inscription of A.D. 1234 mention the Kadava king and the Pandya king, and three inscriptions state that "his valour caused the reduction of the Pandya sovereignty." As will appear below (p. 164 and note 3), Kopperukijinga claimed to belong to the Kadava or Pallave family. If he is meant by the expression Kadava king' in the Harihar inscription, it would follow that he had come into hostile contact with Narasimha II. before the time of the Tiruvöndipuram inscription, perhaps on the occasion of Narasimha's first attack on Srirangam between A.D. 1222 and 1224. The Påndya contemporary of Narasimha II. Was Märavarman alias Bundara-Pandya I., who, as shown by Professor Kielhorn, ascended the throne in A.D. 1216. This king boasts on his part to have conquered the Chôļa country and to have restored it to the Chola king; and an inscription of his 9th year, se. A.D. 1225, is actually found in the Ranganatha temple at Srirangam, while we have seen that Narasimha II. was marching against Srirangam in A.D. 1222.
Among the partisans of Kopperuñjioga, the inscription mentions two chiefs named Solakôp? (1. 5) and Kol?i-Solakón (1. 6). Viragangandalvån and Chiņattarayap are stated to have been killed and are called officers of the king.' Apparently, they were originally in the service of Rajaraja III. and had gone over to Kopperuñjinga. Of special interest is the statement that " four officers including Paråkramabhu, the king of flam,” were killed. What the author Wants to say is perhaps " Parakramabahu and three of his officers." Ilam is the Tamil name of Ceylon. According to Wijesinha's Translation of the Mahavarhsa (page xxiv. ff.), ParAkramabdhu I, died in A.D. 1197 and Paråkramabahu II. in A.D. 1275, and neither of them fell in battle. Hence the ParåkramabAhu of this inscription must be different from both ; per haps he was not a king, but a prince of Ceylon.
Kopperuñjinga, the person who was responsible for Narasimha's interference in the affairs of the Chola kingdom, is first mentioned in an inscription of the Vriddhagiriśvara temple at Vriddh&chalam (No. 136 of 1900), the head-quarters of a taluka in the South Arcot district. This reoord opens as follows:
1 6 Svasti srih [la] Tribhuvanachchakravatti2 ga! sri-Rajarajadêvarku yân3 du 14ávadu udaiyar Tiru4 mudugunsam-udaiya nầyaparku Palo 5 lavan Kopperufijingan agam6 badi-mudaligaļil Edirigandyan Po7 ttappi-Chcholan i-ngayan
1 Torailamutirattu frf-Poiala-Pira-ff-Narasisgaddvar magandr Somesoaraddvar madar sómaladdvi[y]dr.
• Vijaiya-samma (sanoa)taaraitu Kdtligai fuddha-pafiobami Adiodra-medal; "from Sunday, the fifth tithi of the bright (fortnight) of Kattigai in the Vijays year.” Professor Kielhorn kindly informs me that, "for the month Karttika of Sake-Samvat 1155 expired -Vijaya, this date regularly corresponds to Sunday, the 9th October, A.D. 1233."
Dr. Fleet's Dyn. Kan. Distr. p. 507. • Mr. Rice's Ep. Carn. Vol. III, Md. 121; Vol. IV., Ng. 98; and Vol. VI., Kd 12a. . Above, Vol. VI. p. 814
• See Ind. Ant. Vol. XXI. p. 344, and above, Vol. VI. p. 308, No. 6. The Tirupparangupram cavo-inscription and the smaller Tiruppu vanam grant belong to the reign of the same king.
7 A different person of the same name is mentioned among the officers of Vikrama-Chols in the Vikkirama. Solar-Uld; Ind. Ant. Vol. XXII. Pp. 143 and 149.
1 2
