________________
274
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXV.
apparently without issue, his territory passed to the nearest relative, viz., his brother-in-law Ambadēva I or more probably the latter's son Janarddana. This would account for the tracing of Ambadēva (II)'s genealogy from Gangēva-Sāhiņi who had, otherwise, no direct lineal connection with bim. Thus from Janarddana's time the territory of the Kayastha chiefs comprised a large area from Pānungal to Mārajavādi or Kaivāra, i.e., from the Nalgonda District (Nizam's Dominions) to the Cuddapah District. From the table given above it is clear that Janniga must have come to power some time after Saka 1179 as Gängěya-Sāhiņi's latest inscription is dated in Saka 1179 and held the governorship till Saka 1192 which is the earliest date for Tripurări. Tripurări was succeeded by his younger brother Arnbadēva II in Saka 1194, who continued to rule till at least Saka 1224 in which year his Lēpāka inscription is dated. It is significant that the Kārem pūļi and Nandalur inscriptions of Jannigadēva bearing the Saka date 1186 do not refer to the overlord whereas his earlier inscriptions of Saka 1180-82 introduce him as a feudatory of Ganapati. The Durgi and Potlapādu inscriptions of Saka 1191 and Saka 1192 belonging respectively to Janniga and Tripurări mention Rudramahādēvi as the reigning monarch. But Tripurāri's inscriptions of Saka 1194 and almost all the records of Ambadēva II from Saka 1194 to Saka 1224 are issued by the chiefs independently without acknowledging the suzerain power. This omission to mention the reigning monarch, if it signifies anything, may be taken to reflect the unsettled political conditions in the country due to weakness at the centre, particularly between Saka 1182 and 1186 and Saka 1192 and 1194. This is borne out by a study of the political events that happened at this period in the Telugu country. The most important document that furnishes many political synchronisms for the history of the period is the Tripurantakam inscription of Arbadēva-Mahārāja dated in Saka 1212. It states about Aribadēva that he (1) acquired the title of Rāyasahasramalla after defeating Sripati-Ganapati; (2) routed Kēšava joined by Sõmidēva and Alluganga ; (3) vanquished Mallikarjuna who was a hater of Gods and Brāhmans; (4) gave his daughter in marriage to Rājanna son of king [B7]laya who had celebrated several sacrifices, together with the Nandanapura country (Nandalur) as dowry; (5) reinstated Manmagandagõpāla at Vikramasimhapura (Nellore) in his kingdom which he had lost; (6) captured the treasures of the Pandya princes ; (7) defeated Damodara of the west ; (8) took the head of Eļuva-Mallidēva ; (9) was honoured with rich presents by the king of Dēvagiri who was pleased at his valour ; (10) destroyed Kädavaraya and (11) was helped by his friend king Parākramapandya with strong cavalry forces. Most of these exploits are confirmed by the contemporary epigraphical and literary evidences as shown in the sequel.
A record from Tallaproduţūrt belonging to Jagatäpi Gangeyadevachõļamahāraju, son of Alluganga, and bearing Saka date 1244 describes the chief as Gandapendāra-Gängeya-Sahini-sarvastabandikära, i.e., robber of Gängeya-Sāhiņi's wealth and as 'one who obtained the (regal) fortune by churning the ocean of Sēvuna (ie., Yadava) army, indicating thereby that the Chief had rid himself of the Yādava domination by Saka 1244. From an inscription at Nilūru in the Gooty Taluk of the Anantapur District dated in Saka 1137, it is learnt that Jagatāpi Dandidēvacho!a
1 This arra roughly included the modern Cuddapah, Kurnool, Bellary, Anantapur, Nellore and Guntur Districts.
In one of the Lepika inscriptions examined and copied by the Telugu Assistant of the Epigraphy Office, Madras, in 1938. Gandpewlāra Tripuraridera-Maharaja is introduced as ruling Mulki-nandu from Valluripattana in Saka 1226, Knidhin (A.D. 1304) and making a grant of the village Lebika as a sarramanya-agrahara to the temple of Allāļanāthadeva. This is a solitary record of Tripurari belonging to such a late date. If he is identical with the brother of Amhadeva II, we have to presume that he continued to rule conjointly with Anbadeva till Saka 1226.
No. 269 of 19 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection. • No. 308 of 1935-36 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection,
No. 34.5 of 19:20.
