Note 2f: Chola Feudatories, the Telugu Cholas

A small line of petty chieftains came to prominence at Pottapi, identified with a village of the same name in the Puilampet taluk of the Cuddapah district in Andhra Pradesh. The first of them was Madhurantaka Pottapi Chola, evidently so named out of some connection with a conquest of Madurai and possibly because he also founded Pottapi. During Vikrama Chola’s period, we hear of Beta, the first historical figure of the line, whose son was Erasiddhi, who in turn had three sons, Nallasiddha alias Manmasiddha, Beta and Tamusiddha. The contemporary of Kulottunga III was Nallasiddharasa who, ruling from Ncllore, acknowledged the suzerainty of the Chola monarch (ninth year of Kulottunga III). This Chief and others made many gifts during this period to the temples of Tiruppalaivanam, Kalahasti and Nandalur. As late as a.d. 1213 we find the Telugu Chodas acknowledging the suzerainty of the Chola king.

This review of the various feudatory Chiefs of the Chola kingdom during the reign of Kulottunga III would go to show that in spite of the mounting difficulties the emperor had to face and the debilitatii^wars with the Pandyas he had to carry on, he succeeded in preserving his inherited empire more or less intact. It is likely that, towards the end of his rule, there were inroads into Vengi by the growing power of the Kakatiyas, whose powerful king Ganapati had just (Same to the throne (a.d. 1199).