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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA Paḷḷivēḷān’s son, Parāntaka-Ppaḷḷivēlān is stated to have served in the campaign at Iḍavai. The latter’s son, Aṇḍavēḷān Kurumbar-Ādittan Puḷḷa-Nakkan served Mahārājar Kō-chChaḍaiya-Mārar. He was associated with the king in the campaigns at Viliñam, Iḍavai and Tirukkuḍamūkku. Puḷḷa-Nakkan’s son was Paḷḷivēḷān Nakkam-Puḷḷan whose activities are then described in greater detail. In this connection are mentioned Siṁhaḷarāja, Sāḷagrāma, a Varaguṇa-mahārāja who is described to have killed a huge elephant whose name appears to be Ayirāvaṇam and lastly Śennilam. Paḷḷivēḷān Nakkam-Puḷḷan is stated to have led nineteen[1] elephants to the battle field at the last mentioned place. Unfortunately the portion of the inscription describing the events connected with these places and persons is so damaged that it is difficult to make out an accurate picture of the events. The record then recounts how the king honoured Nakkam-Puḷḷan highly by bestowing on him gifts for his services and conferring on him the title Kumaran. Then Nakkam-Puḷḷan and his son are stated to have made a gift of land to a person whose name ends with Tirumalai. The wording of the concluding part which again is badly damaged, seems to be couched somewhat on the same lines as the Rāmanāthapuram epigraph and probably contained the details of the extent of land granted to the donee. To begin with the donor of the Perumuḷḷi inscription and his son, it will apparent that Paḷḷivēḷān Nakkam-Puḷḷan served with distinction Varaguṇa-mahārāja. Leaving for a later discussion the services rendered by this chief to the king, we may attempt to establish the identity of this Varaguṇa-mahārāja. Nakkam-Pūḷḷan’s father, Aṇḍavēḷān Kurumbar-Ādittan Puḷḷa-Nakkan served under Kō-Chchaḍaiya-Mārar.[2] If the kings Kō-Chchaḍaiya-Mārar and Varaguṇa mahārāja were related as father and son, as they indeed appear to, then Śaḍaiya-Mārar may be identified with Śrīmāra Śrīvallabha who, according to the Sinnamanur Plates of Rājasiṁha[3] was the father of Varaguṇa II. The fact that the Viliñam and Kuḍamūkku campaigns of Śrīmāra Śrīvallabha mentioned in this charter and those of Puḷḷa-Nakkan in which he is said to have served Śaḍaiya-Mārar in the Perumbuḷḷi record are identical establishes the identity suggested above. The Perumbuḷḷi inscription mentions, in addition, another campaign, namely that of Iḍavai. The Sinnamanur plates, it may be noted, do not mention this campaign.
The predecessor of Aṇḍavēḷān was Parāntaka-Ppaḷḷivēḷān. The Perumbuḷḷi inscription mentions him merely by his title while the Rāmanāthapuram record gives, in addition, his name as Nakkam-Puḷḷan. The former epigraph refers to his expedition to Iḍavai while the latter specifies that he accompanied king Mārañ-Jaḍaiyan on an expedition. The Iḍavai in the Chōḷa country, obviously the same as the Iḍavai of the Perumbuḷḷi inscription. The Iḍavai campaign of Nakkam-Puḷḷan alias Parāntaka-Ppaḷḷivēḷān with Mārañ-Jaḍaiyan was in all probability different from that of his son Puḷḷa-Nakkan with Śaḍaiya-Māran. Mārañ-Jaḍaiyan, the overlord of Pārāntaka-Ppaḷḷivēḷan Nakkam-Puḷḷan may easily be identified with Varaguṇa (I), the father and predecessor of Śrīmāra-Śrīvallabha, the grandfather of Varaguṇa II and Parāntaka Vīranārāyaṇ Śaḍaiyan all of whom are mentioned in the Larger Sinnamanur palates.[3] Parāntaka-Ppaḷḷivēḷān’s father is referred to merely as Paḷḷivēḷān. This was perhaps only his title similar to that of his son or grandson. Probably his name was Puḷḷa-Nakkan, judging from that of his grandson. Paḷḷivēḷān is associated with the name of Kulumbūr but the details _________________________________________________
[1] This probably indicates the number of the conventional divisions of a regiment in the army.
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