Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 223

SEPTEMBER, 1917)
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
211
The death and character of Vijaya Raghunatha.
The death of Vijaya Raghunatha wasi2 a great calamity to Râmnâd. A good and able ruler, he had endeared himself to his people. No doubt there were defects in his character. For instance he was, like most of the chiefs of his day, a votary of pleasure. His harem contained the large number of 360 women and 100 children, though, strangely enough, none of the latter survived him to inherit his throne. His epicurean nature is also seen in the construction of the Ramalinga Vilasa, a long and elaborately worked hall, adorned by scenes of Marava warfare and of Kộishwa's life, at the expense of a Musalman Sayad, Kadir Marakkayar. In addition to the unduly excessive pursuit of pleasure, Vijaya Raghunatha had been characterised by an extraordinary vanity and love of praise. A curious story illustrates the zeal with which he looked on those who surpassed him in renown. His beneficence to Ramêávaram had the effect of attracting an enormous number of pilgrims and, in their wake, the wealthy merchants of Malabar, Cochin and Benares. To assist these Raghunatha appointed the husband of his two daughters as the commandant of the Pamban fort. He was expressly ordered to help the pilgrims in their passage over the channel, then across the sinds of the island, to Dhanushkôți. The commandant was a man of wisdom and practical gənius. He levied a small boat-duty on all those who went from the mainland to the island, and used the proceeds in the construction of a stone road across the sands. With tactless imprudence, the author of this monument called it after his own name. The small mind of Vijaya Raghunatha could not endure this. Believing that his honour was scorned, he ordered the decapitation of his son-in-law ! The prayers and remonstrances of his daughters did not move his stony heart, and they preferred death to widowhood by ascending the funeral pyre of their lord. The memory of the noble husband and the nobler princesses is even to-day preserved by the Akkaļ and Thangachchi ma dams, reared on their ashes, in the weary road from Pamban to Råmeávaram ; and the service which the choultries render to the exhausted pilgrims has been, ever since their tragic death, the best index of their lord's minds.
War of Succession between Bhavani Sankara and Tanda Tavan. The death of Vijaya Raghunatha was immediately followed by a dispute in succession. At the point of death he had nominated Tan'a Têvan, a great grandson of Kilavan's father, as his successor. But the confusion caused by Vijaya Raghupatha's death was availed of by Bhavani Sankara Têvan to once again aim at the crown of which he had been deprived. His struggle against Raghunatha had been a struggle of selfish ambition against popular support, of illegitimacy against legitimacy, and thad ended in failure. Now, as against Tanda Têvan, Bhavani was under no comparative disadvantage. The former had as remote a claim to the throne as himself. It seems that popular sympathy also turned at this time in his favour. At the same time he gained a new resource and a friend by his politic marriage with a niece of the chief mistress of Vijaya Raghunatha. The consequence was, he was able enough to effect a coup d'état, to deprive Tanda Tévan of his short tenure of power, and assume the title of Setupati, a title which had been bestowed upon him by Kilavan Setupati nearly a decade back. But Tanda Têvan had tasted power, and would not give up what he considered his birthright. Driven out of Râmnat, he proceeded to Madura, and pursuaded Vijaya Ranga Chokkanatha to take up his cause. At the same time he gained over the Toqdaman, lately the
72 Antiquities, II, 230-1