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No. 22.]
FIVE BANA INSCRIPTIONS FROM GUDIMALLAM.
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Krishna IIJ. hnd a Ganga feudatory named Pșithivigangaraiyar, whose wife was the daughter of Vāņakovaraiyar. This may bu taken to show that the province of Vanagappidi had come into existence prior to A.D. 948-9. Krishna III. appears to have made over the province to a Vaidumba feudatory of his, as it figures among the territories administered by the latter. We have, hovover, no reason to suppose that the Būņas were completely driven out of Vanagappadi at the time. The Vänarāja Alaga: aiyan who is mentioned in a Tirumalpuram inscription of Pārthivēndravarman was apparently a member of the family who had settled in the vicinity of Conjeevoram. We have a certain Maravan Narasimhavarman alias RājarājaVāņakovaraiyar, with the usual Baņa titles, as a feudatory of the Chola king Rājarāja I. in an inscription at Jambai in the South Arcot District. The same Bāņa chief built the tank at Nerkunram alius Vayiramoga-chaturvēdimangalam. In an inscription of a Chola king named Karikāla, whose time is at present unknown, reference is made to a certain Vāņakovaraiyar Viraparumar (i.e. Viravarman).
In later times there was a chief named Ponparappiņa Vāņakövaraiyar, a fendatory or officer of Sakalabhuvanachakravartin Peruñjingadēva. He is apparently ideutical with Magadēgan Vāṇakulóttaman and Viramāgadā Rājarājadēvan Ponparappiņān! Magadaipperumal,20 mentioned in certain inscriptions from Tiruvannāmalai in the South Arcut District and Kudumiyamalai in the Pudukkottai Slate. A number of Tamil verses in his praise have been found engraved on stone in the South Arcot District and in the Pudukkottai State. 11 His title Magadeśan or Magadaipperumil is interesting. From Hoysala inscriptions we know that the Hoysala king Narasimha II. uprooted the Makara or Magara kingdom.12 The Tirusoudipuram inscription of the Chola king Rå jarāja III. informs us that Narasimha II. “ uprooted the Mabara kingdom, seized him (i.e. the Mahara chief), his women and treasures and balted at Pachchūr." In editing the inscription Dr. Hultzsch had remarked that the Magara king lom has to be looked for in the Coimbatore or Salem District.13
At Tittagudi on the border between the districts of Trichinopoly and South Arcot has been found an epigraph of Magadēsan Pon parappiņa Vāņakovadaraiyar recording the gift of a
1 Above, Vol. VII. p. 195. This Prithivigangaraiyar, who also bore the surname Lastimalla, was differeut from and later than his namesake who was a contemporary of the Chola king Parantaks I. In a Tirukkõvalur inscriptioa of the Chola king Parakõsarivarman, the queen of Vaņakovaraiyar figures as the donor (ibid. p. 141).
? Madres Epigraphical Report for 1904-5, Part II, paragraph 28.
Ibid. for 1906-7, Part II, paragraph 46.
* No. 86 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1906. This is how he is described in the inscription : Sakala-sur-isura-samadhikatal-gata ?)-rijaiya-fri-manohari-vallabha-maharaja-Maha(ha)bali-kula-tilakayamana- Palungitarirudaiyananda-Nandagri(giri)nātha Parivaipura-paramérara-retchi-chinnāla ngirita ('chiha-alamkrita)-rrishabhalanjanah (laichhanah).
5 No. 84 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1906. # No. 109 of the same collection.
1 In the time of Kulõttunga I., his throne at Mudigondasőlapuram was called Vanidhirajan (Nos. 93, 94, 95 and 96 of 1910). One of bis officers was Vanarajan or Vänarāya (No. 138 of 1896 and No. 312 of 1901), Vikrama. Chola had also an officer named Mababali-Vánaráya (No. 545 of 1904 from Tiruvarur) and another called Virudarajabhaya kara-Vāņakovaraiyan (No. 112 of 1895).
R No. 159 of the Madras Epigraphical co..ection for 1906.
It is doubtful if this chief is identical with Rajarajadėvan Ponparappinan alias Vanakõvaraiyan of Arkalar W A feudatory of Kulottunya III. (N/8.532, 533 and 557 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1909). 10 Nos. 507, 543 and 544 of 1902 and Nos. 381, 382, 383 and 383 of the Madras Epigraphical collection for 1906.
11 The chief's claim to have covered with gold (ponparappina) is obscure. He night have gilt the Tiruvannā. malai temple. It may also be that he reg ilt the Siva temple at Chidambaram.
12 Bombay Guzetteer, Vol. I. Part II, p. 507.
13 Above, Vol. VII. p. 161. Toludagaiyūr, where Solakon, an adherent of the rebel Peruñjioga, was staying is probably identical with Toludur on the Madras-Trichinopoly road, 8 miles from Valikandapuram and 28 miles west-south-west of Vriddhachalam.
