South Indian Inscriptions

INTRODUCTION

of Māḷa village. This order was attested by pradhāni Viṭharasa-oḍeya, Karaṇika Bāyappa and the sixteen of the village (grāma-hadināraru)(No. 141). The date of the record Śaka 1975, is a mistake for Śaka 1386, corresponding to 1465 A.D.

       A record from Tiruvōttūr in North Arcot District, (No. 144) dated in the cyclic year Virōdhi (1470 A.D.), is interesting since it falls in the reign period of Virūpāksha, whose records are available from the different places in South Kanara District. The records range in date from Śaka 1396 to Śaka 1416 (Nos. 146-152). The above record registers the remission of 150 hon due to the king towards the taxes jōḍi śūlavari, paṭṭaḍe and nūlāya from the people of Tiruvattūr to enable them to reconstruct the village, which, along with the temple lands, had been washed away by floods. The remission was made by mahāmaṇḍalēśvara Sāḷuva Narasiṅgayyadēvamahārāya. On the last date ie., Śaka 1416 corresponding to 1949 A.D., given in the Hosāḷa inscription, Virūpāksha figures as the ruling king. But this date is too late for this king. By this time, the usurpation of Sāḷuva Narasiṁha was complete and his son Immaḍi Narasiṁha had occupied the throne. Dr. K. V. Ramesh observes that the usurpation of the imperial throne by Sāḷuva Narasiṁha must have taken place after 1487 A.D., the date of Pratāparāya’s inscription (See A History of South Kanara, p. 203). The only probable suggestion that can be made, under these circumstances is that in the area of south Kanara, Virūpāksha was still considered as a nominal ruler. In an inscription from Hosāḷa dated Śaka 1399 corresponding to 1477 A.D. (No. 154), there is a reference to the king as Bhujabaḷarāya. Another record from this place dated in the cyclic year Śukla corresponding to 1509 A.D., also refers to king Bhujabaḷarāya (No. 160). The inscription falls in the reign period of Vīra Nārasiṁha. This king was, obviously, Vīra Nārasṁha of the Tuḷuva dynasty who was also called Bhujabaḷarāya. On the other hand 1477 A.D., would be a very early date for this king, if Bhujabaḷarāyamahārāya of that record (No. 154) is identified with him. We may note that the Basrūr record (S.I.I., Vol. IX, pt. II, No. 471) dated Śaka 1404 (1492 A.D.) also mentions the king as Bhujabaḷa-Narasiṅgarāya-mahārāya, who is, obviously, identical with Śaḷuva Narasiṁha. It is, therefore, possible that the Hosāḷa inscription is in all likelihood belongs to the period of Sāḷuva Narasiṁha himself. This is also further confirmed by the negative evidence that these records do not refer to Virūpāksha as the ruling’ king, perhaps indicative of Sāḷuva Narasiṁha’s power. No. 172 from Hemmāḍi is a record of Kṙishṇadēvarāya dated Śaka 1448 (1526 A.D.). It registers the gift of sixty