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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[Vol. XXVIII Now, to return to the Māchupalle inscription. Another point of interest attaching to it is that Gangaya-Sāhaại, the Kayastha chief ruling from Vallūru, figures in it as an associate of SõmidēvaMahārāja in the gift made, evidently in the capacity of a friend or a joint subordinate under a common suzerain. It was perhaps in the latter capacity that he figures in this inscription. For, Gangnya-Sāhani was a feudatory of the Kākatiyas and he is mentioned as such in several inscriptions of Kakatiya Ganaputi issued in the same year in which the inscription from Machupallo was issued, i.e., A. D. 1255. Ho was, besides, employed as a general of the Telugu Choda chief Manumasiddhi II of Nelluru (A. D. 1239-1268) who was the friend and ally of Gunaputi. Literary evidence testifies to the fact that Ganguya-Sāhani was deputed by the Telugu Chöda ruler to collect tribute from Rakkusa-Ganga who is stated to huve boen defeated by Manumasiddhi, but whose territories were given back to him in exemplification of the Choda ruler's character as an aspitavatsala.
It has been surmised above that Rakkasa-Ganga was the same chief that was also known as Rayadēva-Mahārāja, the Kalukadapura prince who was ruling over the region of Siddhavattam and its adjacent territory. Gunyaya-Sūhani, having been thus deputed, seems to have gone to Siddhavattam and on the occasion of his visit to the holy place might have made the grant registered in the Machupalle record under study. Since the verse in the Nirvachanottura-Rāmāyaṇamu cited above, explicitly states that the dominions conquered from Rakkasa-Ganga were duly restored to him, Gangaya-Sühasi being sent only to collect tribute, it is self-explanatory that in the Machupalle record, Sõnidēva, the successor of Rakkasa-Ganga, should be described as the original donor from whom Gangaya-Sähani obtained the gift village, for it was Somidēva-Maharaja that was the actual ruler of the arca in which the gift-village was situated. In this connection it is significant that except a few carly inscriptions of the family, all the other records of the Kalukulapuru chiefs which quote their pruśusti are found issued without reference to any overlord. Even the Pushpagiri record of Sõmidēva-Mahārāja of A. D. 1268 is found issued with the full preamble of the family and without any reference to an overlord. The Pushpagiri record further makes it apparent that the two chiefs figuring therein, Murāri-Kēšavadēva-Mahārāja and Somidēva-Mahārāja were left to onjoy their possessions in freedom till A. D. 1268 at least. Not long after this date, these princes seem to have offended the Kayastha chiefs of Vallūru for it is learnt from the records of Ambadova, the Kayastha chief who assumed rulership sometime about A. D. 1272 und flourished till A. D. 1302, that he defeated Kēšavadēva and Somidēva along with Allu-Ganga. There can be no doubt that the first two princes were the chiefs of Kalukada whose Pushpagiri inscription has been cited above. This defeat must have taken place sometime before A. D. 1290 as the earliest of Aunbadēva's inscriptions mentioning this exploit is duted in this year. We hear no more about the lords of Kalukadapura subsequent to this date.
It is not known what brought Väsudēva Nayaka of Malaimandalam to Siddhavattam where le figures as the donor in the present record. His visit inay bave been just un act of pilgrimage to the holy place Siddhavattam on the occasion of which he made the pious gift recorded in the inscription. That the object of the gift made by him was in the first instance obtained from Somidēva-Mahārāja and in the second from Gangaya Sabani, must be understood to bear some particular significance, the exact nature of which it is not possible to say. It is not unlikely that he was either somo subordinato commander under Gangaya Sähani, the generalissimo of the Telugu Chudas and the Kakatiyas or was just a learned man interested in Saivism and its spread. This Näyaka is otherwise unknown to us except from this inscription. 1 No. 21 of 1930 of the Mol. Ep. Coll. ; N. 1. 1., Vol. X, No. 316.
Above, Vol. XXVII, p. 104. • Nirvacharöttara-Ramayanamu, Canto I, v. 41. . Abovo, Vol. XXV, p. 274; 9.1.I., Vol. X, No. 465.
