Indian Antiquary Vol 38

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 12

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1909.
in the Solar race and the Kasyapa-gôtra.31 The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang, who travelled in India in the 7th century A. D. refers to a Chôla kingdom in the same locality,32 It has, therefore, to be concluded that more than
8
Hiuen Taiang's Chu-li-ye.
a century before the Cholas of the Tamil country became dominant in Southern India, there was a Chôla kingdom comprising the southern portion of Kurnool, and the northern part of Cuddapah. With this principality and its history we are not at present concerned. Its existence has, however, to be noticed, because the Chôdas with whom we have to deal must have had some connection with the former.33 At any rate, they claim no relationship with the Cholas of Tanjore.3
Of the Telugu-Chôdas I noticed three branches in the Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1899-1900. One of them seems to have settled down in the modern Guntur District with Konidena (the ancient Kotyadona) near Narasaraopet as its capital. Daśavarman, the earliest known member of this branch claims to have conquered Pâkanâḍu and to have ruled at Pottapi35, a name which is associated with the surnames of a large number of Telugu-Chôda chiefs. Kandukuru in Pâkanâdu also seems to have been the capital at some time or other. The early history of these chiefs is obscure and the circumstances which led to their acquiring dominion are nowhere set forth. But towards the close of the reign of the Chalukya-Chôla emperor Kulôttunga I. some disturbances hitherto unexplained appear to have taken place in the province of Vêngi.36 The Chôlas of the Telugu country whom we found in possession of a kingdom in the 7th and 8th centuries must have sunk into comparative insignificance during the succeeding three centuries and were probably looking for an opportunity to acquire dominion and reassert their power. The disturbance in Vêngt might have afforded them the requisite opportunity. The earliest37 inscription of the Telugu-Chôdas is dated in A. D. 1106-07 during the reign of Ballaya-Chôdadêva Mahârâja33 The Telugu-Chodas of Kopidena. D. 68. Next came Pottapi-Kâmadêva Chôda-Mahârâja39 and Karikala-Chôda-Mahârâja who were feudatories of Kulôttunga I. and whose inscriptions have been found at Tripurântakam in the Kurnool District.40 D. 48 and D. 49 introduce Ballichôḍa-Mahârâja (or Ballibhûpâlaka), son of Kama, grandson of Venka and great-grandson of Pottapi-NanniChôda. The dates of Ballichôḍa are Saka-Samvat 1067 and 1088 corresponding to A. D. 1144-45
31 See my Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1904-05, Part II, paras. 5 and 6.
32 This reference was first noticed by me in an article contributed to the Madras Christian College Magazine for 1893 (Vol. XI, p. 284, note) and pointed out independently by Mr. V. A. Smith in his Early History of India, second edition, p. 417.
38 In his volume of Tumkur inscriptions, Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. XII, p. 7. Mr. Rice refers to certain Chola records from the country round Hemavati (in the Anantapur District) and Nidugal. These he assigns to the middle of the 8th century A. D.
The title "lord of the city of Uraiyar" is borne by many of them and would show that they olaimed descent, not from the Cholas of Tanjore, but from the earlier Cholas who had their capital at Uraiyar.
38 Pottapi is perhaps identical with Potapi near Tongootoor in the Pullam pet taluk of the Cuddapah District; see my Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1907-08, Part II, paragraph 79.
se The frequent change of viceroys (Ep. Ind., Vol. VI, p. 884) and the alleged adoption of a Velanandu chief as son by Kulottunga I. are facts which are at present inexplicable on any other supposition.
37 If the date assigned by the editors to P. 22 be correct, the history of the family would be carried to a still earlier period. The inscriptions of this branch as well as the Telugu records of the southern branch open with a Sanskrit passage, the first words of which are charana-saroruba-vihata-vilochana.
Perhaps this is the same as the Chodaballayachoda on p. 18 of the Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1899-1900. Perhaps identical with Kama who married Sriyadevi and whose date is Baka-Samvat 1059 (ibid.).
40 Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1905-06, Part II, paragraph 54.
41 Their ancestry might be made to agree with that quoted in the two preceding notes only on the supposition that Kama had two sons and that Venka was another name of Chodaballayachoda.