Indian Antiquary Vol 57

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

Page 99

MAY, 1928 ]
DEVA RAYA II
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Justice was impartially administered. An inscription of Saka 1349, Plavanga, 26 says that the king's officers unjustly collected kanilkai, arasuppêru, karanakkarjódi, and viseshadayam. The ryots in consequence deserted the village. Cultivation ceased and the worship in the temple was at an end. The king promptly held an inquiry and issued a declaration of tole. ration and restitution. That there was also an attempt at social reform during the reign is evident from an inscription of Saka 1347, Visvavasu, 28 when all the Brahmaņas of Padaividu Rajya-Kannadigas, Tamiļas, Telugas and Ilåtas, of all gôtras, óútras and sakhas, met before the God and settled the sacred law that they should conclude marriage by kanyádina and not after receiving gold. The penalty for breach of the rule was first excommunication and afterwards punishment by the king. If this decision had been rigidly enforced, it would have done away with an evil blight on the social life of to-day.
The whole Empire was divided into provinces, each under a Dana Nayaka whose term of office at a particular place seems to have been eight years, after which he was transferred to another province. This was a wise and prudent policy-the violation of which by Virûpåksha II proved disastrous to the first dynasty. In A.D. 1434 Lakkanna was forced to give away Terkal Nadu. To take Barakûr as an instance. In 1338 Sankara deva was its governor; in 1347, Narasimha Dandanatha; in 1353, Chandra Raja. In 1361 Råyarasa was at Terkal, and in 1372 at Barakûr. Thus the governors were constantly transferred from place to place, so that no individual could prove too powerful for the Central Government and successfully usurp power, like Salva Narasimha.
Abdu'r-Razzak says that the king possessed an army of cloven lakhs. Deva Râya had many elephants which he hunted and captured himself, thus acquiring the titles of "Gaja Vente kâra" and "Gaja Gana Bherunda"27. He was aware of the defect of the Hindu armies, which were unwieldy, and did not hesitate to borrow from his enemies means of improving them. He encouraged Arab merchants to bring good horses by way of Honawar. Abdu'r-Razzak says that Déva Raya paid handsomely and encouraged the trade. An inscription also testifies to the fact that Déva Râya possessed a cavalry force of ten thousand Turkish horses in service." For the accommodation of his Muslim soldiers, he seems to have crected the mosque at Hampi.
There were three hundred ports in the Empire which extended from Gulbarga to Cape Comorin, Ceylon and Pegu.88 The very fact that Lakkaņņa Danda Nayaka was a great naval commander shows that there must have been a powerful floet in existence. In A.D. 1419 Deva Raya is styled only the "Paschima Samudrådhipati". In A.D. 1420-24 Lakkanna is called "the Lord of the Southern Ocean."28 In 1442-43 Ceylon was conquered ; Pegu and the Eastern Archipelago also came under his sway. Déva Râya got his precious stones from Quilon, Ceylon and Pulicat. His collection of pearls is also extolled by Srinatha.
The conquest of Golconda and Ceylon has already been referred to. During Deva Raya's time, the Telugu kingdom of the Reddis who ruled at Rajamandri, passed into his hands about the year A.D. 1443. Kondavidu had been under a branch of the Reddi familyPedda Komati being the last ruler. His son Râcha vêma was of dissolute character and was promptly murdered. In Saka 1377, Yuva, we find an inscription of Gana Deva Råhutta Raya whose capital was Kondavidu.30 Gana Deva claims to be of the same lineage as Kapileśvara Gajapati. It is probable that after the murder of Râchavêma the Gajapatis ruled at Kondavidu under the suzerainty of Deva Raya. Allåda Reddi of the Rajamandri branch claims alliance with the Gajapati and Karnâta king in the wars with Pedda Kômaţi.31
25 Madras Kpi. Report, 376 of 1913; Inscriptions of Malras Presidency, vol. I, p. 149. 26 S.I.I., vol. I, p. 84 ; Madras Arch. Rep. 49 of 1887. 27 1. 4., 1891. 28 Sewell, A Forgotten Empire, p. 307. 29 Mysore Arch. Report of 1923, p. 91. Madras Epigraphist's Report, 141 of 1903, 100 of 1911. 80 1. A., 1891. 81 Virosalingam's Andhra Kavula Charitra, vol. 1-Srinatha.