South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

The latest regnal year of Ravivarman given in an inscription^[1] from Tirunelvēli is 7, which according to our calculation would correspond to A.D. 1316-17. Ravivarman seems to have remained in the Tamil country^[2] from A.D. 1312 to 1317 without returning to his native country, and by the latter date, we find his successor Udayamārttāṇḍa firmly established in Vēṇāḍ.^[2] According to our inscription Ravivarman was defeated^[4] at Tiruvadikunram. After this defeat which may be placed in A.D. 1317 he^[5] disappears from history and is not heard of either in the Tamil country or in Kēraḷa.

Of the persons mentioned in the record, the Kākatīya king Pratāparudra is the most important. His seat of government was Warangal in the Nizam’s Dominions where he ruled from Śaka 1215^[6] to 1248.^[7] The Kākatīya power reached the zenith of its glory during his reign. His dominion embraced the entire Āndhra country with the exception of Kaliṅga, and as shown above, he was able to extend his influence far into the Tamil country. During the Muhammadan invasion, he was taken captive, and according to one version is said to have died on the way by committing suicide, and according to another, to have returned to his country after escape and died thereafter about A. D. 1326.

Next in importance is Dēvari-Nāyaka, the donor. It is stated in the inscription itself that he was the son of Māchaya-Nāyaka who was an important officer in the Kākatīya court. This Māchaya was the king’s Gajasāhiṇi and held the titles Svāmidrōhara-gaṇḍa, Immaḍi-Niśśaṅkavīra, Samayachakravarti, Kaliyugavīrabhadra, Kīrtisamudra, etc.^[8] His son Dēvari-Nāyaka was equally famous and was governing the country round Mahādēvīcherla (modern Mācherla) in Śaka 1237,^[9] just two years prior to the date of our inscription. He had the reputation of being the rescuer of the kingdom of Kāketa (Kākatīya) family.^[10] In the praśasti of an inscription from Darsi^[11] in the Nellore District, he is given the titles Chalamartigaṇḍa, Svāmidrōharagaṇḍa and is praised for his generosity, piety, knowledge of politics and patronage of learned men. He is mentioned finally in Śaka 1241 in an inscription at Durgi^[12] in the reign of Pratāparudra as making an endowment of land to the temples at Dāravēmula.

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^[1] No. 77 of 1927.
^[2] There is, however, no evidence for the statement that Ravivarman had gone as far north as Nellore (Cambridge Hist. of Ind., Vol. III. p. 487) ; Trav. State Man., p. 104.
^[3] Trav. Archl., Ser., Vol. IV. pp. 89-90. Ravivarman’s death did not take place in A.D. 1313, as suggested in the Trav. State Man., pt. II, p. 117, and therefore the year of his death was not the same as that of the accession of his successor (ibid., p. 118).
^[4] The statement made in the Trav. State Man., p. 108 about Saṅgrāmadhīra that ‘ no defeat has ever been recorded ’ must be revised.
^[5] His name is associated with Kaṇṇanūr in the Kīl-Vembāmāḍu and Poonamalle in the Chingleput district by surnaming them Ravivenra-Chaturvēdimaṅgalam and Chēra-Pāṇḍya-Chaturvēdimaṅgalam respectively (No. 75 of 1927 and Ep. Rep. for 1911 para. 40).
^[6] No. 545 of 1909.
^[7] No. 308 of 1915.
^[8] Ep. Rep. for 1910, para. 48.
^[9] No. 586 of 1909.
^[10] Above, Vol. IX. p. 330 and Ep. Rep. for 1910 page 109.
^[11] Darsi 33. Nellore Ins., Vol. I. p. 334.
^[12] No. 574 of 1909.
^[13] There is however one inscription from Tirukkaḍaiyūr in the Tanjore District mentioning an unsuccessful attempt made at partitioning the kingdom. This is dated in the 34th regnal year of Māravarman Kulaśēkhara and the astronomical details given in it correspond to A. D. 1301, September 10, Sunday. This inscription notices a confusion (kalagam) brought about by the king making over a portion of his dominion to his younger brothers as lirukkai-valakkam. As a consequence the people were in distress and realising the futility of this course they migrated to other lands. The king thereupon gave way and resumed supreme authority, evidently cancelling the divisions when his people returned to their homes (A. R. No. 46 of 1906). From No. 462 to 1921, it is known that Vikrama-Pāṇḍya was one of the younger brothers of Māravarman Kulaśēkhara. The confusion or rebellion in and around Tirukkaḍaiyūr about A.D. 1301 is not connected with the rivalry between Vīra- Pāṇḍya