Part 3 - Manda II (A.D. 1125-1130)

The earliest inscription of Manda is from Madala dated A.D. 1125 and mentions Manda’s subordinate Mandenayaka and his two younger brothers Pandanayaka and Sadenayaka. Another record at Madala also dated A.D. 1125 mentions king Manda and his subordinate Mandanayaka. So Mandanayaka is not king Manda as has been supposed by the Government epigraphist. Manda’s record dated A.D. 1125 mentions Mahanaminayadu, lord of Mavundala and Kanchipura and bearer of some of the Kondapadumati opithets. Manda’s next inscription dated A.D. 1129 is from Madala and his latest inscription is from Nadendla dated A.D. 1130 mentioning the king as Manmamanda, a vassal of Kulottunga. Manda II had the epithet Aniyankabhima, vanquished the armies of the Ganga king of Kalinga and presented to Rajendra choda, the elephants captured in the war. The Tsandavole inscription refers to the valour of Manda II.

Manda II’s Political Relations

The chola emperor was Vikrama chola and Manda’s loyalty to him is attested by his inscriptions. In one of his records, he appears as a vassal of Kulottunga, and in another he is said to have presented spoils of war to Rajendra choda. Here Kulottunga and Rajendra chola refer to emperor Vikramachola. (A.D. 1120 1133).

Manda came into conflict with the armies of Anantavarman choda Ganga (A.D-1078—1146), the Ganga emperor of Kalinga. “Having torn up like a mound the army of the Ganga (king) of Kalinga, having consumed like straw the warriors of the bold enemy and having cut off (like) lotuses, their heads-the mighty rutting elephant mandalika Manda is roaring. Having de feated the army of the enemy he gave to Rajendra choda.” This battle between the Kondapadumatis and the Gangas must have taken place prior to A.D. 1130-the last year of Manda II. Towards the close of the 11th century and the beginning of the 12th, Anantavarman was making efforts towards expansion into Yengi and he was assisted in his object by Vikrameditya VI morally if not materially and the condition of Yengi under Choda I, after the departure of Vikrama choda from Vengi for the chola country was also convenient. By A.D. 1128 Anantavarman and his queens visited Draksharama and mode gifts to Bhimesvara.So at Draksharama Choda I had to face the enemy about A.D. 1128. By this time the Cholas and the Velanandus were recovering the tracts north of the Godavari which they lately lost to the chalukyas. So it was here in the battle at Draksharama that Manda II distinguished himself by routing the enemy and capturing their elephants which he presented to his overlord Rajendra chola i.e. Vikramachola who must have been present on the battle at the time. Rajendra choda cannot refer to Velanandu choda I who was also a subordinate of the cholas and was fighting on their behalf as Manda Ii was, and consequently the statement “Manda...was a military officer under Velananti Rajendra choda and who on behalf of his master appears to have fought a battle with the Gangas of Kalinga.”falls to ground. Besides, Manda who vanquished the Gangas is not Manda I as supposed by the Epigraphist but Manda II. So this war with Kalinga was defensive led by Vikrama chola and choda I of the Velanandus, in which as subordinate of the Cholas Nanda I took a leading role.

Besides the Nayaka chiefs who were on the service of Manda II, the Mandadi chiefs also were dependents of Manda II. Prola, second son of Kondagadi Kota malla, and grandson of Matta claims to have obtained the chieftainship of the Giripaschima district through the favour of Manda, i.e. Manda II.