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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA presume that Koṇḍavîḍu did not become the capital till the time of Anavêma, and that, prior to this, Dharaṇikôṭa was the chief seat of Reḍḍi power in what is now the Kistna district. The fact of Vêma building steps leading to the temples at Śrîśailam and Ahôbalam is not mentioned in this inscription, though it is mentioned in the Amarâvatî one. This omission can hardly be regarded as due to oversight, seeing that the act was considered so meritorious as to be mentioned in almost all the subsequent inscriptions of this dynasty. A more probable explanation seems to be, that the work was not finished when this inscription was composed. Vêma was succeeded by his eldest son Anapôta, and he by his younger brother Anavêma. Both these kings were, according to the Daṇḍakavili, wise and strong rulers, and they consolidated the kingdom founded by their father. In the Velugôṭivâri Vaṁśâvaḷi, Anapôtanîḍu and Mâdânîḍu, sons of Siṅga who was a general of Pratâparudra, claim to have defeated Anapôta-Reḍḍi at Dharaṇikôṭa about the Śaka year 1283, which is also the year of an inscription at Amarâvatî,[1] in which Anapôta’s minister is referred to.[2] I know only of two inscriptions of the time of Anavêma, both dated in Śaka 1299 (expired). One of them is at Drâkshârâma in the Gôdâvarî district,[3] and the other on a stone pillar in the compound of the temple of Agastyêśvara at the junction of the Mûsi and the Kṛishṇâ in the village of Vâdapalli in the Miriyâlagûḍem tâluka of the Nallagoṇḍa district in the Nizam’s dominions. The poet Śrînâtha seems to have first flourished at the court of Anavêma, in whose praise there are several verses extant.
On the demise of Anavêma, the crown passed on to Anapôta’s son Kumâragiri, who, according to the Daṇḍakavili, was an unpopular and wicked prince. From the Haravilâsam we learn that Kumâragiri was a contemporary of Harihara II. of Vijayanagara (A.D. 1379-1399) and of the Bahmanî king Fîrûz Shâh (A.D. 1397-1422). Tippa, to whom the book was dedicated, is said to have had the monopoly of supplying perfumes and spices for the great annual spring-festival (vasantôtsava) which Kumâragiri seems to have instituted. It is interesting to note that, at this period, the Telugu country had extensive trade relations─ not only with other parts of India, but also with foreign countries. For, Tippa is said to have imported camphor trees from the Panjâb ; golden sprouts (baṅgaru-molaka) from Jalanôgi ;[4] elephants from Siṁhala (Ceylon) ; horses from Hurumañji (Ormuz or Persia) ; essence (drava) of civet (saṅkumada) from Gôva (Goa) ; pearls from Âpage ;[4] musk from Chôtaṅgi,[4] and silk cloths from Chîna. It was in the time of Kumâragiri that the kingdom was divided into two and the Eastern part with Rajahmundry as capital was given to his brother-in-law and minister Kâṭaya-Vêma.[5] This separation seems to have been effected not later than the Śaka year 1308 ; for we have inscriptions of Kâṭaya-Vêma issued in that year.[6]
Kumâragiri seems to have been the last of Vêma’s branch of the family, and on his death
the crown passed to Vêma or Peda-Kômaṭi-Vêma, grandson of Vêma’s elder brother Mâcha.
I know of two inscriptions of Kômaṭi-Vêma, one dated in the Śaka year 1331[7] and the other in
1334. The latter is a copper-plate inscription recently sent to the Collector of Kistna by the
Tahsildar of Guṇṭûr. Both the inscriptions purport to have been composed by Śrînâtha, who
is described as the Vidyâdhikâri to Kômaṭi-Vêma. The Daṇḍakavili says that Kômaṭi-Vêma
was a wise prince and walked in the ways of Anavêma, and it proceeds to state that Kômaṭi-Vêma was succeeded by his younger brother Râcha-Vêma, who was the last of the dynasty. In
[1] No. 258 of the Government Epigraphist’s collection for 1897.
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