Indian Antiquary Vol 62

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

Page 12

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ JANUARY, 1933
called Mahamandalesvara Médinimisdra Narasinga Dêva Maharaja." The above inscription is not, however, the earliest record of the Saļuva Nộisimha. He is mentioned as the son of Gundaya Dêva Maharaja in an epigraph found in the Venkatesvara Perumal temple at Tirumala, North Arcot district. This record is dated Saka 1373, Dhatri. The Saka year corresponds to 1451 A.D., but the cyclic year does not correspond." From the fact that Saļuva Nộisimha's records appear from 1451 till 1467 A.D. in the modern North Arcot districts we may assume that he was in that region probably in the capacity of a provincial governor. He may have been transferred to the northern districts in about 1477 A.D. for reasons not known to us for the present. We infer that he was in the northern districts somewhere in that year from an unfinished record dated Šaka 1399, Hêmalambi, found at Attirala, Cuddapah district. This epigraph relates that Annamarasayya came to Araturevulu, and set right certain specified matters in the Kritsisvara, Parasurimêsvara and Bhai. rava temples, for the merit of Narasingayya Dêva Maharaja.6 I shall not enter into the question whether the absence of the sovereign's name in the record nood necessarily be interpreted as meaning that Saļuva Nsisimha was an independent ruler. Such is the opinion of some *7 to whose views it is not always possible to subscribe.
The relationship of Saļuva Nộisimha to the Sangama family seems to have been more or less well known to the people. This accounts for the following observation by Nuniz "One of his (Pedarao's) captains who was called Narsymgua, who was in some manner akin to him, seeing his mode of life and knowing how ill it was for the kingdom that he should live and reign, though all was not yet lost, determined to attack him, and seize on his lands; which scheme he at once put into force." 8 The fact that Saļuva Nsisimha, and not any one of the numerous powerful lords of the kingdom, set aside the incompetent monarch whom Nunix calls Pedarao (Praudha-Raya ?), suggests that he alone had the best claim to the throne. In the above remark cf Nuniz there may be a reference to the indirect relationship of Saļuva Nrisimha to the Sangama family through Såļuva Tippa.
III. Saluvas and Tuļuvas. (A) Before we revert to the successors of Saļuva Tippa, we may note the descent of Kệishna Dêva Raya, since this helps us to solve the question of the S&ļuva-Tuļuva alliance. Accord. ing to inscriptions and literature, as is well known, the progenitor of the so-called Tuļuva line was Timma, who is styled a ruler famous among the Tuļuva kings. He had by his wife Dêvaki a son called fśvara, whose wife was called Bukkamma. Their son was known as Narasa, who had three wives-Tippäji, the mother of Vira Narasimha; Nagula Dêvî, of Krishna Deva Raya ; and Obambika, of Achyuta.
We start with Timma, the earliest known figure in the Tuļuva dynasty. It is a significant fact that in the Vijayanagara inscriptions discovered so far, the name of the person who preceded Timma is not given. On the other hand, Timma's descent, as we shall presently state, is traced directly to a mythological figure. Obviously this is impossible, for we know that Timma was the great-grandfather of Kộishna Deva Raya. We know too that both Isvara Nayaka and Narasa Nayaka were contemporaries of Saļuva Narasinga. This is
43 304 of 1910. The ruler Praudha-Dôva Raya Maharaja is also mentioned. 46 263 of 1904 ; Swamikannu, Ind. Ephemeris, V, p. 104. 45 CY. 250 of 1904 dated Saka 1389, Sarvajit (1467 A.D.) recording a gift by the same to the samo temple. (6 405 of 1911. 47 G. Veokoba Rao, Ep. Report for 1923, p. 118; 112 of 1923. 48 Sowell, A Forgotten Empire, pp. 306-307.
45 Ep. Car., VII, Sh. I, p. 1; Ep. Ind., XIV, p. 232; Butterworth & Venugopal Chetty, Inscriptions in the Nellore District, I, p. 73; Ep. Report for 1889 (February), p. 2; Ep. Report for 1890 (Oct.). p. 3; Ep. Report for 1912, p. 80 ; Rice, Mysore and Coorg from the Inscriptions, p. 118.