21. Jatavarama sundara-pandya I (acc. A.D. 1251) was the most powerful of the Pandya kings, with his sway extending over the whole of south India as north as Nellore and in the south, even outside to Ceylon, and with his secondary capital at Kanchipuram. There is only a single inscription of his this years’ collection (No.613) which comes from Nandalur in the Cuddapah district. It beings with the Sanskrit introduction samasta-jagad-adhara etc. It is damaged and seems to register the gift of the village Mananur by the king to the Vishnu temple at Nirandanur . 

22. Sundara-pandya’s  close relation and subordinate was Jatavarman Vira-pandya whose date of accession has been fixed at A.D. 1253. His rule covers almost the same period as sundara’s and he lays claim to several expeditions similar to these of his senior. In No. 131 from Kodumbalur (Pudukkottai state) dated in his 17^th year, which is however damaged, we can read his claims for the conquest of Konganam and Gangai-nadu and his ‘anointment of heroes ‘ at puliyar ( Chidambaram ). It records the sale of some lands to the local temple by the Kaikolas in lieu of the money due from them. Three different kinds of coins are mentioned in this inscription viz., Pon or kalanju, Soliyan-kasu and vira-pandyan-kasu. Two other epigraph may also be ascribed to him. No. 421 from Kambam (Madurai dt.) dated in his 10^th year and No. 402 from Perungarunai in the Ramanathapuram district of his 14^th year both mention his conquest of Ilam. Kongu and solamandalam and his coronation at Tillaimanagar. 

23. We are not quite so certain of the identity of Jatavarman  Vira-pandya whose inscriptions from Sinnamanur and Kallidaikkurichchi (Nos.430 and 117) are respectively dated in the 26^th and 28^th years of his reign, but do not begin with any preamble giving his exploits. The former refers to a hall in the temple built by an officer of the king and called the vangai-Mikaman-Mandapam after the surname of one Pillai Kulasekhara-Mahabali-Vanarayar. No. 117 registers an endowment for a feeding house made by a certain Tirunilakantan Rajakkanayanar alias Tondaimanar of Puduvur in Ala-nadu. 

24. Of Maravarman Kulasekhara I (acc. A.D. 1268) “who was pleased to take all countries “ there are a dozen inscription the latest of which dated in his 41^st regnal year ( No.431). It is possible that three more inscriptions (Nos.125, 127 and128) are also his, though they do not give him the above attribute. The village Pappangulam (Tirunelveli dt). from where these records come, is called Seranaivera-Tirumadaivilagam probably in commemoration of the king’s campaign over the Chera country. No. 136 from Kodumbalur dated in his 42^nd year may also belong to one Devan Tirunelveli-Udaiyan, who undertook to reclaim them from a state of wild growth into which they had fallen by neglect , following a breach in the local irrigation tank. The lessee is stated to have also paid 100 panam to the temple as  parivatta-mudal, perhaps for some temple honours shown to him during his visits of worship. 

25. Seven inscriptions from Nandalur (Cuddapah district .) of which Nos.588, 590, 592 and 594 give details of date can be referred to the reign of Jatavarman sundara-pandya II (acc. A.D.1276 ), and range between his 9^th and 17^th regnal years (Nos.614 and 594 ). He is surmised to have been a co-ruler of Maravarman Kulasekhara I (An. Rept. for 1908, Part II, Para 47) and also a contemporary of Maravarm Vikarama-Pandya of accession date A.D. 1283, to whom No. 313 from Tiruvidaimarudur (Tanjavur district) should also be ascribed. Nos. 591-3 and 614 record endowment made by one Pillai Pallavarayar alias Eduttakaiyalagiyar of Tunjalur in Pandi-mandalam. Another donor was Sirumalikilan of Jayangondasola-mandalam (Nos.588 and 594). 

VIJAYANAGARA KINGS

26. The earliest inscription of the Vijayanagara kings is No. 156 from Mallangudi (Pudukottai State), which belongs to Viruppana (Virupaksha I), the son of Harihara II. It is dated in the cyclic year Pingala corresponding to Saka 1299 or A. D. 1377. It is much damaged and seems to state that the village Malaiyalangudi was the place of refuge (asrayam) for the Tandirimar of Kalvasal-nadu, Kana-nadu and other places. 

27. Next in point of time is No. 501 from Vijayanagara (Hampi) which also gives only the cyclic year Isvara which corresponds to Saka 1319. It records the gift of a dipamala by Bukkayave, the consort (Ardhaniga-Lakshmir) of Vira Harihararaya (II) for the merit of her spiritual teacher Bhaskaradevayya. 

28. Two inscriptions, one from Peraiyur in Pudukkottai State (No. 158) and the other from Tirumalai in N. Arcot district (No. 69) are of Devaraya II and are dated respectively in Saka 1343 and 1367. The later record gives him the attribute “who witnessed the elephant-hunt” and mentions an agent of the king by name Tipparaisar-Nayaka. 

29. No. 67 which is also from Tirumalai is dated in Saka 1373 and refers itself to the reign of Pratap Immadideva-Maharaya ‘who witnessed the elephant-hunt’. He is probably the same as Mallikarjuna Immadi Praudhadeva, son of Devaraya II. 

30 Of Krishnadevaraya there are 5 records ranging from Saka 1436 to 1451.  Of these No. 53 from Putalapattu registers an undertaking given by several merchants of the place to pay magamdi impost on all their articles of merchandise at specified rates to the local temple. In No. 493 from Kuttalam dated in Saka 1440 the king is given the title Oddiyandala-vibatan. It records the remission of 90 pon accruing to him by way of taxes like jodi and sulavari from Merkaviri-maganai, made through Karanikam Vasavarasar for the requirements of the temple. No 355 form Tiruvisalur is a damaged copy of a same inscription of his found in several temples of the south, remitting the jodi and sulavari amounting to 10,000 varahan in favour of these enumerated in them, of which that at Tituvasalur was also one. 

31. Of Krikhanadevaraya’s successor Achytu deva  there are 7 inscription ranging from saka 1454 to 1462. Of these, No. 408 from Hanumantagudi of date saka 1455 consists of there disconnected pieces recording the grant of Padikaval right to an individual and mentioning Arhaparamesvara Maluva-Nayaka. No.271 from Tiruvisalur dated saka 1456 makes mention of a gift of land and house site to the temple (?) by one Ramappa-Nayaka as subhakshaya-sadanam for the merit of his father Vasavananayakar of Tiruvannamalai Devamandala-sirmai. The king is given, in No.400 from Kodumalur in the Ramantapuram district, some high-sounding titles like Telunga-Narapati-Purandaran, Dakshinasamudradhipati, Gajaturaga naradhisvaran, Parapaksha bhujanga Virapratapa Immadi Achyutadeva-Maharayar. The inscription registers a gift of the village Melaikkodumalur, half as tiruvidaiyattam and half as devadana, for the requirements of worship of god Setumadhava-Perumal at Dhanushkodi. No.151gives him the epithet “who took every country”. No.64 dated saka 1462 seems to record a gift of magamai (duty on goods?) for worship in the Siva and Vishnu temples at Tenepalli (Chittoor district). 

32. Sadasivaraya  is the last king to be represented in the collection. He has four inscriptions dated between saka 1467 and saka1490 (Nos.55 and 63). No.148 gives him the epithet “who took every country” and mentions Aiyan Tyagana-Nayakar Peddappa-Nayakar as a donor, while No. 54 dated saka 1471 refers to mahamandalesvara  Ramaraja  Chinna-Timmayadeva and his agent Dalavay Timmarajayyan. To the same Timmayadeva (Tirimala I) belongs No. 510 from Madurai. It is dated in saka 1468 and is engraved on 15 detached stones found in the Madanagopala temple at the place. As some stones are lost and some are damaged it is difficult to piece the fragments together to from a continuous inscription. It gives a long list of names of the Aravidu dynasty beginning from Vishnu, down to Tirumala through several chief. It registers an endowments of a hundred villages to Brahmanas both Vaishnava and others and apportionment of shares of land for their living. Provision seems to have also been made for worship in the Vishnu and Siva temples.

Continuation

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