Part 34 - Mamnagandagopala (A.D. 1231-1299)

Manmagandagopala was the son of Manmasiddha III alias Nellasiddha III and the younger brother and successor of Tikka II His accession took place in the month of magha in A.D. 1281. His earliest records available are dated in his 3rd regnal year, At Kodavalur in that year corresponding to A.D. 1284, in Mandainadu, the sons of ryots—Kami Reddi and Cholappi Reddi made a grant to the local temple. Another record is at Akepadu also known as Manuma tikkapuram and mentions Nallasiddhi—evidently the father of Manumagandagopala The next record is from Tirumallaivayil of his 4th year recording an order by M.P.C. signed by Gandagopala. Mamaganda’s next record is from Vasili (Atmakur taluq) dated A.D. 1286 vyaya recording a gift by mahamandalesvara Ma...deva M for the merit of his parents.In A D. 1289 at Podile, mahamandalesvara Dhatma vijayadityadeva 1VI granted land in Vengipura for the merit of Manumagandagopaladeva. The next record is from Pushpagiri dated A.D. 1294 Jaya. Manmagandagopala’s inscription from Muribipudi dated A.D. 1296 in the reign of Prataparudra, is mutilated. The next record is from Narasaraopet dated A.D. 1297. Hemalambin. It gives the ancestry and prasasti of mahamandalesvara Manmagandagopaladeva C.M. and records his grant of land in Padumuvaraganda Siddha puram to got Chennakesava at Konidena. The record from Nellore dated in the 9th year of Gandagopaladeva and 1299 records that M.P.C. Ranganatha alias Rajagandagopaladevan made grants to the deity at Nellore alias Vikramasingapura in Chedikulamanikkaralandu a sub division of Jayangondacholamandalam. An undated record at Konideve registers a gift by Manmagandagopala to Battu Tikkaya. The Tiruppaliavanam inscription dated in the cyclic year pramadi—records the remission of taxes on the land by manamandalesvara Pratapa rudra deva. The taxes were formerly endowed by (Gan) dagopala deva for lamps in the temple.

His Political Relations

Manmagandagopala had a reign of eighteen years. He was known as Manumasiddhi, Manmagandagopaladeva C.M. and Gandagopaladeva. He has been wrongly identified with Manumasiddha III, and Viragandagopala by Sewell, and with Rajagandagopala alias Ranganathan by another writer.Manmagandagopala was a distinguished warrior and his political achievements were significant. He must have associated Rajagandagopala alias M.P.C. Ranganathan in the Governance of the kingdom from A.D. 1290, the year from which Ranganatha counted his regnal years.

Some of Manmagandagopala’s epithets in his prasasti beginning with Cheranasaroruha etc., are svarasirabi Kandukakridavinoda, Sevauna katakavenukabalanadeva pavakepa mana, dravilabalavardhiparisodhana, badaba nala rayagandgopala, vihitahita manabhanga and Rajavesya bhujanga. Some of his other titles were Uraiyar Puravaradhisvara, Jagadobbaganga, danavamurari, ariraya, gandagopalarahutta etc.

Manmagandagopala and the Cholas

The reign of emperor Rajendra III, the last of the imperial cholas ended prior to Manmagandagapala’s accession. So the question of Manmagandagopala’s allegiance to the cholas •emperors does not arise. Nevertheless his title—the lord of the city of Uraiyar and the topographical names in some of his records speak for the chola influence in the kingdom

Manmagandagopala and the the Kakatiyas

The Kakatiyas rulers in this period were Rudrama and pratapa rudradeva. Manmagandagopala’s records show that during the major part of his reign, he ruled independently owing no allegiance to any suzerain power ond issuing records in his own regnal years. His records dated A.D. 1296 and after, attest Manmagandogopala’s acknowledgement of the suzerainty of the Kakatiyas, under Prataparudra The circumstances that brought about this change in the political status of Gandagopala are not very clear. An inscription saysthat general Adidemma invaded Nellore and killed a Telugu chola and the Narasaraopet inscription tells us thot Manmagandagopalabhupati owed his prosperity to king Prataparudra. The circumstances that brought about this change in the political status of Gandagopala are not very clear. An inscription says that General Adidemma invaded Nellore and killed a Telugu chola and the Narasaraopet inscription tells us that Manmagaudagopalabhupati owed his prosperity to king Prataparudra (A.D. 1297). These show that there was a kakatiya invasion of the Telugu chola kingdom under the leadership of Adidemma by A.D. 1297; and Manmagandagopala, opposed the enemy, was vanquished and re-instated in his kingdom. As we are aware of that the Telugu cholas of Nellore and the Kakatiyas were allies during the last two reigns, the motives for the rupture must be sought for.

The Kayasthas were very powerful in this period under Ambadeva, the last and the greatest of the line who shook off allegiance to the kakatiyas, and was a dynamic figure in the south Indian politics of the time. He interfered in Vengi politics as often as possible. In one of his records dated A.D. 1291 he claims to have established Manmagandagopala on the throne. Thus Ambadeva was a friend of Manmagandagopala As none of Manmagandagopala’s records are available between A.D. 1289 and 1296, it is probable that he and his kingdom experienced some trouble from his enemies—probably the kakatiyas, resulting in the loss of bis throne, and was restored to power by Ambadeva by A.D. 1291. In A D. 1294 Prataparudra II claimed to have killed Manmagandagopala which must be taken to mean defeat, for records show that Manuma was alive after that date. This means a further kakatiya invasion into Nellore where Manmagandagopala was vanquished. Later about A.D. 1296 Manmagandagopala, rebelled with the help of Ambadeva and was conquered Adidemma. Consequently from A.D. 1296 onwards, he was loyal to the kakatiyas.

The Recherla family has the title—gandagopala ripurayamumamardana—the destroyer of the pride of the enemies of gandagopala. Some of the titles borne by the Sannaguru family are Gandagopala, Kancbi rakshapal aka, and chodarajyas thapana charya. The Puliyalafamily prasasti has the epithets—gandagopala and Kanchi rakshapalaka. If Gandagopala refers to Manmagandagopala, mentioned thus in some of his records, it may be inferred that some of the members of the Recherla, Sannaguru and Pulayala families in the service of the kakatiyas, assisted Manumagandagopala generally in fighting his enemies and continuing the Telugu chola control over Kanchi and in strengthening his power on the whole.

Manmagandagopala and the Yadavas

Manmagandagopala claims to have defeated the Sevuna and Kataka rulers and destroyed the armies of Dravilabalai.e. armies of the south. He must have won these victories fighting on behalf of the Kakatiyas in their expeditions against the Yadavas, the Kings of Orissa, and the Pandyas after A.D. 1297. The Yadava contemporaries of Manumagandgopala were Ramadeva or Rama Chandra (A.D. 1271-1309) at Devugiri, Sarngapanideva at Panagal, and Sarngadhara II. Madhava II and Vijegadeva M at Addanki. As the Addanki Yadavas were feudatories of the Telugu cholas and the Panugal yadavas of the Kakatiyas, the Yadavas vanquished by Manmagandagopala were none other that Yadava, Ramachandra and his armies.

Manmagandagopala and the Eastern Gangas

The Eastern Ganga emperor in this period was Narasimha H (A.D. 1278-79—1307-8). The Kolani chiefs—Induluri Rudradeva and Annayadeva, the feudatories of Rudrama were ruling the country from Warangal to Simhachalm. One of the titles of Kolani Rudra is Kalingaraya vibhala. Some of his records are available. Two records of Annayadeva dated A.D. 1291 and 1293 are at Tnpurantakam and Draksharama,,‘Rudra’s records show that they were ruling till A.D. 1326. Manmagandagopala must have participated and won some victories in the Kakatiya expeditions into Kalinga under Rudra and Anna either towards the close of the reign of Rudrama or at the beginning of Prataparudra’s reign.

Manumagandagopala and the Pandyas

The Pandyan contemporaries of Manmagandagopala were—jatavarman Sundarapandya II (A.D. 1276), Maravarman Vikramapandya (A.D. 1283) and Jatavarman Srivallabha (A.D. 1291) and Jatavarman Virapandya II (A.D. 1296-1299). Probably Jatavarman Virapandya or his predecessors had an expedition of conquest into the Telugu chola territories before A D. 1397 and vanquished by Manmagandagopala

Manmagandagopala and the Kadavarayas

A Kadavaraya, the subordinate of Rudrama, claims to have driven Manumagandagopala and occupied his kingdom.This seems to suggest that Manmgandgopala attempted to shake off the yoke of the Kakatiyas, probably in the beginning of his reign and was subdued by kadavaryya who accepted Kakatiya suzerainty under Ganapati about A.D. 1250. This Kadavaraya is no doubt Kopperunjmga of the later Pallavas. Ambadeva of the Kayasthas conquered this Kadavaraya and reinstated Manmagandagopala in his kingdom. This shows that Ambadeva threw off allegiance to Prataparudra and against him and his feudatories, in favour of the Telugu cholas of Nellore Obviously Kopperunjinga’s allegiance to the Kakatiyas was short lived.

Manmagandagopala’s other Victories

Manmagandagopala’s title—taking pleasure in playing the game of ball with the head of Prithvisvara is borne by chola Tikka I as attested by Tikkana's statement in his Nirvachanottara Ramayana. The reference here is to Prithvisvara, the last of the Velanandu chodas who was killed by Tikka As the contemporary king of Manmagandagopala bearing the name Prithvisvara is known; probablo Manmagandagopala inherited the title from Tikka I. His title—Jagadobbaganda is borne by the later Reddi kings. According to the Narasaraopet inscription, Nallasiddhi had five sons who were equal to the five Pandavas in all respects The eldest of them was Manmaganda gopala who claims to have taken Kandupura as one of his titles is Kanchipura tri netra. As Nallasiddhi, an uncle of Tammasiddhi occupied KLanchi and Allutikka ruled there, probably Manmagandagopala assumed the title on the basis of their successes than his own. The Telugu chola kingdom of Nellore under Manmagandagopala was extensive, including Kanchi for Allutikka’s kingdom on his death was absorbed into the Nellore kingdom and was ruled over by Governors acknowledging Telugu chola suzerainty.

Lastly, we may note the suggestion that there were two persons of the name Manmagandagopala I whose head was cut off by a general of Prataparudra and the second who was a subordinate of the kakatiyas, further that the former was originally dispossessed of his kingdom and installed by Ambadeva and later on was succeeded by Rajagandagopala where as the latter person was governing in the northern portion of the Nellore district and also a portion of the Guntur district as a feudatory of the kakatiyas. The suggestions are baseless and Manmagandagopala is one single person and not two. In coming to this conclusion, we must set aside the statements in some of the records of Prataparudra and Ambadeva about Manmagandagopala. For Prataparudra claims to have killed Manmagandagopala, whom subsequently Ambadeva claims to have re-instated. As in the case of the data in the Tammusiddhi records, Prataparudra’s claim must be taken to mean only a victory over Manmagandagopala, and nothing more.