Part 1 - Manda I (A.D. 1114—1118)

During the five countries between A.D. 633 and 1114—the last and the first dates of Buddhavarman and Manda I respectively—south India and Vengi experienced great poiitical changes. The Chola and the Eastern Chalukya crowns were-united by A.D. 1070 in Kulottunga I. By the time of Manda I Vengi was a Chola viceroyalty under Vikrama chola. Naturally the Kondapadumatis were loyal to the Chalukyacholas in this period.

The earliest record of Manda I is from Pakalapadu, with date A.D. Ill and the 45th year of Tribhuvanachakravarti Kulottunga chodadeva. It mentions the king as the lord of Kondapadumara, who is Manda I though His name is lost in the record. Manda’s inscription from Bapatla dated A.D. 1117 mentions a Reddi of Kondapedumati Mavundala and the Gandhavaranamadas’ The last inscription of Manda’s reign is from Chebrole where he is mentioned as Erramanda and his premier was Sura, who and his brothers acquired some important victories over Betamandalikasanghamun, and the enemy at Bezavada and over some hill tribes. The record mentions lord Panda whose identity and relationship to Manda I is not known.

Manda I’s Political Relations

The kingdom of Manda. I is mentioned as Samrajya and he issued coins by A.D. 1117 for Gandhavaranamade is after one of his epithets-Gandhavarana. By A.D. 1118, Sura claims to have won victories over a conspiracy of kings headed by Beta at Bezvada and was rewarded with palanquin etc. by the king.This Beta may be Beta or Betma of the Kakatiyas, a feudatory of Vikramaditya VI of the Chalukyas of Kalyani on whom Hanumakonda was conferred in A.D. 1117. More probably Beta is Chagi Beta, the founder of the Palnad Haihaya dynasty whose reign lasted from A.D. 1103 to 1110 and whose successor Virakama (A.D. 1111-1118) was the strict contemporary of Manda I on the Haihaya throne. As there is no evidence of Beta’s death in A.D. 1110. he could have headed the enemy of the Kondapadumatis at Bezavada before A.D. 1118. Why this battle occurred and who the associates of Beta were is not known. As this was the period of the expansion of the Western Chalukyan power int# Vengi under Vikramaditya and his generals and as the eply Haihayas Beta and Vikrama were allies of the Chalukyas, the Chalukyan armies with the Haihaya and perhaps Chagi and Natavadi rulers, on their march, were obstructed at Bezvada from entering the Kondapadumati Kingdom by Manda I, Panda, Sura and his brothers and were vanquished. It is likely that Gonka I and Choda I participated on the side of Manda I. The Kunnulu and bondalu defeated by Sura, probably refer to some forest tribes. As Manda is not heard of after A.D. 1118, probably he died in the battle, and the figure of Sura—the hero of the battle was carved by a sculptor. According to a Velanandu inscription dated A.D. 1132, Kapa, lord of Tumbarti was in the service of Erramanda, and at his command defeated the enemy kings at Manneru and was rewarded with the title—Mandanagandha-varana, and lordship of Tumbarru and Atukur. Entitled Aniyanka bhima and Chathurtha kulakesi, Kapa had secured another victory at the instance of Manda while Smgana, Sevana, Jagadeva, and choda were witnessing. The place of the victory is not mentioned. These successes of Kapa must have taken place prior to A.D. 1118 along with those of Sura. The victories of Kapa and Sura formed a single campaign in which the battles at Bezvada and Manneru were won by A.D. 1118. of the four chiefs—Sevana, Singana, Jagadeva, and choda who sided Manda, choda is either Vikrama chola or Velananti choda I, Sevana was a yadava ruler perhaps of Devagiri and Jagadeva probably a Teluguchola. Smdapanayaka an ancestor of Kapa received regal ensigns from Buddhavarman. the ancestor of the Kondapadumatis.

King Manda I was a subordinate of Kulottunga I and his earliest inscription is dated in the 45th year of the emperor. His loyalty to the Cholas continued throughuot bis reign which is evidenced by his fighting and vanquishing the Chalukyas and their subordinates at Bezvada.