The history of Andhra country (1000 AD - 1500 AD)

by Yashoda Devi | 1933 | 138,355 words

This book recounts the History of the Andhra Pradesh Country from 1000 to 1500 A.D. including many dynasties (for example. the Reddis of Korukonda and the Eruva Chola of Rajahmundry)....

Part 29 - Tammusiddha A.D. (1205-1209)

According to a record of his, Tammusiddha owed his crown to the abstention from royalty on the part of Betta II. His earliest inscription is from title Conjeevaram dated A.D. 1205 recording the grant of Muttiyampaka, the head quarters of Pantarashtra to the land of Hastisaila. Giving his ancestry, the record states that Tammusiddha was crowned at Nellore. His next record is from Tiruvalangadu dated A.D. 1207 recording a royal grant to the lord ot Vatatavi. Another record’ of A.D. 1207 and the 29th year of Kulottunga III from Tiruppasur records of the king’s grant of revenues on some villages Kaivandur to the deity of Pasipur. The Tiruvorriyur and Tiruppalaivanam records dated A.D. 1207 record royal gifts. In the same year at Kavah, Tammusiddha in company with his mother Sridevi granted Sripura in Dudduravishaya as agrahara. The record from Nelloredated A.D. 1249 and the 26th year of Kulottunba III mentions royal grants to Pallikondaperumbi. An undated record at Conjeevaram mentions the king. A record at Nellore with date partly damaged s 11, mentions Tammusiddhi and his ancestors—Kalikala chola and Beta.

His Political Relations

Tammusiddhi had a brief reign of over five years. He is mentioned as M.P.C. Tammusiddharaiyar, Tammusiddhisvara and Rajadhiraja parmesvara Tammusiddhi in his records. The location of some of his records in the Tamil country, the language and script in them—Tamil and Grantha respectively and the records dated in the regnal years of Kulottunga III attest Tammusiddha’s allegiance to the chola emperor and show the southward expansion of the Telugu chola emperor. In this period the Telugu Chola kingdom of Nellore not less than three rulers ruling simultaneously in parts of it and all recognising chola suzerainty as evidenced from their records dated in Kulottunga’s regnal year for instance Errasiddhi (A.D. 1205-1210), Manmasiddha allis Nallsiddha (1178-1210) and Tammusiddha (A.D. 1215-1210),

“But Kulottunga is seen fighting once more in the north some time about A.D. 1208. In this campagin, he claims to have subdued the fierce Vadugas (Telugus), established his supremacy over Vengi and entered Urangai.” Professor Sastri says, in the absence of a single Chola record of this period to the north of Nellore” there is no “reason to suppose that Vengi was regained for the Chola empire by Kulottunga even for a short whole.”

As

“The power of the Kakatiyas had been growing for some time and spreading over the ancient kingdom of Vengi, imposing a new suzerainty over the Chieftaincies that had emerged thereafter the withdrecwal of chola power from the region, and that the greatest monarch of this line, Ganapati had come to the throne by AD. 1199, the most natural way of interpreting Kulottunga’s claim seems to be to suppose that he warred with the Kakatiya ruler and entered warangal, his capital sometimes called Orugallu a name which is Tamilised into Urangai”

Thus Kulottunga followed his conquest of Kanchi in 1196 from Telugu cholas by leading a successful expedition into Warangal in A.D 1208 In this connection, he must have purged all signs of rebellion, if any, on the part of the Telugu cholas and other local dynasties in Vengi. Tammusiddha, Errasiddha and Manmasiddha must have accompanied and helped Kulottunga in his Kakatiya wars as loyal subordinates.

Tammusiddha’s Velanandu choda contemporary was Prithvisvara with whom he did not come into conflict. In his records Tammusiddai is detcribed as a great warrior, victorious and hard to be overcome by enemies.

He was dignified, graceful, handsome and led virtous life In the words of Professor Sastri

“The Kavali inscription states that while Nallasiddha was the crowned king (abhishikta), his younger brother Tammusiddha was ruling the kingdom by his gTace tatkataksho deva vayyam Karoti. It is therefore difficult to say whether Tammusiddha ruled only after Manma’s death or conjointly with him. A review of the inscriptions seems to be nearer the truth.”

The

“Kavali inscription mentions only Nallasiddha (Venkayya would read Manmasiddha here and if this is correct it directly contradicts the Tammusiddha records) and Tammasiddha and states that though the former was the anointed sovereign, still Tammusiddhi carries on the affairs of the state by his grace and supports Sewell’s suggestion.”

So according to the Kavali inscription, the donor Yammasuddhi was the regent while the elder brother was the anointed king. Tammusiddhi’s records range from the 22nd to the 26th year of Kulottunga III.

Some Telugu chola princes whose relationship to the mainline at Nell ore is not known are heard of in this period. M.P.C. Rajagandagopala alias Ranganathan in A.D. 1192 and the 16th year of Kulottunga (III) granted land in Singahamadu to the deity at Nellore in Pakanadu in Chedikulamanikkanalanadu in Jayangondacholamnandalam. In a record of A.D 1204, the headman of Kavanur in Pongaindu in Manvirkottam made a grant to temple at Poyindam in Padainadu. M.P.C. Siddharasa and his queen Numkamadevi figure as donors in several records ranging from the 18th year of Kulottunga III onwards and have been identified with Nallasiddha, the son of Errasiddha and his queen Nankamadevi. Nunkama made grants to the temples at Srirangam and Kalahasti in the 19th year of Kulottunga and A.D. 1194 respectively. It has been said that probably Nunkamadevi belonged to the Yadavaraya family and was a daughter of Rajamalla Yadavarapa. M.P.C. Siddharasa or Erasiddharasa figures in three records of the Yadavarayas at Chapapalapalle (Venketagiri taluq) in the reigns of Rajamalladevan alias Bhujabalasiddharasa and Yadavaraya dated in the 39th year of Kulottunga III and the 2nd year of Rajaraja III.

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