Part 46 - Gonka II or Manmagonka (A.D. 1230-1237)

In A.D. 1230, Gonka II succeeded his uncle Mahadeva on the Vengi throne. His earliest inscription dated A.D. 1213 is from Chebrole. Gonka’s next inscription is from Talikicherla, with date A.D. 1230 and mentions minister Narayana. in A.D. 1235, Narayana made further gifts at Telikicherla Gonka's reign may have lasted till A.D. 1237—the earliest date for his successor Ayyapadeva II.

His Political Relations

Gonka is mentioned as Vengi Gonka and Manmagonka in his records. The epigraphist is correct in not identifying him with Gonka of the Velanandus, for he did not bear the Velanandu prasasti. Besides, chronology also does not support such identification, Probably Gonka was crown prince in Mahadeva’s reign from A.D. 1213—the date of his earliest record at Chebrole. The date and location of his record show that those Chalukyas under Mahadeva started on extending their kingdom immediately after the death of Velanandu Prithvisvara in the Telugu chola hands. Probably prince Gonka at the head of the Chalukya armies joined the Kakatiya expedition into the Velanandu country about that time and won some victories.

The rulers contemporaneous with Gonka in other kingdoms were Bhima IV of the Kona Haihayas, Ganapati and Dora III of the Chagis, Bhima HI and Keta III and Ganapati of the Kotas, Rudra I of the Natavadis, Mahadeva of the Malayas, Chandrasekhara of the Pithapur Chalukyas, Madhava of the Yadavas and Tikka I of the Nellore cholas, Gonka II during, his short reign does not seem to have come into conflict with any of these kings. Besides, he need not have acknowledged the suzerainty of the Chalukyas of Pithapur, who were declining in this period.