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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA SRIRANGAM INSCRIPTION OF KAKATIYA PRATAPARUDRA ; SAKA 1239 rivalry between the two Pāṇḍya brothers and that Sundara-Pāṇḍyas ought the help of the Kākatīya king, while Vīra-Pāṇḍya-resorted to Malayāḷa Tiruvaḍi. The present epigraph therefore is important inasmuch as inscriptional reference to this hostility between the Pāṇḍya brothers has not so far been found. These Pāṇḍya prices are mentioned by the historian Wassaf as the legitimate and illegitimate sons of Kulaśēkhara. Who by preferring the illegitimate Vīra-Pāṇḍya to succeed him drove Sundara-Pāṇḍya to turn a parricide and establish his claim with help from outside. From the date A. D. 1317 of the present record, it may be inferred that Malik Kāfūr’s invasion of the south in 710 H. corresponding to A. D. 1310 was a general campaign for loot, and had no connection with the rivalry for power between the Pāṇḍya princes. Vīra-Pāṇḍya and Sundara- Pāṇḍya mentioned in our inscription may be identified with the Pāṇḍya kings of the names who bore the title Jaṭāvarman and whose dates of accession were A.D. 1296 and 1303 respectively, Form Wassaf’s statement, their animosity seems to have arisen lately, probably before A. D. 1317, the date of our record. Vīra-Pāṇḍya’s latest regnal year is 47[1] (46+1), corresponding to A.D. 1343, while that of Sundara- Pāṇḍya is 17,[2] carrying his reign to A.D. 1319, i.e. 2 years posterior to the date of our record. It will thus be evident that Vīra-Pāṇḍya ultimately gained his object as the rule of his rival was short. We shall first take up for consideration the connection of the Pāṇḍyas who were the supreme power in the Tamil land[3] with the Travancore country, known as Malai-nāḍu,[4] Malai-maṇḍalam or Vēṇāḍ. The Pāṇḍya kings who were in power towards the close the 13th and the beginning of the 14th centuries were (1) Māravarman Kulaśēkhara (A.D. 1268-1310), (2) Vikrama-Pāṇḍya (A. D.1283-1296),[5] (3) Vīra-Pāṇḍya (A.D. 1296-1343) and (4) Jaṭāvarman Sundara-Pāṇḍya (A.D. 1303-1319).[6]
Māravarman Kulaśēkhara seems to have conquered Malai-nāḍu early in his reign, as some of the records found in the Tirunelveli District give him the titles ‘the conqueror of Malai-nāḍu,[7] Śēranaivenra,[8] Kollam-Koṇḍa’,[9] etc. A Sanskrit inscription from Tirunelvēli10 mentions that he _______________________________________________
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