Introduction (Vaidumba dynasty)

A Telugu family claiming descent from the western Gangas of early times, the Vaidumbas, at one time ruled in parts of North Arcot, Guddapah and Nellore districts and the country south of the Krishna. In the 9th century A.D the Vaidumbas claim to have ruled over the Henadu. 7000. They sided the Banas against the Gangas and the Nolambas, in the battle at Soremati about A.D. 880. In the 10th century A.D. the Vaidumbas were more prominent. About A.D. 915, a Vaidumba chief was subdued by Darantaka I (907-953 A.D.) of the Cholas. He “must have been Sendayan Tiruvayan himself or his immediate predecessor.” After this defeat “the Vaidumbas like the Banas sought refuge with the Rashtrakutas from the onslought of the Cholas.” The Vaidumba chief of the Tsandavole country, south of the Krishna, was a feudatory of Krishna III of the Rashtrakutas as seen from his inscription dated in the 24th year of Krishna III i.e. A.D. 960. Vaidumba Sandaya Tiruvayya Srikantha was a subordinate of Krishna III as seen from some records in the South Arcot District. After this date, the Vaidumbas appear again as the feudatories of the Cholas.

In A.D. 965 a Vaidumba princess was married to prince Arivijaya of the Cholas. In A.D. 973 in Renadu, a Vaidumbaraja entitled Bhuvanatrinetra was crowned. Threatened with danger from the Western Chalukyas, the Vaidumbas ruling over the country south of the Krishna submitted to the Chola empe ror Rajaraja I. In A.D. 993 Mummadi Vaidumba Maharajan alias Vishnudevan alias Durai Araisan, made a gift to god at Pantrangem, a hamlet of Reddipalem (Gudur taluq). The record is dated in the 8th year of Rajaraja I. By A.D. 995, Rajaraja subdued the Banas and the Vaidumbas. Consequently the indentification of Rajaraja with Rajaraja III, whose 8th year corresponds to A.D. 1224 is of no value.

In the 11th century A.D., the Vaidumbas in the Telugu land continued in the service of the Cholas. The Vaidumba chief, Tukkarai, the ruler of Ingallurnadu in Maharajapad. comes to light from a record at Tiruvallam. Ingalur has been identified with Inganur near Kalahasti. In A.D 1005 and the 20th year of Korajaraja raja Kesarivarman allias Rajarajadeva I, Nammamarayar, the son of Tukkarai gave an endowment at Tiruvallam. Thus the Vaidumbas under Rajaraja I, as under his predecessors after Paramtaka I, continued “to occupy subordinate official positions in the Chola adminstrative system.” In A D. 1014-1015 we hear of Vaidumba Somanatha, son of Sankaradeva who was the second son of Sandaiyan Tiruvaiyan I and younger brother of Tiruvaiyana II and elder brother of Chandrasekhara the Cholas.” A Vaidumba figures in the list of rulers who opposed Virarajendra and whose heads were cut off by the chola—mentioned in the Mammangalam record of the 5th year of Rajendra chola, corresponding to A.D. 1086. His identify is not known.

We do not come across any Vaidumbas in the 12th century A.D. in the Telugu country. But in the 13th century A.D., some Vaidumbas ruled in the southern part of the Nellore district as the feudatories of the Chola emperors, and later on the Telugu Pallavas. The earliest of this group of the Vaidumbas was Attamasiddhi Bhuvanekadhiran Pandyagajakesari alias Rajabrahmachala Vaitumbana alias Vanam Maharajan alias Madanadevan alias Dasaiyarasan. In the 9th year of Rajaraja deva, Dasaiyarasan made gifts to Subrahmanya at Tiruvambur in Okkattunadu in Kilaipattaiyanadu, in Paiyurilangottam, a sub-division of Jayangondachola mandalam. The record is at Mallam and Rajaraja refers to Rajaraja III whose 9th year corresponds to A.D. 1225. The next Vaidumba.chief is Vaitumba Maharaja Rajendra Chola Mummadi Vishnudevan Durai Arasan bearing many titles. His record at Conjeevaram dated in the 10th year of Rajaraja III i.e. A.D. 1226, records his provision for lamp. Vaidumba chieftain of the period was Rajendra Mummadi Vaidumba Maharajan who in the 2nd year of Vijayagandagopala (A,D. 1251-52) granted land in Ennayiraparaiyur Putteri for some festival as seen from a record at Sulurpet. The relationship of this Rajendra to the above Vaidumba is not known. But as their names show these three chiefs and the one of the reign of Rajaraja I were of the same lineage. Vijayagandagopala has been confused with Tirukkalattidevachola alias Gandagopalaj of the Telugu cholas of Nellore.

No Vaidumba after A.D. 1251, are heard of in the Telugu country. A record at Conjeevaram “mentions the Ganga family, one Potaraya, Chola Bhima and Vaidumba”. Vinayamahadevi, queen of Kamarnava VI and mother of Vajrahastu III, was a Vaidumba princes.