Indian Antiquary Vol 43

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

Page 49

MARCH, 1914.]
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
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and the wide range of inscriptions31 go to prove this. In the districts north of Madras, in the region covered by modern Mysore, in Salem, Coimbatore, Malabar, the Arcots, Tanjore, Trichinopoly, Madura and Tinnevelly, in the whole of South India, in fact, including Mysore and South Bombay, the marks of his sovereignty are apparent. In South India he distinguished himself chiefly by his temple architecture and by his religious endowments to almost every Vishnu and Siva temple. The temples of Chidambaram, Tiruvanamalai, were especially benefited by his magnificent labours. The thousand-pillared mantapam, the sacred tank, the eleven-storeyed gôpura, the car of Vinayaka, the central shrine, the gold and silver jewels, the gold pinnacle, cornice and doorways, and the other glories of the Tiruvannamalai temple were due to Krishna Dêva's liberality 2. The lofty and imposing northern tower of the Chidambaram temple, again, was his work. 33 "The high towers of most of the temples of the south," says Mr. Krishna Sastri, "must have been built in the time of Krishna Raya, as also the picturesque and extended addition known generally as 100-pillared and 1000-pillared mantapas. We frequently hear of a Râya-gôpuram, which means the tower of Râyar (i.e., perhaps Krishna Râya). It is not possible at this stage of epigraphical research to say how many temples were benefited by Krishna Râya's charities. It may be presumed that his liberal hand was practically extended to the whole of the Empire." In 1517 he remitted 10,000 varahâs of the imperial revenue to the Siva and Vishnu temples of the Chôla country. An inscription of 1528 at Piramalai says that the Emperor's power was felt in the island of Ceylon.
The Southern Viceroys between 1500 and 1530.
A word may be said about the viceroys of Vijayanagar in the south and the indigenous Pâidyan dynasty during the period of thirty years covered by the reigns of Narasa Nâik, Vira Narasimha, and Krishna Deva. It has been already pointed out, how, after the usurpation of Narasa Naik, the Sâļuva Emperor, Immadi Narasimha, sank into the position of a subordinate viceroy, and ruled in the basin of the Kâvêri and Vaigai S.Arcot, Trichinopoly and Tanjore. Immadi Narasimha had the mortification to observe himself relegated to oblivion by Narasa's son, Vira Narasimha, in 1502. The relations between the two are unknown, but there is clear evidence to prove that the former lived at least till 1505.37 In the years which followed, the Sâluvas continued to rule over the Kâvêri and part at least of the Vaigai regions. From his headquarters at Tiruvâdi, one Sellappa Vîra Narasimha Nâyakar, who has been styled in a Chingleput record,38 "Ubaya Pradhâni," and occupied a very prominent place in the counsels of the Empire, gave various grants from 1515 to 1530. "In S. 1444 Sellappa Vîra Narasimha Nâyakar restored, apparently on his own responsibility, a grant to a temple at Tirumaiyam in the
31 In Salem E. g. an insc. of Karpûram Udaya Nayanâr temple at Uttamacholapuram (near Salem) shews that Sela Nadu was under him (see. Ep. Rep. 1888). The Sendamangalam insen. 1903 also proves it. In S. Arcot he built the N. Gopura of the Chidambaram temple (Ep. Rep. 1888). His insc. are also found at Vilipuram (116, 117, and 118 of 1897); Acharapakam (233 of 1901) S. 1400; at Tiruvannamalai (Ep. Rep. 1904 p. 13); at Tiruppalathurai (228 of 1903); at Piranmalai (146 of 1903); 35 of 1905 says that the governor of Tindivanam Simai gave a gift of land. In 1522 an insc. at Tâdikombu near Dindigul (4 of 1894) mentions a gift in his name by a tributary Kondaiya Deva Maha Raja, son of Senna Râjaiya.
32 Arch. Surv. 1908-9, p. 181; Ep. Rep. 1900, p. 27, (574 of 1902, etc.
33 Insc. 175 and 174 of 1892.
35 Ibid. p. 182.
36 This gift has been recorded in the temples of Tiruvannamalai (S. Aroot), Sendamangalam (S. Arcot), Kannanûr (Trichi), Trichi, etc.
34 Arch. Surv. 1908-09, p. 186 (footnote).
37 Arch. Surv. 1908-09, p. 172.
36 Insc. 233 of 1909, of S. 1450 records a gift for the merit of Krishna Dêva at Acharapakam.