South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

TELUGU CHOLA RECORDS FROM ANANTAPUR AND CUDDAPAH

place in Sanskrit orthography. But in Telugu the distinction is observed from early times although the same letter indicates both the long and the short forms. The initial ling ū in line 8 (ūra) and medial ū in pūrvvam of line 20 may be noted.

On palæographical grounds the inscription may be assigned to a period later than the Rāmēśvaram pillar inscription of Puṇyakumāra (ins. G above), i.e., to about the beginning of the 8th century A. D. It may accordingly be assigned to Vikramāditya II, the father of Satyāditya, the donor of the Mālēpāḍu stone inscription.^[1]

The record under study states that in the reign of the Vikramāditya Chōla-Mahārājuḷ while the queen, Chōlamahādēvuḷ, with Uttamāditya (probably the king’s son) as sāmantaka was ruling at Chirumburu (i.e., Chilamakūru) a gift of land (?) was made, the details of which are lost. Ēlupārla are mentioned. They were probably the recipients of the gift.

In regard to the persons mentioned in the inscription, if Uttamāditya is taken to be the king’s son, which is very likely in view of his status of Sāmanta ruling in conjunction with the queen, probably his mother, he would be another son of the king, besides Satyāditya, donor of the Mālēpāḍu stone inscription.

A number of other persons are also mentioned in the inscription, viz., Tolpakāmi-Raṭṭaguḷḷu, Chōliya Raṭṭaguḷḷu and Atiśaya-Raṭṭaguḷḷu, the exact nature of whose connection with the donation is not clear. It is probable that they figure in the record as witnesses.

Further Raṭṭaguḷḷu is common to all the names thus indicating that it refers to the office of the Raṭṭaguḍi or the head-man of the village.^[2] The prefix in these compound names represents either the personal name of the Raṭṭaguḷḷu or village-headman or the dynasty of the community to which he belonged. Atiśaya, as pointed out above (ins. E, Veludurti ins. of Puṇyakumāra), may stand for the Adigaimān rulers of Taguḍūr or Dharmapurī or it may be his personal name.^[3]

______________________________

^[1] Above, Vol. XI, p. 345. H. Krishna Sastri translates the genealogical portion of the record as ‘ Satyāditya of the Kāśyapa-gōtra, son of Saktikomāra Vikramāditya (and grandson of) the great lord, the glorious Chōla Mahārājādhirāja Vikramāditya ’, thus making out three generations of kings. But as the text has no word describing Satyāditya as a grandson, and since only one relationship is stated, viz., that he was the son, the passage may better be rendered as ‘ Satyādityunru, of the Kāśyapa-gōtra, son of the great lord, the glorious Chōla-Mahārājādhirāja, Vikramāditya-Śaktikomāra-Vikramāditya ’. The supreme titles have to be attributed to the second Vikramāditya in the compound, who being described as Vikramāditya-Śaktikomāra-Vikramāditya, was evidently the son of Śatikomāra and the grandson of Vikramāditya. Thus four generations are made out in the record, viz.,

Vikramāditya I

Śaktikomāra

Vikramāditya II, Chōla-Mahārājādhirāja, Paramēśvara

Satyādityunru The objection to this construction on the ground that only three generations are generally stated in inscriptions and not four does not arise in the present case as the record does not purport to give three generations but simply describes the donor, Satyādityunru, as the son of the king Vikramāditya. It may not be far wrong if we take Satyādityunru figuring in the record only as a prince, as his name ending in nominative singular ‘ nru ’ without the usual honorific ending of a ruling king, may be taken to indicate. If so, the ruling king of the record is Vikramāditya II bearing imperial titles, whose ancestry is, as usual, indicated for only three generations including himself in the threefold name he bears. Proof that such a practice was prevalent in the Telugu country is afforded, although at a late period, by such names as Rāmarāja-Timmarāja-Viṭṭhalarāja (A. S. R. 1908-9, p. 195).
^[2] Above, Vol. XI, p. 343, where the names of other Raṭṭaguḍis are cited from the other inscription on this stone.
^[3] Cf. also, above, Vol. XI, p. 343, where H. K. Sastri notes the instances Salki Raṭṭaguḍi. Gaṅga Raṭṭaguḍi, etc.