Indian Antiquary Vol 43

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

Page 20

16
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1914.
to prominence on this occasion. For inscriptions63 record how "he quickly bridged the Kaveri, though it consisted of a rapid current of copious water, crossed it, straightway captured alive in battle with the strength of his arm the enemy, brougbt Tanjore and Srirangapattana under his power, and set up a pillar of fame,"; and how " he conquered the Chera, Chola, Mana Bhusha, the lord of Madura, the brave Turushka, the Gajapati, and other kings; " and how he made gifts at Ramešvaram and every other shrine on earth which abounds in sacredness. In other words, Narasa Naik was one of the greatest lieutenants of NarasinghaC+ Raya, and we may be sure that the usurpation of the latter in 1486 must have been effected with the assistance and co-operation of the former. After the elevation of his master to the imperial dignity, Narasa Naik seems to have been entrusted with the general control over the southern provinces, Madura, Trinchinopoly, and the extreme south of the peninsula. The Saluva of Ambil, one Aiya Somayya Viramaralar, "the Lord of the Southern Ocean," whose inscriptions have been found in Madura, were probably subject to his control. Besides thus exercising general supervision in the south, Narasa saved the Empire many a time from the Bahmani Sultans with whom Narasingha waged constant war.
It is not surprising that, under these circumstances, when Narasinghe died in 1492 A.D., he entrusted the empire and theguardianship of his two young sons to Narasa Naik, his tried friend and counsellor. The name of the elder son of Narasingha is not known, but it is certain he ruled only for a very short time. For, a few months after his elevation, he fell a victim to an assassin who had been hired by a certain Timmarasa, evidently a scion of the Saļuva family, and a strong private enemy of the ill-fated boy emperor. The murderer, however, was soon killed by Narasa, the Tuluva regent, and the younger son of Narasingha, Immudi Narasingha, was then raisedco to the imperial throne.
Narasa's Viceroyalty in Madura and Usurpation. Narasa Naik had all this time been true to the trust his master had placed in him. The de facto ruler of the Empire, he had never entertained any idea of ambition or treason, but now either the youth or the ill-nature of Immudi Narasimha instilled the feeling of treason in his mind. Dissatisfied with actual power, he wanted the nominal title of emperor also. Already he had overshadowed his young ward; for as Mr. Krishna Sastri says,97 “In the records of Immudi Narasimha the place of honour is generally given to Narasana Nayaka, who is invariably referred to either as a generalissimo in charge of the whole army of the Vijayanagar kingdom, or as an agent managing the State affairs for Immudi Narasimha from the capital Vijayanagar. Records of the latter are found
6 E.g. The Hampe insc, Ep. Ind. I.
64 E.g. Insc. 198 of 1904 (1483-4 A. D., ; at Tiruvakkarai, S. Arcot; yr. Sobhakrit) mentions Narass es his agent ; A Tirukāyilur insen. (1 of 1905) says that in 1471 he was in those parts evidently. The Köyilolugu gives some interesting information in regard to Narasa Naik's work at Trichinopoly. It says that Konêri Raja, the Saluva governor and successor of Tirumal Riya at Trichinopoly, favoured the Saivas of Tiruvanaikaval, and besides giving away some of the temple villages, annoyed the temple authorities by collecting puravari, kanikas, etc. This matter was reported by Kandidai Ramanuja or Kandådai Annan, as he was called, who was the older brother of Emperor Vira Narasingha and was appointed general supervisor of the 108 Vaishnava temples in the Empire. He reported the matter to Narasa Naik, who seems to have been a superior officer. He defeated Kôneri Raja and took away the charge of his district from his handa. Narasa then restored the villages and remitted the newly imposed taxes. It is said that some people, during Kôneri Raja's oppression, threw themselves down from the Gopura and thus died. See Ind. Ant. 1911, p. 142.
65 Insc. 664 of 1909. Ambil (skr. Premapuri or pleasure-town) is 13 miles E. N. E. of Trichinopoly, oa the Coleroon. 66 The "Tammarsya " of Nuniz (Ep. Rep. 1905, p. 62-3).
Soo Arch. Suru. 1908-9 p. 105.