South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

SRIRANGAM INSCRITPION OF KAKATIYA PRATAPARUDRA ; SAKA 1239

assuming the Pāṇḍya title and names like Māravarman,^[1] Kulaśēkhara^[2] and Vīra-Pāṇḍya^[3] which would indicate, either (1) that he wanted to consider himself a Pāṇḍya with rights to sovereignty in virtue of his having married a Pāṇḍya princess, or (2) his subordinate position, first under Kulaśēkhara and thereafter under Vīra-Pāṇḍya, the then supreme rulers of the Tamil land. The former alternative is perhaps emphasised by Ravivarman’s coronation on the banks of the Vēgavatī in the Madura District and by the presence of the emblem of a fish surmounted by and aṅkuśa (the elephant goad) found engraved near his inscription in the Perumāḷ temple at Poonamalle.^[4]

From our record we find that Vīra-Pāṇḍya was defeated by the Kākatīya general about A.D. 1317 but after the withdrawal of the Kākatīya forces, this Pāṇḍya king must have regained power, for his rule was acknowledged in the very next year, i.e., A.D. 1318 at Viriñchipuram.^[5] not very far from Conjeeveram.

Wassaf is the only authority who states that Sundara-Pāṇḍya took refuge under the protection of Ala-ud-din of Delhi when his half-brother Vīra-Pāṇḍya collected an army in the middle of the year 710 H. and marched against him.^[6] This statement has rightly been questioned by scholars,^[7] as nothing is known^[8] about the effects of Muslim help, if any, given in this connection on the relative position of the two royal brothers of the Pāṇḍya country. What we definitely know from the present inscription is that Sundara-Pāṇḍya received help from the Kākatīya ruler who was instrumental in restoring the Pāṇḍya king to power through his general. In gratitude for this help Sundara-Pāṇḍya made an endowment at Vṛiddhāchalam for a service instituted in the local Śiva temple called after the general Muppiḍi-Nāyaka.^[9] Sundara-Pāṇḍya’s inscriptions are found from the Tirunelveli District^[10] in the south right up to Viriñchipuram^[11] (North Arcot Dist.) in the north.

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^[1] T. A. S., Vol. XI, p. 59.
^[2] T. A. S., Vol. IV, p. 90.
^[3] S. I. I., Vol. VI, No. 330 : No. 344 of 1923 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection. Like Ravivarman, his successor in Vēṇāḍ, viz. Udaya Mārttāṇḍavarman had the name Vīra-Pāṇḍya (T. A. S., Vol. IV. p. 90).
^[4] Ep. Rep., 1911, para. 40.
^[5] No. 177 of 1939-40 of the Madras Ep. Collection, dated in Śaka 1239 and 21st year of Vīra- Pāṇḍya with the title Māravarman which is evidently a mistake for Jaṭāvarman. The details of the date given in this record are correct for A.D. 1318. February 5 with the emendation śu. 3 for śu. 13. It may be noted in this connection that in the same village there is also an inscription of Sundara-Pāṇḍya (acen. 1303 A.D.) which combines Śaka 1227 with the 2nd regnal year (No. 189 of 1939-40).
^[6] Elliot and Dowson : History of India. Vol. III. p. 54.
^[7] Pandyan Kingdom, p. 207 ; J. O. R., Vol. XII. p. 198.
^[8] Wassaf who describes Sundara-Pāṇḍya’s visit to Delhi does not refer to any help rendered by the Sultan. The other Mahammadan writers do not also refer to this incident or to any expedition which the Sultan sent to the Pāṇḍya country after Malik Kāfūr’s return. [A record of Jaṭāvarman Śrīvallabha (S. I. I., Vol. VIII, No. 247 states that Rājarājan Sundara Pāṇḍya invaded the country in alliance with the Mahammadans. Vide Early Muslim Expansion in South India, p. 89 and n.─Ed.]
^[9] No. 72 of 1918. While reviewing this record in the Ep. Rep. for 1918, para. 50, it is stated that the elder brother of Sundara-Pāṇḍya made the endowment for the service instituted in the name of Muppiḍi-Nāyaka. This record dated in the 13+1st year of Sundara-Pāṇḍya would be assignable to 1316-17 A.D. I am inclined to interpret the words ‘ our elder brother ’ nam-tamayanār occurring in this inscription as referring to Muppiḍi-Nāyaka and not to any elder brother of the Pāṇḍya king. It is even suggested in J. O. R., Vol. XII. p. 199, that this elder brother may the Vīra-Pāṇḍya himself. But Vīra-Pāṇḍya is known from the present record to be in enemy of the Kākatīya forces and he could not have made any endowment on behalf of his enemy. The text of this inscription runs : ‘Yāṇḍu 13 vadin edirām-āṇḍu Chittirai-māda model Uḍaiyār Tirumalukunramuḍaiva-Nāvanārkku samtamayaṇār Pratāparudradēva Mahārāja-Pradhēnigalli Muppiḍi-Nāyākkar pērāl nām kaṭṭina śandikkum , etc.
^[10] No. 608 of 1915 from Malayaḍikurichchi, dated in Śaka 1236 and 12th regnal year.
^[11] No. 189 o f 1939-40, dated in Śaka 1227 and 2nd regnal year.