Part 13 - Yammaraja alias Nandivarma Maharaja (A.D. 1102)

Dorapa had five sons—Irugaraju, Samartaraju, Yemmaraju,. Bhimaraju, and Manchiraju. Of them, the third son was crowned as king on A.D. 1102 chitrabhanu, in the month of Rishavha at Chodapuram. On that occasion, he assumed the name. Nandivarma Maharaja. His accession was either due to the early demise of his two elder brothers or to his outstanding capacities as a ruler. His capital was Ponunganti madurevi. His coronation was signalled by the grant of twelve villages in Punginadu to Brahmins.

His Political Relations

The upper limit of Nandivarma’s reign is not known. None of his records except the one of the initial year are available. The suggestions that Nandivarma’s capital was Prodduturu in the Cuddapah district, that his kingdom extended from Proddutur to Udayagiri etc. placess in Udayagiri Taluq (Nellore district) and that Chodapuram was probably outside Nellore district are baseless. For internal evidence shows that the villages granted by the king, Punugodu and Chodavaram were all within Nellore district and his kingdom included Udayagiri and extended from Nellore into Cuddapah district.

Like Dorapa, Nandivaram must have owed allegiance to Kulottunga I and his viceroy Vikramachola in Vengi.