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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XI.
by the Vishpakundin family of about the 7th century A.D. Again the adoption by Punyakumara and his ancestors of titles and names which were current among the Pallava kings of the Simhavishạı line, makes it probable that they were either the subordinates of those Pallavas or succeeded them politically in, at least, a portion of their extensive territory. Besides, the existence of a kingdom called Cho-li-ye in the time of the Chinese traveller Hinen Tsiang (640 A.D.) somewhere about the tract of country in which we find these Telugu-Chola records, is conclusive proof that this kingdom existed in the 7th century A.D." Allowing thus a little more than a century to the five ralers from Nandivarman to Punyakumara, the date of the Målēpádu plates may roughly be referred to about the end of the 8th century A.D., which is also the period determined by palæographical evidence.
The connection that existed between these Telaga-Cholas of the Cuddapah district and the Tamil Cholas of Tanjore, both of whom claim Karikala as their ancestor, is not clear. After & more or less independent rule in Rēnāņdu for about a century or two, the Cholas of Cuddapah appear to have dispersed. Some of them became subordinate to the Western Chalukyas who conquered and occapied the northern portion of the Pallava country. A collateral branch appears to have adventured further north to seek service in Chakrakota under the Nagavamsi king [Dhärávarsha) Jagadēkabhäshana-Mahārāja (A.D. 1060-61). In the 12th and 13th centuries there flourished in the Guntur, Nellore, North Arcot, Cuddapah and Chinglepat districts influential kings of the Telugu Chola (now changed into Teluga-Choda) family who owed allegiance to the Kakatiyas of Warangal. The Kakatiyas themselves trace their descent from the sun and count among their mythical ancestors the ancient king Karikala-Chola. In the Anantapur district and the bordering Kanarese country there flourished also a branch of these Cholas. Even as late as the 16th century A.D., Chola chiefs with the traditionary legend of descent from Karikāla and lordship over the ancient town of Uraiyūrs are found serving as viceroys under Vijayanagara rulers.
TEXT.7
First Plate. 1 $Jayati dhțita-chandra-rēkh[o] vi(pal-ā]mala-tärakash] sabh-aloka[h] [1 ]
gagana
2 m=jva suprasanna[h
kula-Manda
Tri]pura-pratima[l*]la-karta-hä[gan]raḥo ||
Dinakara,
Madras Epigraphical Report for 1905, p. 49.
"A Kanarese record (No. 850 of 1905) of the Western Chalukya king Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI. dated in Saks 1046 (-- A.D. 1124-26) mentions the Mahamandalasvara Atyana-Chola maharaja whose eulogy begins with the very same passage as in the earlier Chola records of the Cuddapah district under reference. Pedda. mudiyam, the village from which it comes, is described as "the jewel of villages, the great agrahara Mudivéma, where resided one hundred and fifty pious (Bribmanas) who were well versed in Vedas and Puranas, in penance and in devotion to Narayana and who were the lotus-tank as it were), in which the Maharajadhiraja Vishnuvardhaus and others had their birth." The last adjunct is explained by Mr. Ramayya Paptulu to be a clear reference to the birth of Vishnuvardhans at Mudivému mentioned in the mythological account of the later Eastern Chalukya copper plates
Madras Epigraphical Report for 1909, p. 112. Madras Epigraphical Report for 1900, p. 17 f. . lbid., p. 106, paragraph 44.
• The title lord of Uraiyur (Oreyûr)' assumed by the Telugu Choda chiefs occurs for the first time in the Bastar record of Chandridityadors of the 11th century A.D. Earlier Chola inscriptions from Cuddapah do not speak of Oreyür. From the original plates.
A faint syinbol for Omi is visible at the beginning of the line. • Metre: Arya Giti. Read -kanthago haran. The adjectives which qualify haras 'the necklace (of Sivo), are applicable also to gagana 'the sky' to which the necklace is compared. In the first case the necklace is made up of beads resembling the digit of the moon and of pearls big and bright; it is also auspiciously brilliant and flawless. The sky is the seat of the digit of the moon, full of big and bright stars, full also of good lustre shed by the stars and clear. It may be noted that Chandrahara in Kanarese meas & Decklace of flat moon-like (circular) gold beads.'
