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AdQuer, 1002.
NOTES ON MALABAR AND ITS PLACE-NAMES.
345
A little later on we have Varaba Mihira, the great Hindu Astronomer (about A. D. 550), noticing in his Brihatsahhitd both the country and the people by the names Kerals and Kairalakas.26 He locates the country in the Southern Division and nomes Baladvapattanam and Marthipattanam as important towns therein. Kern, Varâha Mihira's Translator, identifies these places with the Baliapattana and the Muzeris of Ptolemy and other Greek Geographers.27
Inscriptions and copper-plate documents of the Western Chalukya Dynasty show that almost for 500 years after this, the Chalakyan kings made temporary conquests of Kerala. In an inscription of the Western Chalukyan king, Palskesi ï. (5th century A. D.), Kerala is mentioned as possessing a chief who was conquered by that sovereign. In the Mahakata inscription of Mangaldéa (567 to 610 A. D.) we are told that the victories of his brother and predecessor Kirtivarma I (489 to 567 A. D.) included the kings of Kerala, Mashaka, Pandya, ChCliya, and Aluka. Professor Monier Williams identifies Mashaka with that part of the Malabar Coast lying between Quilon and Cape Comorin. It may be remembered that Dr. Burnell stops a long way north of Quilon in giving the Southern boundary of the Chêra or Kerala Kingdom. Of Pulalesi II. (610 to 634 A. D.) it is said that, after the conquest of Kanchipura, ho crossed the Kåvert and invaded the country of the Cholas, the Pandy as, and the Keralas.30 But these preferred to submit rather than to fight. They, however, soon revolted, aud Palakebi's son, Vikramaditya I. (652-3 to 680 A. D.)," a man of abilities and daring adventure, bad to march against them and break their combined power. In the epithets applied to Vikramaditya I., father of Vinryaditya Satyasraya, a clear allusion ie made to a confederacy that was formed against him by the three kings of Chôla, Påndya and Kerala. He is said " to have rent open with the thenderbolt that was his prowess the proud summits of the haughtiness of the three mountains which were the kings of Chols, Pagdya, and brala. Vikramaditya's son, Vinayaditya, seems to hava assisted his father in conquering the southern kingdoms. Between the 11th and 14th years of his own riga (692 to 695 A. D.) the king completely subjugated, among others, the Keralas in the south. Vinnyaditys made tributaries of the kings of Kavēra or Kérale, as it is read in Bome of the grants and of the Parasikas, who, as Professor Bhandarkar says, were probably the Syrians settled on the coast of Malabar.96 Vinayaditya's grandson Vikramaditya 11.36 also claims to have fought with the Cholas, the Pâpdyas, the Kéraļas, the Kalabhras and reduced them. In a grant dated A. D. 758 by Kirtivarma II., son of Vikramaditya, we are introduced to him in a seaside residence at a place called Jayamambha, situated on the shore of the southorn ocean, of which a graphic description is given, where he dwelt in peace after" withering op Pandya, Chola, Kêraļa, Kalabhra, and other kings."*37
About this time the BAshtrak atas overthrew the Chalukyas. The fourth prince of the Rathor family, Dantidarga, Ron o! Indra I., was a great raler. His own grant attribntes to him an easy victory over the army of Karņáta. He is said to have defeated the lords of Kanchi and Kêrela, the Chêja, Sriharsha and V..ijayanti.** The Ashtrakate king Govinda VI. claims to have conquered the Keralas. He reigned about A, D. 803 to 814-15. For 200 years and more after this the
Ohap. 4, v. 12. Aleo Chap. 16, v. 11. The word Esiralaba appears in that form in the Allahabad Inscription of Samudra Gapig. See Gupta Inscriptions, page E, line 13. 21 See Kern's Brihatear hila.
Sewell's Archeological Survey Report, Vol. II. - Fleet's Sanskrit and Old Cunarere Inscriptions, No. 186 - Ind. Ant. Vol. XIX. p. 7. ** Bhandarkar's History of the Dekhani, p. 89. u Barnell's South Indian Palmography, 2nd Ed., p. 18, 11 Ibid. p. 43. Fleet's San. and Old Oan, Inscriptions, No, ILVIII.-Ind. Ant. Vol. VII. p. 308. - Fleet's Sants, and Old Can. Inscriptione, No. XXIX.-Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p. 87. * Fleet, No. XLIV. -Ind. Ant. Vol. VII p. 309.
* History of the Dekhan, p. 43. * Begae to ruiga 1 D. 783. Barnell, p. 18.
The Chalukyan and the Pallapas, by Lewis Rice-IndAnt. Vol. VII. p. 28 (200 26 and 27). # Ind. Ant. Vol. VI. p. 61, Dantidarga's date has been fixed by mense of grants mA, D.795-55-Logan Malabar, Vol. I. p. 236.
* Tid.
