Part 26 - Dayabhima and Nallasiddha I (A.D. 1187-1214)

Betta, the younger brother of Siddhi had three sons Dayabhima, Nallasiddha and Errasiddha. Dayabima and Nallasiddha succeeded Siddhi on the throne and appear to have exercised joint sway. Their accession was probably due to that Siddhi had no sons. Dayabhima is said to have wrested the goddess of royal fortune from the enemies and ruled the kingdom Nallasiddha’s earliest record is from Nellore dated in the 9th year of Kulottunga III (A.D. 1187) recording a grant to the local Manmasiddhisvara temple. His next inscription is from Chandur (Produtur taluq) dated A.D.1192 mentioning him as Bhujabalavira Nalasiddhanadeva C.M. ruling at Vallur, the capital of Maharajapadi 7000 and the districts of Renadu 70, Ranna 300 and other districts. An epigraph at Ramathirtham mentions Bhujabala Mallasiddhi C.M. son of Chodasvara. Here obviously Mallasiddhi is a mistake for Nallasiddhi i.e. Nallasiddhi I as is clear from the epithet Bhujabala. So Chodesvara chief lord of Choda refers to Siddha I. Thus Nallasidha and Dayabhima by their conquests extended their power as far as Kanchi and over the entire kingdom of the Cuddapah cholas.

The chronology and identification of Nallasiddha is one of the controversial topics in the Telugu chola history. The Epigraphist places Nallasiddha after Tammu Siddha, which is wrong for in the words of Professor Sastri “It is not easy to accept Venkaya’s statement as the former (Nallasiddha) appears to have been a contemporary of Kulottunga III from his 27th to 35th year it is clear that he must have come after Tammusiddhi.” When there is no mention of Tammasiddhi earlier than s 1127 i.e. roughly 27th year of Kulottunga III while Nallasiddhi figures in many earlier inscriptions.” Besides Nallasiddha, son of Errasiddha.

Bhima and Nallasiddha and their Political Relations

The three warrior brothers—Dayabhima, Nallasiddha and Errasiddhi extended and protected their subordinates. The Tiruppasur inscription implies Nallasiddhi’s position of Kanchi when it says—that the southern quarter had obtained him as her husband—she lost galitakancuguna—lost her girdle or lost Kanchi.

About this achievement of Nallasiddha, Professor Sastri says thus

“There are some inscriptions of Nallasiddha which seem to throw some light on the period when he declared independence.’ Nallasiddhi’s eliegiance to the Chola emperor Kulottunga III is evidenced from the records upto A.D. 1192 where as in the record of that year, the suzerain is not mentioned and further in claims to have levied date from Kanchi. His record from Akkampeta (Gudur taluq) dated 1105 which may be 1105 (A.D. 1183) contains the expression Kappam......”

and registers a grant for the merit of Mahamandalesvara—Rajabala—Nallasiddhanadeva C.M. The record is damaged parts.

“Except the fact of Kulottunga undertaking a campaign to he closed by entering Kanchi in force, there is no evidence in support of this claim of the Telugu Choda Chieftain...perhaps this is on the part of Nallasiddha to have levied tribute from Kanchi those only that for some time he stopped the usual tribute to chola monarch and was still in undisturbed possession of Kanchi. Whosever that may be, Nallasiddha’s career as an independent ruler soon cut short by Kulottunga’s occupation of Kanchi about A.D. 1196 the success of Kulottunga’s enterprise is attested not only as inscriptions which state that he entered Kanchi with his in abated”,

but also by the series of inscriptions dated in Kulottunga’s regnal years.

Thus

“Nallisiddha found it possible to act like an independent king in A.D. 1183-1192, when Kulottunga was pre-engaged in the Panyan campaigns.”

Here may be noted that

“Venkayya was inclined to distinguish between Bhujabavira Nallasiddhana deva C.M. of this inscription and Nallasiddha, the son of Errasiddha,”

on the basis of Nallasiddha’s later records and the references in Tammusiddha’s records to Nallasiddha, brother of Errasicldha. But as has been proved by Professor Sastri that nephew Nallasiddha was the author of all the Bhujabalavira records including that of A.D. 1192 i.e. the conqueror of Kanchi was a single person—Nallasiddha known from records ranging from A.D, 1183 or still earlier to A.D. 1214.

Nallasiddha’s enemies at Vallur were the Pottapi Cholas and his power in the reign is attested by his record at Chandur and rule from Vallur. Nallasiddha and his brothers did not came into conflict with the kakatiyas, the Velanandu chodas and other kings of the time.