Indian Antiquary Vol 38

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

Page 98

94
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1909.
Gajapati king by Narasa's son Krishnaraya. The latter not only regained the lost dominions of the Vijayanagara kings, but advanced as far north as Simhachalam in the Vizagapatam district where he planted a pillar of victory 28 Pratâ parudra had to make a treaty and to give his daughter in marriage to the victorious Krishnaraya. Other kings of the second Vijayanagara dynasty represented in the Nellore volume are Achyuta and Sadasiva. Virapratâpa Vira-Bhujabala Tirumaladeva-Mahârîja who was ruling at "Vidyanagara seated on the diamond throne" in Saka-Samvat 144[4, the Vibha]va-sau vatsara (perhaps a mistake for 1448, Pârthiva) (U. 2) is probably identical with Tirumalaiyadeva, son of Krishnadeva, mentioned in an inscription at Dâmal near Conjeeveram with the date Saka-Samvat 1446 expired, the cyclic year Tarana corresponding to A. D. 1524-25.29 That Krishnarâya had a son is also borne out by the Portuguese chronicler Nuniz who says that the king desired to confer the crown on the young prince and went so far as to abdicate openly in his favour. But the prince died suddenly.30 During the reign of Sadasiva, Aliya Ramaraja became virtually the king, as is known from other sources. Certain barbers having pleased Râmarâja by their services, the taxes leviable from the whole caste of barbers were remitted. Records registering this remission have already been found in other parts of the Telugu country.32 In the Nellore volume there are three (P. 85, KG. 20, and A. 17), the first extending the privilege to the Podili district, the second to the Kanigiri and Polacharla districts, and the third to the village of Baṭṭepâḍu in the Udayagiri-râjys. Râmaraja's brother Tirumala, called Ramaraja-Tirumalayyadeva-Mahârâjula in the inscriptions, was apparently the governor of Udayagiri in A. D. 1551-52 during the reign of Sadasiva (N. 104). That Tirumala was governing Vellore and the country surrounding it as a feudatory of Sadasiva even after the death of his brother Ramaraja at the battle of Tâlikôts, is apparent from four inscriptions at Vellore.33 Tirumala was also a commentator of the Sanskrit poem Gitagovinda. He is reported to have transferred the seat of government to Penukonda in A. D. 1567.35 Tirumala is alleged to have murdered Sadasiva in A. D. 1568 and seized the throne for himself.38 N. 105, dated in Saka-Samvat 1492, the cyclic year Pramôda corresponding to A. D. 1570-71 belongs, however, to Virapratapa Sadasiva, who was ruling the earth seated on the diamond throne.7 Râmaraja Srirangarajayyadêva-Maharaja who is here mentioned was probably the son (Ranga IV.) of Ramaraja who fell in the battle of Tâlikota. . Several inscriptions of Ranga II., son of Tirumala, have been found mainly in the southern talukas of the Nellore district, and the latest date for him found in them is Saka-Samvat 1504, the cyclic year Chitrabhânu (N. 124) corresponding to A. D. 1582-83. He must have reigned until Saka-Samvat 1507, the cyclic year Tarana corresponding to A. D. 1584-85.33 In two copper-plate grants published by Mr. Rice (Ep. Carn., Vol. VII, Sh. 83, and Vol. XII, Ck. 39) Ranga is said to have conquered Kondavida, Vinikonda, and other fortresses after establishing himself at Uddagiri (Udayagiri). Ranga's younger brother Venkata I. was probably governing a portion of the Vijayanagara empire
See my Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1899-00, paragraph 69.
29 No. 159 of the Government Epigraphist's Collection for 1898.
se Mr. Sewell's Forgotten Empire, p. 859.
N. 34-A where the date is read as Saka-Samvat 1448, is very badly damaged. The ayolio year is completely gone while the Baka date seems to be 1458-not 1448.
See my Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1905-5, Part II., paragraph 48.
33 South-Indian Inscriptions, Vol. I., Nos. 43 to 43.
34 See my Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1898-99, paragraph 18.
36 Mr. Sewell's Forgotten Empire, p. 209, and Ep. Ind., Vol. III, p. 238 f.
se Mr. Sewell's Forgotten Empire, p. 212.
Two inscriptions near Barakar in the South Canara district dated in Saka-Samvat 1507 (No. 131 of the Government Epigraphist's Collection for 1901) and Saka-Samvat 1506 (No. 140 of the same collection) refer themselves to the reign of Sadasiva. These two dates are much later than the latest sure date of the king hitherto known. But it is just possible that the Barukar dates do not refer to the grants made by Sadasiva but to the time when they were actually engraved on stone.
No. 237 of the Government Epigraphist's Collection for 1903.