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OCTOBER, 1908.) ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE NELLORE DISTRIOT.
283
The Pallava kings of the Sanskrit charters.
The kings mentioned in the Sanskrit copper-plates are admittedly later,36 and this is their succession: -
Skandavarman I. Viravarman. Skandavarman II. Yuramaharaja-Vishņugộpa.
Simhavarman. This pedigree is derived from three copper-plates, viz. the Uruvupalli, 37 the Mangaļür, 39 and the Pikira grants, which are all critically edited. The first records the grant by the
Yuvamahardja-Vishnagôpavarman of the village of Uruvupalli in the Mandarashtra to a temple at Kandukura.40 Mundarashtra must be identical with the Mundai-nálu mentioned in some of the Nellore insoriptions, while Kamlukůra is perhaps identical with the modern Kandukur. The second and third grants belong to the time of Simbavarman. The former records an order addressed to the villagers of Mangalûr in the Vengörashtra country, and the latter registers the gift of the village of Pikira in the Mandariishţra. The Darsi fraginent belongs also to the same family. No inscriptions have been found so far of the first three kings, riz. Skandavarman I., Vfravarman and Skandavarman II. The fourth does not appear to have reigned, as he is called Ylvamaharaja in two of the grants, while, in the third, he makes & gift duriug the reign of Simhavarman. Of these four charters, two were issued from Dusanapora, one from Palakkada and the fourth from the king's camp pitched at Mên mâtura. Daśanapura seems to have been the capital at the time, while Palak kada was the name of the locality where the Yuvamahdrdja-Vishyagopa was residing. The Chendalûr grant of Kuwâraviahnu 11.46 and the Udayêudiram grant of Nandivarman7 have to be assigned to about the same
** Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. I, Part II, p. 320.
37 Op. cit., Vol. V, pp. 50-53. * Ibid., pp. 15457.
5 Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII, pp. 159-58 The temple (de wakula) was boilt by the general (and pati) Vishnuvarman and was oalled Vishņuhara. The Kadamba king Ravivarman, who may be assigned roughly to the 6th century A. D. (Bombay Caxetteor, Vol. I, Part I, p. 291) boasts of having slaio Vishnuvarman and other kings and of having uprooted Chapdadanda, the lord of KAicht (above, Vol. VI. p. 291.). The Vishnavarman slain by the Kadamba king might be either the sendpats Vishpuvurman or the Yuvamahdraja-Vishņogope. The family to which Chandadanda, the lord of Kazicht, belonged is not stated.
" Gaplavaram (N. 19), Kodavaldra (N. 31 ), and Vogaru (N. 131 ) in the Nellore taluka belonged to Mundai-nida. N. 63, N. 72, and N. 109 also mention the distriot.
11 The village of Kandukur is onlled Skandapura in a Sanskrit insoription (KR. 85). A fragment of an ancient stone insoription of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty has been found at the place (KR. 31 and 32). The other insoriptions of the town are much later,
+3 Ep. Ind., Vol. I, p. 397 f. It belongs to the time of the great-grandson of Vira-Kórohavarman whose name must be mentioned in the missing portion of the grant. Vira-Korohavarman might be idential with the ViraVarman of the foregoing pedigree. In tbis case, it is just possible that the Darki fragment belongs to the reign of Simhavarman. Virakaroha is mentioned in the Kaakkudi plates among the remote ancestors of Nandivarman Pallavamalla ( South-Ind. Inscrs., Vol. II, p. 343).
4 Skapdavarman, Vishnugopa and Sióbavarman are mentioned in the Kibakudi plates among the remote ancestors of Nandivarman Pallavamalla (South-Ind. Inacte., Vol. II, p. 343). Kalindavarman, Kapagopa, Viraaith ba and Vishnusitisha referred to in the same connection probably belonged to about the same period.
46 It is not impossible that Dajanapara was the ancient name of the modern village of Darsi. It is called Darisi (D. 10, D. 12) and Darasi (D. 18-) in inscriptions of the 14th pentury found at the place. * Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII, pp. 283-33.
'** Ibid., Vol. III, pp. 119-47.
