Indian Antiquary Vol 43

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

Page 32

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[FEBRUARY, 1914.
In other words, there were 15 sovereigns whose rule covered a period of 345 years. " During this state of things," continues the MS., “in K. 4533, S. 1354, (1432) year Paritapi, Kottiyam Nagama Naik, by order of the Râya, conquered the Paidyan country. Afterwards down to Isvara (S. 1380) Visvanatha Naik ruled the country.”
It will be at once perceived that, in regard to chronology, this account cannot for a moment be believed. From the distinct specification of the number of years allotted to each king, it will be plain that Chandra Sêkhara Paidya, the king, in whose time the invasion of Nagama Naik is said to have taken place, must have reigned from 1683 to 1718. And yet in the very next line the MS, says that the invasion of Nagama took place in 1432 A.D. How could the chronicle seriously maintain that Chandra Sekhara lived, as a computation of is own dates shews, between 1683 and 1718, and yet that he was conquered by Nagama in 1432 ? Further,as we shall see later on, the date 1432 assigned to Nagama Naik and his son Visvanatha, that is, to the Naik conquest of the Paidyan kingdom, is too early by a century. The chronology, then, of the "Supple. MS." cannot be trusted ; but is the list of the Pandyan kings given by it genuine ? So far as the indigenous chronicles are concerned, there are at least three75 MSS. which, though they do not give any dates, and though they differ in minor details, yet generally support the "Supple. MS." After giving a good deal of legendary and historically valueless matter, one of them says: " While Kula Vardhana Paidya was thus ruling, a Muhammadan named Badshah invaded the country, conquered it, destroyed temples, and drove the Pandyan king to the Western country. Then the Paidyan kingdom was miserable and subject to Musalman rule. Subsequently the Canarese came in large numbers, destroyed the Muhammadans, revived the worship in temples, came to the west, called Soma ékhara Paidya, a scion of the Paidya line, crowned him, and then returned to the Canarese country." Soma êkhara, continues the MS., ruled "for some time," and was then followed by fifteen kings. These kings are identical with the kings of the "Supple. MS."; but there are three differences between the two chronicles. First, while the Supple. MS.says that the dynasty ended with Chandrasekhara, the 15th from Somažêkhara, the other MS. says that it ended with Chandra Kumara, the son of Chandra Sekhara and the 16th of the line. Secondly, the latter MS. gives no date. Thirdly, the latter is, as we shall see later on, a little more detailed in regard to the circumstances of the Naik conquest of Madura. In fact its account of the conquest places the whole fact in a different aspect. The third MS., (called 74 the Paidya Rajas' Purana Charita) mentions the same list of kings, but has got its own version of the Vijayanagar and Naik conquests. After giving a list of 24 kings previous to the Muhammadan advent, it says: "While the kingdom was thus ruled, some Muhammadans from the north under Mulla), captured the country, ruined the temples, and necessitated Minakshi and Sundarê vara to take refuge in the Malayalam country. When things were in this condition a Hindu king from the north named Kainananir overthrew the Muhammadans, reopened the temples for worship, and reorganised the daily pija. Some days after, a scion of the old Paidyan dynasty who had fled westward, got the help of the kings of Malayalam'and Mysore, and attacked Kumana. The latter, thereupon, came to an agreement with him by which he left the kingdom and returned northward. The Pandya, Soma êkhara, then ruled for some time, and was followed by 14 kings. These are exactly the kings mentioned
73 Those are : * An account of the Chola, Chëra, and P& dya kings, copied from a document in possession of one named Kali Kavi Rayan of Panthurai, Coimbatore." (Restored Mack. MSS., 111, 234-256): Pandya Raja Purana Charita (Ibid, 15-25); and Pandya Prata pa Vamaduali. See appendix for translations and references. Resto. Mack MSS. III, p. 15-25.
75 .e., Malik Katur. T6 In this it agrees with the other MSS. see ante section 2. TT Kamanan was Kampada Udayar. He was hot a king of course. The MS. is very meagre and vague.
T9 That the Pandya king was at this time a refugee in the west is confirmed by other MSS. E.g. The Supple. MSS., Kali Kavi Rayan's Account, etc. But the account of Kampana's defeat and return is quite absurd and contrary to fact.