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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[DECENBER, 1914.
as bad resisted. He then, it is said, placed Kûna Pandya in prison, massacred his women and children so as not to leave even a single member of the family, and then, placing the conquered region in his father's charge, set out for Vijayanagar with a view to pacify the indignant emperor. The golden head which he placed at the Raja's feet and the heap of money and spoils which he brought, were sufficient atonement for his conduct, and "Krishna Rai” did not only embrace him with affection and honour him with an equal seat and the title of partner in the government of the empire, but crowned him, on the first day of January 1560, King of Madura at Vijayanagar. Wheeler then describes the coronation ceremony both at Vijayanagar and in Madura, and concludes by showing how with the confirmation of his crown in Minakshi's presence, with his father's joyous blessing, and with the fidelity of Aryanatha, Visvanatha firmly established his dynasty on the old Pandyan throne.
Discussion of the Date of the Naik Advent. The version of Wheeler is so full of inaccuracies and so directly contrary to the chronicles in regard to the character and conduct of Visvanatha, that we can dismiss it altogether as false. With regard to the other versions, however, we are not without difficulties. First of all, there is the inconsistency in regard to dates. A large number of the Polygar memoirs ascribe Nagama, Chandra-Sekhara and Visvanatha to the first half of the 15th century. The Hist. Carn. Governors and scores of other chronicles take this view. The Pand. Chron. and some other MSS. on the other hand, clearly say that Visvanatha's coronation took place in 1559. Where such a conflict of opinion exists, inscriptions should decide ; and inscriptions: unmistakably prove that it was 1559. Taking then that Visvanatha founded his dynasty in 1559, two questions remain to be answered. Was the conquest sudden or was it a prolonged process of years? If it was an achievement of years, how many years elapsed between the beginning of it and the actual coronation of Visvanatha in 1559 ? Secondly, what were the exact circumstances under which Visvanatha assumed his crown? Taking the first question, we find that opinions vary among historians, Mr. Taylor, for instance, believed that not less than a generation must have passed between the punitive expedition of Nagama Naik and the invasion of his son. "Between the first conquest of Nagama Naicker,” he says "his usurping the kingdom, being deposed, the death of Chandra Sekhara, and the final election of Visvanatha Naicker, an interval of some few years must have occurred. Hence to fix the conquest by Nagama Naicker at about SS. 1460 and the instalment of his son Viévanátha at about SS. 1480, seem to us best to accord with the true state of the question ; supposing that ihe interval of twenty years may be tolerably well accounted for, and not pretending to exact
24 The absurdity of Wheeler is clear from this. Krishna Raya died in 1630.
of Wilson was for an intermediate date, viz. 1520. He rejected Muttiah's date 1560 and also Wik's date of 1830. "Muttiah's history enumerates," he says, "between 1660 and 1742 or 182 years; "the other As. 1 princes in 307 years, -former giving about 17 and the latter 22 years to a reign. But this proportion is too improbable as three of the 14 princes are brothers who reigned consecutively and the average of whose reign could not have exceeded half this number. We shall have a more probable reeult if we suppose the number of princes to be including Nagama 15, and the number of years 272; from 1620 to 1742, which will give us something less than 15 years to each reign." See J. R. A. S. III. Wilks SAYS: «Nagama Naik, desoribed to be head of the bullock department to Achyuta Deva Rayeel of Vijayanagar, founded the dynasty of Naicker of Madura about the year 1532, with the aid of a colony of Telingas, which seems to have been planted in that country sometime before by the government of Vijayanuggur," Myaore, I, p. 34 foot-note. The Madr. Manu., with Wilson, attributes the event to the reign of Krishn Raya." (Bee Vol. I, p. 164), but gives tho dato a 1609 : (Ibid p. 121) : see algo Vol. II. pe 96.
