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No. 42]
TELUGU CHOLA RECORDS FROM ANANTAPUR AND CUDDAPAH
245
On palaeographical grounds the record has been assigned to about the latter half of the 8th century A.D. which may be accepted as correct, as the inscription shows, especially in the letters k, r, 1 and j later forms than the Veludurti inscription of Uttamāditya-Chola (ins. J. above) which we have assigned to about the second quarter of the 8th century A.D.
The letters are deeply engraved and are well-formed. While, as we have noted, a few letters are of later development than the Veludurti inscription of Uttamāditya, only the letter! (line 4) appears more archaic than the l of the Veludurti inscription. This need not be taken to militate against its date being later than that of the inscription of Uttamāditya. The persistence of old forms of certain letters in later inscriptions is not uncommon in South Indian Epigraphy.
Attention may be drawn to the letter r in l.1 which is exactly in the form in which it is written as subscript in wru of lines 2 and 3. The absence of the serif in n final (lines 1 and 4) may be noted. The u, medial sign, attached to m in lines 2 and 3 presents a peculiar form.
The inscription records that a certain Arivarajama fell after piercing Dantiyamma-Mangu while Kāpi-Boļa-Mutturāju, the ruler of Pudali (Pudali ēluvānu) and the son of Mahēndran surnamed Mänaravi and Mārurāpi[dugu), was looking on with wonder.
The title Mārurápidu[gu], thunderbolt to enemy kings', of Mahendra recalls a similar title of Punyakumāra, viz., Marunyapidugu (ins. F. Tippalūr inscription) meaning thunderbolt (pidugu) to the enemies (marunru)'.
The meaning of the title Mānaravi is not clear but it seems to be identical with Mānāditya which was the name of a Telugu Chola subordinate of the Kalinga Ganga kings."
The place Pudali, which is stated to be under the rule of Kapi-Böļa may be identified with Būdili, a hamlet of Budidigaddapalle, where the present inscription has been found.
The inscription is important for the several personalities it mentions and for the useful information it provides in regard to the Telugu Chola genealogy. Mahendra, who bore the birudas, Mārurāpidugu and Mänaravi, father of Käpi-Bola Mutturāju, may be identified with Mahendravarman II of the line of Sundarananda mentioned in the Madras Museum plates of Srikantha. The E!añjola (crown-prince or Yuvarāja) mentioned as the successor of Mahendravarman in the record of Srikantha may have been another son of Mahēndra besides Käpi-Bēļa-Mutturāju of the present record. Kapi-Boļa, being a Mutturāju, was probably the younger brother. Further, the Choļika Muttarasa figuring in several inscriptions at Sravanagudie Midagēši hobli, Tumkur District, (a place which is 30 miles west of Būdili and 10 miles south-east of Nidugal or Erigal) and in another record at Nagaragere, Goribidnur taluks (a place 10 miles south west of Būdili), wherein he is described as holding sway over Kandakotta and Rāmadi-nādu, may probably be identified with Kapi-Böla-Mutturīju. Probably he is the same prince mentioned in an inscription at Dapavulapādu in the Jammalamadugu taluk of the Cuddapah District, as Kāpyana, son of .... Cbõlamahārāja (name lost).
Regarding Dantiyamma-Mangu, the opponent of Arivarajama, it may be stated that he is probably identical with Mangi, who seems to have renewed a grant of a Chola Mahādēvi at Chilamakūru.? His surname, Dantiyamma (i.e., Dantivarmma), would make him either a contemporary
Narasapatam plates of Vajrahasta III, above, Vol. XI, p. 148. The full name of the Choda is given as Mänidityachöda. Cf. Mahimanachoda in the Telugu Chola genealogy (An. Rep. on 8. I. Epigraphy. 1909, p. 16).
. Although the record which is a riragal inscription, does not specifically describe Mahendra us a Chola, considerations such as the title he bore which are similar to those used by the princes of the family, the provenance of the inscription in Telugu Chola territory and the identifications proposed above would ronder it quite likely that he was of Telugu Chola extraction.
: JIII, Vol. XV, p. 32. " Ep. Carn., XII, Mi. 94, 95 and 96.
Rp. Corn., X. Gn. 76. • No. 341 of 1905 of the Mnd. Ep. Coll. 1 No. 396 of 1904 of the Mad. Ep. Coll.
