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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA proclaimed himself king. Narasa-Nâyaka was succeeded by his son “ Busbal Rao,” who died after a reign of six years and was succeeded by his younger brother Kṛishṇadëvarâya.[1] Nuniz expressly states that Narasa-Nâyaka was the father of Kṛishṇadêvarâya and that “ Busbal Rao ” was his eldest son and successor. Narasa-Nâyaka must therefore be identified with Narasiṁha, the founder of the second dynasty, and “ Busbal Rao ” with his eldest son Vîra-Narasiṁha.[2] Mr. Sewell finds this account confusing and conflicting with known facts.[3] This is because he identifies “ Narsymgua,” the first usurper, with Narasiṁha, the founder of the Tuḷuva dynasty, which leads him to the conclusions that his successor Narasa-Nâyaka, whom, he identifies with Vîra-Narasiṁha, was not his son, and that between Vîra-Narasiṁha and Kṛishṇadêvarâya there was an intermediate king─ conclusions which are certainly opposed to express statements contained in several inscriptions and books. These difficulties would vanish entirely if we admit the theory of double usurpation and identify Narasa-Nâyaka with the founder of the Teḷuva dynasty. The theory of double usurpation is not only not inconsistent with known facts, but is highly probable, since but for the first usurpation Narasiṁha would have had no locus standi in the affairs of the empire and certainly no opportunities or excuse for usurping the throne. The statement in the inscription that Nṛisiṁharâya with the aid of his sword defeated all and became a Sârvabhauma or emperor (v. 13) seems to me to point unmistakably to his usurpation of the Karṇâṭa throne.
The account of Nuniz as to the nature of the relationship which existed between Sâḷuva-Nṛisiṁharâya and Narasiṁha is directly and fully corroborated by the Varâhapurâṇam. The first chapter (âśvâsa) of the book gives the genealogy of both these persons and says that Narasiṁha’s father Îśvara, who is also called Îśvara-Nâyaka, was Nṛisiṁharâya’s general, and that he was succeeded by his son in that office. In another place Narasiṁha is said to have been honoured by Nṛisiṁharâya and appointed commander of his forces,[4] and in a third place he is described as the “ supporter of the kingdom of Nṛisiṁharâya.”[5] In the penultimate verse of the sixth âśvâsa he is addressed as Sâḷuva-Narasiṅga-dharâdhara-daṇḍanâtha, i.e. ‘commander of the forces of king Sâḷuva-Nṛisiṁharâya.â
There are at present no means of fixing the exact year in which Nṛisiṁharâya usurped the
Vijayanagara throne ; but this event must be placed between the Śaka year 1408 (= A.D. 1486-87),
which is the latest known date of the first dynasty,[6] and the Śaka year 1418, Râkshasa ( = A.D.
1495-96), which is the earliest known reliable date of Immaḍi-Nṛisiṁharâya.[7] That the latter
was recognised as king of Vijayanagara, at least in name, is expressly stated by Nuniz, and
Dr. Hultzsch informs me that an inscription at Bàrukûr (No. 166 of 1901) of Śaka-Saṁvat
1421, Siddhârthin (= A.D. 1499-1500), states that in this year the Mahâmaṇḍalêśvara Mêdinimîsaragaṇḍa Kaṭhâri Sâḷuva Immaḍi-Narasiṁharâya-mahârâya was ruling at
[1] A Forgotten Empire, pp. 305-315. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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