Indian Antiquary Vol 38

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

Page 91

APRIL, 1909.)
ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE NELLORE DISTRICT
87
Råjagandagópåladeva.97 He is called "the lord of the city of Vikramasimhapura" (i, e., Nellore) in N. 12. Five inscriptions of his reign which couple his regnal years with Saka dates prove that his accession must have taken place about A, D. 1289-90 (N. 70, N. 62,G. 115, N. 60, and N. 74). He was probably also called Madurântaka-Pottapi-Chola Sriranganatha alias Rajagaņdagopala. By the time he asserted his independence all traces of Cbôļa dominancy had evidently disappeared and accordingly he assumed the title of Tribhuvanachakravartin, and as all his inscriptions come from the Nellore and Guďür tâlukas,88 it looks as if he took the place of the Cholas and was, perhaps, & rival of the Kakatiya Rudradeva and Prataparudra. His latest date is his 15th year corresponding to Saka-Sarovat 1227. KV. 37, dated in Saka-Samvat 1231, the cyclic year Saumya=A. D. 1309-10, records a gift by "king" Venkatesa, while Ranganatha was the ruler. The only Kakatiya inscription found in the town of Nellore appears to be dateu in A.D. 1314-15. Rajagandagôpala's reign must have come to an end and the Kakatiyas probably annexed the southern portion of the district in or before that year. Mappidi-Nayaka's capture of Conjeeveram took place in the next years and, perhaps, the campaign which commenced in the annexation of the southern portion of the Nellore district ended in the capture of Conjeeveram. Certain Chola feudatories who claimed Châlokys ancestry may now be noticed. Inscrip
tions of this family have been found in Kalahasti (Nos. 172, Chola fendatories claiming Chalukya anoestry.
claiming 181, 182, 189, 191 and 200 of 1903) and its vicinity (Nos.
209 and 232 of 1903) in the North Arcot district, Râmagiri in the Chinglepat district (Nos. 040 and 659 of 1904) and Tiruvannamalai in the South Arcot district (Nos. 494,495, and 511 of 1902). References to these chiefs found in the Nellore volume have all been discovered at the village of Châpalapalli in the Venkatngiri Zamîndarf. They are all in Tamil and belong to the reign of the two Chola kings Kulôttunga III. and Rajaraja III, The family claimed to belong to the Yadava race. The most important item of information which these records furnish is that Bhujabala Siddarasa alias Rajamalladêra founded a Brahmana settlement at Nagapadol in Pakkai-nada and called it Rajamalla-chaturvedimangalam (V. 11, V. 2 and V. 6). A tank was built at the same time in the village and called Kamalamahaderipputtêri (v.7) after Bejjadevi alias Kamalamabadevi, the wife of Siddarasa (V. 1). The Vishņu temple where all these inscriptions are engraved was called in ancient times Yadavn-Narayana Perumal and was apparently founded about the same time (V. 16). The temple of TirunagiśvaramUdaiyar of which no traces seem to exist at present at the village was evidently more ancient and had been founded by the sage Nárada (?) (V. 11). Siddarasa alias Rajamalla was the son of Kat;iderarasan (V. 11 and v. 13) called Ghattideva or Ghattiyadeva in two Kalahasti inscriptions (Nos. 189 and 210 of 1903). The latter was a feudatory of the Chels king Rajaraja III. in his sixth and pinth years. The relationship which Ghattiyadêra bore to Tirukkalattidêva and to Nárasimbadera of the same family (South-ind: Inscrs., Vol. III, p. 208), has to be ascertained by future researches. But Madurântaka-Pottappichoļa Erasiddharasa of the Teluga-Choda family seems to have been a subordinate of Siddarasa alias Rajamalla (V. 11). A few of the more important Kakatiya fendatoriese have now to be noticed. [Singa]yadêra
Gadidôra-Chôda-Mahârâja, the Telugu-Chôda fendatory of the Kakatiya Feudatories.
Kakatiyas, has already been mentioned (D. 24). The dynasties to which [Vôbhala]dêva-Maharaja (A. 11) and Dagavarmadêva-Mahîrâja (KV. 11) belonged,
G. 30, which is badly damaged and seems to have been misread, probably also belongs to his reign. # That Rajagapdag pala's dominions extended as far as Kalahasti in the North Arcot district is rendered probable by a reoord of A. D. 1820-81 at the place (No. 199 of 1908) which refers to transactions in the 7th yoar of his reiga.
# Ep. Ind., Vol. VII., p. 129.
90 A Chalakya chief who claimed descent from VimalAditya was a feudatory of the Kakatiya king Ganapati (P. 7).
1 See p. 9 above.