Indian Antiquary Vol 45

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

Page 89

MAY, 1916]
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
81
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA,
BY V. RANGACHARI, M.A. L.T., MADRAS.
(Oontinued from p. 75.)
The effects of his measures. The result of all these salutary measures was that, for the first time in a long series of years, the people felt a radical improvement in their conditions. The season of anarchy and misrule was over, and the ravages of invaders and the extortious of tyranny became things of the past. A sense of relief and security, of happiness and contentment, spread all over the kingdom and in an incredibly short time its effect was visible everywhere. Hundreds of ruined men who had deserted their plough, their looms, or their shops, and resorted to the obecure but tranquil felicity of a rustic life, returned to their occupations. Forests gaye place to fields, Brahman colonies and industrial centres sprung up in large numbers, and all the activities of a healthy national life came into existence. Where there had been ruined hute and neglected waste, there were now smiling fields or imposing buildings. The cries of oppression and the tumult of discontent were replaced by the peaceful hum of industrial life and the busy noise of commercial transactions. Never has the magic of personal goodness and political capacity done so much, and never has there been a worthier example in history of efforts 80 well directed, and of results so promptly and succesfully achieved.
CHAPTER. IV. The Naik Kingdom in the latter ball of the 16th century.
Introduction. In the last chapter I described the various circumstances that led to the foundation of the Naik kingdom of Madura. In the present I shall consider the progress it made in the first half a century of its existence. The first thing that is noticeable in the history of this period is that the crown changed hands thrice. Between 1562 and 1572 it was worn by the valiant Kumara Kfishnappa I; the next two decades, by his two sons Vîrappa and Visvanatha II, and the last seven years by the sons of the former, Visvanatha III and Kumara Kpishņappa II. A remarkable feature in the position of these rulers was the joint holding of the royal dignity by brothers. The practice of joint royalty was not a Naik innovation. It was in existence, as we have already seen in the first chapter, in the Påndyan kingdom in the extreme corner of the peninsula. It became, unfortunately, the custom of the Naik dynasty. It was indeed not universally adopted even here. There were times when, as we shall see in the course of this history, an elder brother ruled without being yoked with his younger brother in the royal office. Nevertheless, even in the latter case, the younger brother was, if not entrusted with the equal authority of a colleague, almost always made chinna dorai the second-in-power to the ruling chief, and in that capacity held an important place in the administration of the country. An institution based on such a principle naturally suffered from lack of vigour or efficiency, and it might be thought that the comparatively frequent change of rulers and the system of joint rule, made the progress of the infant kingdom a matter of difficulty and trouble. But fortunately in the 16th century these evils were minimised by the strong hand of Aryanatha, the great dalavai of Visvanatha. We have seen what a prominent part he played in the foundation of the kingdom. But for his assistance the task would have been a stupendous, if not an impossible one, for his master, Visvanatha I.
But Aryanatha's labours were not destined to end as Visvanatha's lieutenant and minister. He was destined to hold that power for the next 40 years, during the three generations of rulers, who succeeded his master. Nothing could have been more beneficial to the kingdom or the people. Like a tender plant the great statesman nourished it to