Indian Antiquary Vol 43

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 13

JANUARY, 1914.] THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA.
over the whole South of the peninsula and parts also of the Mysore State, including at least the Bangalore and Kolar districts and South Mysore State."38 It is difficult to endorse the dictum that Kampana became "an independent sovereign," as we know for certain that he was a mere viceroy, a sort of political agent, whose existence was not attended with the extinction of the local dynasties. Nevertheless he made himself a powerful grandee of the empire, whose position was hardly inferior to that of an independent potentate. "Kampana," says Sewell,39 was succeeded by Aryanna40 or Aryena Udayâr in or before the year 1377, for we have an inscription of the latter's reign dated in that year. Aryena was succeeded by his son Virupanna," while according to another account, 4.1 by his brother-in-law, Prakâsa Udayar. Whatever the fact was, whether Prakâsa or Virupanna was the viceroy, we find it impossible to reconcile it with epigraphical records, which clearly assert that between 1380 and 1396, the dominant man of the South was Virupaksha, the son of Harihara II.42 He is said to have vanquished "the Tundira, Chôla, Pândya, and Simhala kingdoms," planted a pillar of victory in Ceylon, and presented the immense spoils of his victorious campaign to his father. A fine soldier, he is said to have been equally great in religion, and distributed the traditional" sixteen gifts." As the late Mr. Venkaiyah points out, he probably died as the viceroy of "Karnata, Tundira, Chôla, and Pâidya" lands. At any rate, from the fact that he did not succeed his father to the imperial throne, we have to infer that he must either have predeceased him, or, in case he survived, must have been contented with the rôle of a subordinate and a viceroy. It seems that Virupaksha had a literary bent of mind. The Telugu drama, Narayana Vilása, has been attributed to him; and it is not improbable that the temper of the scholar disliked the burden of the imperial office. As a viceroy, however, he was evidently an able officer. His relations with the notables Virupanna and Prakasa are not known, but most probably he kept them under control. Whatever it was, there can be no question that it was his achievement that enabled his father43 to assume the imperial titles of Râjâdhi Râja, Râja Paramêśvara,
etc.
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38 Arch. Surv. 1907-8, p. 241.
39 Antiquities II, 160. Perhaps Aryena corresponus to the Embana Udayâr of Nelson.
40 Inscription 562 of 1902 at Tiruvannamalai points out that he gave land and money for a watchman in S. 1299 (Pingala). An insc. of 1383 at Gudimaller says that, in his time, there was a quarrel between right and left hand castes for a space of four years. (422 of 1905).
41 Madura Manual based on Hindu chronicles. Virupanna's inscriptions are at Trinomali, etc., (Insons. 483, 565, 572, 649 and 654 of 1902). No. 565 mentions the remission of a certain tax in 1388 A.D. No. 572 says that his cousin, Jammana Udayar, granted land to provide for 5 persons who were to recite the Vedas in the memory of his deceased father in 1388 A. D., Insen. 649 at Tiruvâlûr in Tanjore District says that in 1393 (Srimukha) he gave a house-site to a certain Tirumattaperumal who had spent 400 panams for the temple during a famine in 1391 A. D. For Virupanna's tulabhara ceremony and other works in Srirangam, see Koyilolugu, 1888, p. 54.
42 By Malladevi, daughter (?) of king Ramachandra of Devagiri. Virupaksha's inscriptions range from Chingleput to S. Arcot. See Madr. Ep. Rep. 1899 p. 21-22; 1904; p. 13. Insen. 234 of 1904 belongs to 1387 A. D., (Kshaya year), His Alampundi plates of 1386 are the first instances of grantha plate inscriptions (Ep. Ind. II, p. 224-30) and give the same information. Most probably Vira Savanna Udayar, son of Bukka Udayar, was his cousin and ruled as a subordinate. (See inscription at Tiruvayar temple. S. 1303, Saumya, Madr. Ep. Rep. 1895); For Harihara's works in Srirangam see Koyilolugu, 1888, edn. p. 56, see also Trichi. Jazetteer, p. 49.
43 As Mr. Venkaiyah says, his inscriptions are, excepting those of the Udayars, the most numerous in the Madras Presidency. Ep.. Ini, III p. 113 (Inscription at Nellar.)