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record found in Gangavara, Devanahalli tāluka, Mysore state, and dated A.D. 1046.1 In the great battle of Koppam which Rice assigns to A.D. 1052, king Rājādhirāja was killed by the Western Calukyan king Someśvara Ahavamalla. But the valiant younger brother of that Cola ruler by name Rajendradeva retrieved the prestige of the Tamil army, and inflicted such a crushing defeat on the Western Cälukyan king that the latter retreated in order.2 It is in connection with the great victory won by Rajendradeva that we learn that Koppam was a beautiful tirtha,"3
66
POPULAR SUPPORT
Its situation is given in another lithic record dated A.D. 1054 which, while repeating the earlier details of Rajendradeva's having terrified Ahavamalla at Koppam, informs us that that place was on the bank of the great river. The "great river" (Pērāru) mentioned here has been identified with Hirehalla on the right bank of which Kopaṇa is situated.'
1.
E. C. IX. Bn. 108, p. 21; My & Coorg., pp. 90-91. According to E. C. VII. Sk. 118, text, p. 218, the death of Rajadhiraja is to be placed in Šaka. 976=A.D. 1054.
2. Ibid, IX. Bn. 108, op. cit.
3. Ibid., X. Kl. 107, p. 35; ibid, Intr. p. 15.
4. We owe this accurate detail to Mr. Charlu. Kannaḍa Ins., p. 5. But Mr. Charlu himself says that Kopbal is situated on the left bank of the same stream! Ibid, p. 1. If this identification of Pērāru is correct, it will be a unique instance of a mere halla, or stream, called by the name of "great river" ! The difficulty may be solved thus: the greatness of the tirtha has been transferred to the stream itself. Usually the Krsna, called Kaña-bemna in Khāravela's Hathigumpha Cave inscription (E.I. XX, p. 87), Kara-beņā in the Nasik cave inscription, no. 10 (E. I. VIII, p. 78), and Kṛṣṇa-beṇnā in a Western Cälukyan inscription of king Vinayaditya dated A.D. 692 (which will be edited soon by Mr. D. B. Diskalkar of Satara), is called Pērddore which name, as Rice has pointed out, has been sometimes
