Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 100

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(MAY, 1928
ಜಿತ್ಪಾವಲ್ಪ ವಿಕಲ್ಪ ಕುತಬಲಂ ತಂಚಾಲ್ಪಭಾನುಂ ರಣೇ | ವಿಕೃತ ಸಮಾಗತಂ ಗಜಪತಿಂ ಕರ್ಣಾಟ ಭೂಪಂಚತಂ |
ಹತ್ವಾ ಕೊಮಟವೇಮ ಸೈನನಿಕರಂ ಭೂಯೋಪಿ ರಾಮೇಶ್ವರಾದ್ |
ರಾಜ್ಯಂ ರಾಜಮಹೇಂದ್ರ ರಾಜ್ಯಮಕರೋ ದಲ್ಲಾಡ ಭೂಮೀಶ್ವರಃ || As soon as the powerful hand of Deva Raya was removed by death, the Bahmani Sultan and Kapilêsvar Gajapati attacked the city of Vijayanagar, as testified by Gangâdâsa. Malli. kârjuna sallied from the fort walls and chased the enemy out of the country.
Déva Raya came to the throne as a child; for Abdu'r-Razzak speaks of him as "exceeding. ly young" when he visited him in A.D. 1443.39 He gives this graphic description of the great sovereign: "The king was seated in grcat state in the forty-pillared hall and a great crowd of Brahmins and others stood on the right and left of him. He was clothed in a robe of Zaitun, Satin, and he had round his neck a collar composed of pure pearls of regal excellence, the value of which a jeweller would find it difficult to calculate. He was of an olive colour, of a spare body and rather tall. He was exceedingly young; for there was only some slight down on his cheek and none on his chin. His wholo appearance was vory propossessing." Again he says that the Raya possessed very excellent qualitics indeed.
Abdu'r-Razzak in A.D. 1442 speaks of a trcacherous plot to murder the Emperor. The king's younger brother had constructed a new house and invited the king and nobles to a banquet. Many of the nobles were killed, but the king by his own prowess and good fortune escaped. The treacherous brother was slain by the furious populace. We know only of two brothers of Deva Raya, -Pratapa Déva, called also Vijaya, and Srigiri Bhûpala, who was viceroy at Maratakanagara, identified with Virinchipuram by Mr. Venkayya. Pratâpa Déva was also at Maratakanagara after his younger brother from Saka 1346 to 1368 Kshaya. Sinco Pratâpa Dêva lived on to Saka 1370 Vibhava, it is not possible to identify him with the younger brother of Deva Raya who, Abdu'r-Razzak asserts, was killed by the populace in A.D. 1442. Therefore the expression in the Sri Sailam plates "M T IH V 14:' must be interpreted to mean the elder sister of Déva Raya, who is referred to in C.D. 29.33
तस्याप्रजाया हरिमांगनाया । प्राणेश्वरः साळुवतिप्प राजः ।
कंसारि पादांबुज राज हंसः ॥ This is dated Sobhakrit, Kartik B. 10, Sômavara, (Monday, November 9, A.D. 1422). The growth of Saļva power is very significant. To provide a place for his nephew, Deva Raya ordered Lakkanna and Madanna to hand over Terkal Nadu.34
Abdu'r-Razzak speaks of the following coins as current in the realm.36 Gold coins:(1) Varaha, (2) Pratâpa (half varaha), (3) Panam G'o pratâpa); Silver-Târ (t panam); CopperJital ( târ). The obverse on most of the coins has a god and goddess scated like those on the coins of Hari Hara, sometimes with the attributes of Vishnu, at others of Siva. Of the gold coins, there are double pagodas, pagodas, half-pagodas and quarter pagodas. Certain other coins bear on the obverse the figure of an elephant with the legend "Raja Gaja Ganda Bhêrunda," commemorative of the elephant hunts in which Deva Raya took delight.
His silver coins are perhaps the carliest of the dynasty. They have an elephant on the obverse and on the reverse a sword, and to the right the legend ag 72.36 Copper coins of his are numerous. They usually contain on the obverse, in addition to the usual elephant, the letter
and in one cage "La " which, coupled with the legend on the reverse, formed the wellknown name of Deva Raya's minister Lakkaņņa Danda Nayaka. Some coins have the figure of Nandi-a proof of Deva Raya's Saiva inclinations, others have Vaishnava symbols, and on
39 Payne's Scenes from Indian History, p. 66. 33 Ca. 29, Epi. Car., vol. XI. 34 Mb. 2, 96, Epi. Car., vol. X.
36 Elliot and Dowson, vol. IV, p. 109. 36 I.A., 1896, p. 318.