Part 36 - Bhairavaraju (A.D. 1370-1427)

Probably Bhairavaraju was the san of Visvanatha. His earliest record is from Simhachalam dated A.D. 1370 in which he is described as a great warrior and destroyer of enemies. In that year his mother Akkamadevi made gifts for the victory of her son and satisfaction of her desires. The next inscription is from Simhachalam dated A.D. 1396, recording gifts by Bachaladevi, the daughter of king Nandapurapu Bhaiyyaraju, None of Bhairava’s records are available After A.D. 1396, nevertheless his reign may have extended upto A.D, 1437—the earliest date for his successsor Gangaraju.

His Political Relations

Bhanudeva III and Narasimha IV were the Ganga emperors in this period, Bhima and Chola III of the Haihayas, Visveswara and Choda Ganga of the Chalukya, Arjuna II and Arjuna III of the Matsyas, Saubhagyadeva of the Pallavas. Sangamaraja of the Gangas, Kutnaragiri and Pedakomativema, Kataya Vema Reddi and Alla da of the Reddis were some of the rulers in this period. It is likely that Bhairava participated in the opposition of the rulers in South Kalinga to the Reddis about A.D. 1385 though not with any success. As Bhairava and Bayyaraju refer to one person, the statement that the latter—Visvanatha purapu Bayyaraju (A.D. 1396) was the son of Bhairava raju (A.D. 1370) is wrong and the two records belong to a single ruler.