Indian Antiquary Vol 43

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

Page 31

FEBRUARY, 1914.] THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA.
By V. RANGACHARI, M.A., L.T., MADRAS.
(Continued from p. 17.)
SECTION V. The Indigenous Pandyan Kings from 1871 to 1500. From what has been said in the preceding section, the question will naturally suggest itself as to who the Pândyan kings of this period were; for as we have already seen, the Pandyan dynasty did exist during this period. Who were the kings then? How many of them ruled ? Did they rule in Madura, as of old ? How did they distinguish themselves? What was their attitude to the Vijayanagar political agents? We have, unfortunately, very few materials from which we can draw any definite conclusions in regard to these important questions.
The Line of Soma-Sekhara. According to one MS., “the Supple. MS." of Mr. Taylor, there was a continuous slynasty of Paidyan kings from the time of Kampania Udayâr right down to the establishment of the Naik Raj. It says that immediately after his conquest of the Musalmans and the revival of Hindu government and worship, Kanpaia Udayar, the Vijayanagar General72 instituted a search for persons of the old Paidyan race, as a result of which he caused one Sômasekhara Päůdya to be crowned. This Sômajêkhara, it continues, ruled for a space of 17 years, and was followed by as many as 14 kings. The last of these, it says, was Chandra Sekhara Pândya, and it was in his time that a war took place between the Pâidya and the Chola chiefs of the day, the result of which was the advent of the Naik Raj in Madura. The MS. mentions the number of years during which each of these kings is said to have ruled. The whole can conveniently be expressed in the form of a genealogy
Sômasekhara (17 years)
Soma Sundara (35 years) Raja Kunjara (18 years) Raja Sekhara (18 years) Rama Varma (36 years) Varada Raja (19 years.) Kumâra Singha (16 years) Bhima Séna (40 years) Pratápa Raja (1.5 years) Varaguna Pandya (27 years Kumara Chandra (22 years)
Varatunga (8 years) Kulottunga (19 years)
Chandra Sekhara (35 years) 72 The MS. says that he was the general of the Mysore King." He came at the head of the Canarese in S 1293, Virodhikrit. See Madr. Manu. I, p. 123. and the appendix for the translation of the MS.