Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 11

JANUARY, 1933]
DYNASTIC CONTINUITY IN VIJAYANACARA HISTORY
This youngest son of Gauta, as Mr. Venkayya rightly suggested, 35 may be identified with Såluva Tippa, the brother-in-law of Deva Raya II. The validity of this supposition rests on the similarity of the titles given to Saluva Tippa in the Telugu works and in the few inscriptions we have of him (Misaraganda, and Kathari Saluva), and on the fact whether or not he was a contemporary of Deva Raya II. We know that Tippa's grandfather, as related above, was SAļuva Mangu,36 the famous general of Kampana Odeyar, the conqueror of Madura. Såļuva Mangu may also have been a contemporary of Harihara IT, and his son Gauta, of Deva Raya I, the son of Harihara II. This brings Tippa to the reign of Dêva Raya II. Our surmise is based on an inscription dated Saka 1364, expired Durmati (1441 A.D.), which informs us that the Mahamandalesvara Gandakattári Saluva Tippaya Deva Maharaja remitted certain specified taxes in favour of the Kharapurisvara temple at Tiruppårkadal in the North Arcot district, in the reign of Deva Raya Mahârâya.37 His last date may have been 1449 A.D. This is inferred from a record dated Saka 1371, Sukla, Mågha, Su. 5, Thursday,38 which informs us that Dalavậyi Mallinêningåru constructed the temple of Keśava Perumal in Duggumbadu, Guntur district, on behalf of the village (?) for the merit of Misaraganda Kattari Saļuva Tippaya Deva Maharaja. His inscriptions, which range from 1441 to 1449 A.D., therefore, enable us to assert that he was a contemporary of Dêva Raya II. 39
Sangama-Saļuva Continuity. (C) We now continue with the Telugu works Varáhapuranam and Jaimini Bharatam with a view to ascertain the genealogy of the famous usurper Saļuva Nsisimha. Såļuva Tippa's eldest brother, as mentioned above, was Gunda, whose two sons were Timma and Salava Nrisimha. About Timma there is an epigraph dated Saka 1385, Subhanu (1463 A.D.) which calls him Timmaraja-deva Maharaja Odeyar, son of Gundaraja Odeyar. This Tamil record found in the Venkateśvara Perumal temple at Tirumala, contains a gift for the merit of Narasingaraja Odeyar. 40 We are not sure whether we have to identify the Narasinga Odeyar mentioned in this inscription with the usurper Nțisimha of Vijayanagara history, whose accession to the throne is still a matter of dispute. 11 Perhaps the Narasingaraja mentioned above may have been the younger brother of Gunda, and, therefore, one of the uncles of Timma, mentioned in the Telugu works merely under the name of Såluva. This is only a supposition. We proceed, however, with the history of Saļuva Nộisimha.
The late Mr. Krishna Sastri wrote the following on Saluva Nrisimha: “The Nagar epigraph, which is dated in Saka 1378, Dhâtri, seems to refer to the Såluva Mahamandalesvara Narasingadêva-Ma(hârâja). This is the earliest reference to Narasinga in inscriptions."42 Before we proceed to examine this assertion of Mr. Krishna Sastri, we may note that in this inscription, found in the Någavanna Perumal temple at Nagar, South Arcot district, he is
35 Ep. Report for 1905, pp. 54-55.
30 On SAluva Mangu and his times read Gangádevi, Madhurdvijayam, Int. p. 35 (Ed. Srinivasa-Hari. hara Sastri); The Sources of Vijayanagara History, Jaimini Bhardtam, pp. 29-30 ; ibid., XX, Kamparêye. charitam, pp. 23-25; 52 of 1905; Ep. Report for 1905, pp. 54-55; Heras, The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, p. 105.
37 703 of 1904. Another record dated Saka 136 (3) Durmati merely mentions the fact of his having set up a dvajasthambha in the Vataranyékvara temple at Tiruvalangadu in the samo district, without men. tioning his overlord.—498 of 1905.
38 This corresponds to 1449 A.D., January, Wednesday 4th. The woek day does not correspond. 771 of 1922; Swamikannu, Indian Ephemeris, V, p. 100.
39 He seems to have lived till 1463 A.D. according to Rice, Ep. Car., X. Intr., xxxv. 40 249 of 1904 ; Swamikannu, ibid., V, p. 128.
4i Ramayya Pantulu, Ep. Ind., VII, p. 76 seq., Venkayya, Ep. Report for 1904, pp. 15-16; Ep. Report for 1905, p. 51; Ep. Report for 1923, p. 118.
42 Ep. Report for 1911, p. 84. Prof. Rangachari merely repeats this error in his Topographical List of Inscriptions in the Madras Presidency, 1, 732, p. 213.