The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c9.s2.t27: Western Ganga Kings
The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (collected till 1923) and Outlines of Political History c9.s2.t27
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Western Ganga Kings
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An early dynasty ruling originally in Anantapur district and Kolar in Mysore,—Extending later and embracing the whole of Mysore and the Kongu-country of Salem and Coimbatore, when their capital was Talakāḍ (S.-E. of Mysore Town) and their dominions were called the ‘Gangavāḍi 96000’.
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Their titles were ‘Permānaḍi’ and ‘Koṅuṇivarman.’ Towards the end of the 5th century A.D. Mrigēśavarman, the Kadamba chief of Baṇavāśi is said to have conquered the Gangas. They were subordinate to the Chalukyas in the 7th century, but recovered power when the latter were conquered by the Rāshṭrakūṭas in A.D. 753. They were generally subordinate to their great neighbours.
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Previous writers, e.g., Fleet, Jouveau-Dubreuil, Rice, etc., differ widely in their estimate of the dates of early kings. I only enter therefore dates that seem fairly proved (*see notes below*). I dispense with traditionary ancestors (*see* S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar’s *Culture*, p. 189; *E. I.* xiv, 337; *E. C.* ix *Introd.* p. 6 f.; *E. I.* v. 153; vi, 59.).
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1. *Harivarman, or Ayyavarman.* Consecrated about A.D. 450 by Simhavarman Pallava to conquer the Bāṇas.
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2. *Vishṇugōpa.* (omitted in some records)
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3. *Mādhava I.* or Simhavarman. Installed about 470 by Skandavarman Pallava.
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4. *Avinīta.*
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5. *Durvinīta.* Annexed the territory of his father-in-law the Punnaḍ Rāja in S.-W. Mysore. Battles at Aṇḍari, Allattūr, Puruḷarē, Pērṇagara.
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*Prithvīpati* *V.R. i. Chittoor 215; 326 of 1912.*
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6. *Mushkara.*
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7. *Śrīvikrama.*
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8. *Bhūvikrama.* or ‘Bhīnakopa,’ or ‘Śrīvallabha.’ ‘Defeated the Pallavas at Viḷanda.’
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9. *Śivamāra I.* or ‘Nava-kāma’ or ‘Chāgi.’
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10. (?) *Ereyanga I.* (Sometimes omitted).
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11. *Śrīpurusha.* ‘Muttarasa.’ Said to have killed a Pallava king at Viḷarde. Md. Kāṅchiabbe (*see notes below*).
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The dates entered hereafter are mostly taken from those determined by Fleet.
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WESTERN GANGA KINGS—contd.
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No. 20 and his two brothers are entered as given by Rice in 'Mysore and Coorg', p. 50, but it certainly looks unlikely that two brothers would have had precisely the same name and biruda. The dynasty came to an end by the war which ended with Rājarāja Chōla I's conquest of the Gangas in A.D. 1004. His enemy was called Rāchamalla Nitimārga.
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NOTES.—The dates of 1, Harivarman and 3, Mādhava I seem fairly well-proved. An inscription of No. 11 Śrīpurusha (E. C. vi. Mg., 36) bears date April 21 750 (S 672), and being in his 25th year makes his accession to have taken place in the year following April 21, 725. Allowing four generations to a century we should have 3 Mādhava I's accession as about A.D. 550; but he is said to have been installed in 470. The chronology is confusing. Jouveau-Dubreuil makes Mādhavā I's reign begin in A.D. 540. Fleet made it begin about 460. Jouveau-Dubreuil makes 4 Avinīta's reign begin in 565, and his son Durvinīta's in 605, an assignment quite reasonable in view of the date for 11 Śrīpurusha's accession—A.D. 725. According to Rice, Durvinīta's accession was in A.D. 483-4. Fleet's date for 11 Śrīpurusha is 765-805, but that seems contradicted by the inscription I have in 805, which is Fleet's date for his accession. I cannot explain these difficulties, whose removal must be left for future research.
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A.D. 1060, 1074. Inscriptions shew a Nanniya-Ganga-Bhuvanēka-Udayāditya-Vikrama-Ganga ruling N.-W. Mysore as vassal of the Western Chāḷukya king Sōmēśvara II (E. C. xi, Dg. 140; vii. Sk. 221).
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A.D. 1122, Aug. 14. Date of death of the same (?) Nanniya-Ganga (E. C. xi, Hk. 68).
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A.D. 1158. Another Nanniya-Ganga mentioned (E. C. vii, Sk. 18).
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A.D. 1180. Śiyaganga mentioned in an inscription at Kāḷahasti of the third year of Kulottunga Chōḷa III (V. R. i. Chittoor, 64). He is mentioned also at Conjevaram in 1204 (S. I. I, iii, 122, 207). He was called ‘Śiya. gangan-Amarābharaṇan,’ and ‘Tiruvēgambam Uḍaiyān.’ Other records of his in 1211-12 and 1212/13. He married Ariyā-Piḷḷai. His father's name was Chōḷēndra-Simha, who was ‘Lord of Kovaḷālapura’ (589 of 1919 ; S.I.I. iii. 122). In 1224-5 a grant was made ‘for his merit’ in which he is called ‘Amarābharaṇa-Akaḷanka Śiyaganga, alias Uttama Chōḷa-Ganga.’ (V. R. I. Chittoor 235).
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A.D. 1247-8. In this year Akkarasa-Gangarasa Rajayya was ruling the Cuddapah country (V. R. I. Cudd. 925).
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A.D. 1397 a Ganga chief mentioned in Cuddapah (V. R. i. Cudd. 52).
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A long inscription at Huṃcha (E. C. viii, Nr. 35) gives a pedigree of descendants of Būtuga II, which differs from the above, as follows.
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17. Būtuga II. 18. Māruḷadēva. 19. Mārasimha III. Rājamalla. Govindarasa ‘Nītimārga’ Vāsava Md. Kañchalādēvī Govindarasa ‘Satyavākaya’. Arumoḷidēva. Md. Gāvabbarasī Dau. Chaṭṭalē. Md. a chief of Pallava descent called ‘Kaḍuveṭṭi, lord of Kāñchī’. She built a Jain basti in A.D. 1077. Dau. Kañchalā. Md. the Sāntara king Viradēva, father of Taila II (c. 1050.) Rājavidyādhara.
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An inscription in Sorab Taluk, Mysore (E. C. viii, Sb. 140) gives another pedigree of descendants of 19 Mārasimha III. Date early in A.D. 1198.
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Bittiga, or 17 Būtuga II. 19. Mārasimha Kīrtti Mārasimha. Dau. Suggiyabbe. Ekkaladēva. A.D. 1139. Dau. Chaṭṭalā-dēvī. Md. Daśavarmarasa. Eraga. or Ereyanga. Kēśava. Nanniya-Ganga. ‘Singadēva’ or ‘Narasinga’ Md. Lakshmadēvī (?) 1158. (See notes above) Ekkala. Early in A.D. 1198.