Part 4 - Nambaya II (A.D. 1127-1131)

Namba II or Nambiraja was probably a grandson of Ganda. His earliest inscription is from Chebrole dated A.D 1127 and the 9th year of Rajakesarivarman alias Vikrama chodadeva. Namba bore the epithets-Mahamandalesvara, the lord of the city of Kollipaka and of the shatsabasra country. Nambaya’s last inscription is from Kraksharama dated A.D. 1131 which gives his parasasti. He is mentioned as Nambiraja of Omgeru-marga and the lord of Shatsahasra on the southern bank of the Krishna.

Extenation of the Kingdom

Up to the time Namba II, the Parichchedis were only the rulers of the Omgerumarga and bore no prasasti. But Nambaya in A.D. 1127, styled himself-Krishnavennanaditradakshina shatsahasravishayadhisvara. So it appears that Namba extended his kingdom from the Omgerumarga into Sharshasra and had his capital at kalipaka. His record to Draksharama by its location probably attests the growth of the Parichchedi kingdom.

Nambaya’s Political Relations

Some of the titles of Nambaya show that he was a great warrior. His allegiance to the Imperial Cholas is evidenced by his Chebrole epigraph of A.D. 1127 dated in the 9th regnal year of vikramachola. The Chola supremacy in Vengi, which was threatened for a while by the Chalukyas of Kalyani under the aegis of Vikramaditya VI, was restored in the southern half by A.D. 1127. Nambiraja played a distinguished role in assisting the Chola emperor in this restoration. His epithet-Vengi chalukyarajya mulasthembha shows that he was a staunch supporter of the Vengi chaluky a kingdom which must refer to the Chalukyachola kingdom under Kulottunga I and his seuccessors, as the Vngi kingdom of the Chalukyas ceased to exist as a separate power with the accession of Kulottunga.

Nambaya while fighting for Vikrama chola against his Chalukyan enemies came into conflict with the later Pandyas, the feudatories of Vikramaditya VI. For, Tribhuvanamalla Pandyadeva, a feudatory of Vikramaditya IV ruling Nolambavadi 32000 from Betturu in A.D. 1127 had thetitle-the punisher of the Parichchedins and the vanquisher of the hopes of the Chola king Rajiga chola. Here the Partchchedin is no doubt “Nambaya II and Rajiga chola refers to the emperor Vikrama-chola. This shows that in their re-establishment of the Chola power in Vengi, Vikramachola and Nambaya II suffered a reverse in the hands of Tribhuvanamalla Pandya, who must have fought obviously on the side of the Chalukyas of Kalyani. Nevertheless, the restoration of the Chola power in Vengi completely shows that Tribhuvanamalla’s victory did not result in the continuation of the Chalukyan power in Vengi. This battle between the Cholas and the Kalyani Chalukyas must have been fought before A.D. 1127—the date of the record of Tribhuvanamalla mentioning his achievements.

Nambaya II must have had friendly relations with Choda I of the Velanandus. His title—Mallanagandhavarana shows that he vanquished a certain Mallana whose identity is not known. His epithet Darjayakula-kumudachandra i.e. a moon to the lotus i.e. Durjauakula perhaps shows that he was a friend and supporter of the local dynasties claiming Durjaya descent against their enemies.