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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XXVI.
himself with the enjoyment of sensual pleasures. When his only son, Prince Virannavõta, died a premature death some time after A.D. 1390, Kumaragiri, who was left without any heir except bis distant cousins, resolved to reward his brother-in-law for the valuable services rendered by him. Therefore, he conferred on Käțaya-Vēma the eastern territories with Rajabmundry as its capital, and left the remaining part of the kingdom to one of his cousins who might be successful in seizing his throne. Accordingly, on bis death, the Reddi territories which had hitherto remained under the authority of a single monarch were divided into two kingdoms, practically hostile to each otber. Peda-Kömati-Vēma, who succeeded him on the throne of Kondavidu, did not naturally acquiesce in the division of the kingdom effected by Kumāragiri and was inclined to question the right of Kātaya-Vēma to rule at Rajahmundry.
Another factor which contributed to the removal of the obstacles from the path of Annadēva was the confusion that arose in the kingdom of Vijayanagara, consequent upon the illness which afflicted Harihara II in A.D. 1403. His three sons Bukka II, Virūpäksha I, and Dēvarāya I repaired from their respective provinces to the capital, and were each busy in concerting measures to seize the throne. The death of Harihara II in A.D. 1404 was the signal for the outbreak of a civil war which racked the kingdom for two years. Kātaya-Vēma who expected help from Vijayanagara, owing to his political and family alliance with Harihara II, could hope for little or no assistance from his ally under the circumstances. It was at this juncture that Annadeva considered it expedient to return to his native country, and make an effort to recover his patri. mony. There is reason to believe that his restoration was partly due to a Velama invasion of the Rajahmundry kingdom. Rāvu-Singa II, the ruler of Warangal and Rācbakonda, invaded, probably at the instance of Sultan Firüz Shāh Bahmani, the Godavari delta and overran the country as far as the frontiers of Orissa. His cousin, Peda Vēdagiri, the chief of Devarakonda who formerly gave asylum to Annadēva, co-operated with him in the enterprise, and destroyed, according to the Velugotivāri-vam dāvali, the fort of Bendapūdi (Tuni division of the East Godavari District) which belonged to Kātaya-Vēma. These statements are corroborated by the evidence of a few inscriptions of Peda-Vēdagiri's officers at Simhachalam and Srikūrmam, both of which were included in the dominions of Kätaya-Vēma. One of these records registers the gift of 10 ganda-mādas to the temple of Srikürmam by Pins Mada-Nayadu, son of SingamaNāyadu, a younger brother of Recherla Sūra-Nayadu of Dēvarakonda in A.D. 1405. The
Lila-grihán=kanaka-ratna-chayair anekan prasadam=unnata-filhair Grihardja-sarjñam!
korida-sararsi cha vidhaya Vasarhtariyah kalf-radhanasi (1) sah äramata priyabhil || The Komaragirivaram Grant (J. A. H. R. 8., Vol. XI, pp. 209-10).
* Local Records, XXII, p. 166.
The marriage between Kataya-Vöma's son, Kata-Prabhu, and Harihara's daughter is mentioned in the Vemavaram grant (above, Vol. XIII, p. 242).
• Som (Sneh 1)-ollasini Parafika-nipatau sandh-ann-sandhayana kaih lanyaratna-samarpanat Gajapalau sambandha-gandhaspridi Recherl-anvaya-barnginam narapatin drashuni rané sahasam sambhavyan sa (na ?) hi Gautami-parisara-kahudra-kshamäbhrid-gane ||
(Visvēsvara, Chamatkara-chandrika-Madras Government Or. Mss. Lib., R. No. 2679, p. 114). See Introduction to Kataya.Vēma's Commentary on Kalidasa's Sakuntalam.
Kataya-Vēma conquered the country between Simhachalam and the Vindhyas between A.D. 1385 and 1390. This is brought out by the following passage in the Anaparti grant :
Tammit-Simhadri-paryanta-prachya ēva mahisvarah Jalavyās=tansmahipalan-adhund jaya-lilaya !
T'at6 Vindhyadri-Simhadri-madhyavarti-mahisvaran Jitva tad-deba-durgeshu niyujya --adhikarinah || J. 4. H. R. S., Vol. XI, p. 204 (vv. 27 and 36).
8.1. ., Vol. V, No. 1242.
