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No. 26.) MELUPAKA GRANT OF MAHADEVENDRA-SARASVATI: SAKA 1608. 355
kings of Golkonda. Rámadás, the nephew of these ministers, was pat to extreme torture on account of certain misappropriation of revenue."
“They were two brothers, born of a very poor family, who entered service as shroffs in A.D. 1666 on a pay of 10 gilders per mensem under Saiyyad Mustapha, a nobleman of Golkonda known to fame as Mir Zumla. Mādanna alias Saryaprakasa Rao is stated by the Dutch journalist to have been an intelligent man, whereas his brother Akkanna was a man of canning and roguery with very little of understanding. The brothers rose in rank by an apparent act of treachery, which cost Mir Zumla his high office under the Nawabs of Golkonda. Mädanna became a very prominent figure in the administration of the kingdom, so much so that the Sultan left everything to his care and was satisfied with receiving 75,000 dollars for his personal ase. Mådanna was well versed in Persian, Hindustani, and the vernaculars of the conntry, and lived in a kingly style."
“Having served under Abdulla Qutb Shah (A.D. 1611-1672), the two brothers seem to have maintained the same high position also under the reign of Abdul Hassan, the successor of Abdulla Qutb Shah. But they were not to maintain this long. In A.D. 1685 the Mughal king Aurangzeb marched with his army into Golkonda and plundered first the house of Madanna. The people were in a state of panio and accused Mädanna of high treason. Under orders from the Sultan they murdered the two brothers, who were once the bosom friends of the king, in & most ignominious way. Akkanna and Mādanne were dragged along the streets in the presence of the people. The head of Madanna was severed from his body and sent to Aurangzeb, while that of Akkanna was trampled under the foot of an elephant. The death of the two brothers must have happened after the 29th of Oct. 1685, when the Mughal army entered Golkonda, and perhaps before the end of that month."
The Dutch journal contains four interesting pictures, which have been reproduced in the Madr. Ep. Rep., 1915, plate II, regarding the story of Akkanna and Mädanna. One of them is a figure of the king of Golkonda “Sultaan Abos-sl-Hassan Kotbshah Koning van Golkonda." Two others are those of Akkanna and Mädanna. The former is styled " Opper Boekhouder en Generalissimus #dni hot Colcónidase loger," while concerning Midanna we have “Madoena Suroparkaas Rouwo Albestierder dan het Golcondase ryk." The fourth picture illustrates how the two brothers are drawn through the streets by the disaffected populace. Under each of those we find an insoriptiot by Hsvart as follows: 1. Aboe-il-Hassan.
Translation. . Nemo feliz ante obitum.
None is happy before death. L. I. Hy was een Koning in de naam, He was a kingin name, pot in deed. From niet in der daad,
& very low state he rose to high dignity. He L. 2. Quam tot die waadirgheyd van de let others rule himself and his kingdom. alderlaagste staat,
He was a stupid man, pot kinglike in manners. L. 3. En liet door andere sig self, ent Ryk When fortune had played with him for a long bestieren,
time, he was kicked from crown and throne L. 4. Een dom onnozel Monsoh, niet through his own fault; crept in sand, ate Vorstlyk in manieren.
dust and was hambled like a slase. Wou to L. 5. Toen nu't geluk met hem oon tyd the land where kings are children. lang had gefopt,
L. 6. Wierd hy door eygen Sobald van Kreol on Throon gouehopt,
L. 7. Kroop to het sant, vrat stof, moest sig als slaaf vermindren.
L. 8. Wee zullen land, alwant de Koningen syn klindron.
