The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c8.s12.74

c8.s12.74

² Sêtu-Narmadâ-madhyam sârdha-sapta-lakshaṁ dakshiṇâpatham.—The Narmadâ was always recognised as the dividing line between Northern India (uttarâpatha) and Southern India or the Dekkan (dakshiṇâpatha).—It is to be borne in mind that the record which asserts these details is an Eastern Chalukya record, of the eleventh century A. D. There is nothing in the records of the Western Chalukyas of Bâdâmi to suggest that their dominions were then known as a seven-and-a-half-lâkh country, i.e. (see page 298 above, note 2) as comprising seven hundred and fifty thousand cities, towns, and villages. On the contrary, in connection with Pulikêśin II. their territory is defined, in the Aihoḷe inscription, as consisting of the three Mahârâshṭras, containing ninety-nine thousand villages (Ind. Ant. Vol. VIII. p. 244). The references to the seven-and-a-half-lâkh country appear first after the period of the Râshṭrakûṭas of Malkhêḍ, who, succeeding to the sovereignty of the Western Chalukyas, possibly added a good deal, especially in the direction of Mysore, to the territory which they thus acquired. Even the Râshṭrakûṭa records have not yet disclosed any mention of their territory by the conventional term in question. But it seems likely that the expression did come into use in the time of the Râshṭrakûṭas, and that a technical appellation was then adopted, which was retained for some time, even after their sovereignty had passed away, in commemoration of their connection with the territory: for, Irivabeḍaṅga-Satyâśraya, the second king in the later Châlukya dynasty of Kalyâṇi which came immediately after the Râshṭrakûṭas, is described, in the Khârêpâṭaṇ grant, of A. D. 1008, as ruling over Raṭṭapâṭi, i.e. the country of the Râshṭrakûṭas (for pâṭi, = pâḷi, vâli, see page 298 above, note 3); and the records of his Chôḷa opponent Kô-Râjarâja-Râjakêsarivarman, otherwise called Râjêndra-Chôḷa, the successor of Râjarâjadêva, are described as taking the Raṭṭapâḍi seven-and-a-half-lâkh country (e.g., South-Ind. Insors. Vol. I. pp. 63, 65), and Kô-Parakêsarivarman, otherwise called Râjêndra-Chôḷa, the successor of Râjarâjadêva, is described as taking the Raṭṭapâḍi seven-and-a-half-lâkh country from Jayasiṁha II., a successor of Irivabeḍaṅga-Satyâśraya (e.g., ibid. pp. 95, 96, 99). Even then, however, the seven-and-a-half-lâkh country was plainly not really looked upon as embracing, as is asserted in the Eastern Chalukya record from which the above quotation has been made, the whole of Southern India; for, Râjarâjadêva is described (e g., ibid. pp. 63, 65) as conquering, in addition to that country, Veṅgainâḍu (the land of Veṅgi, the territory of the Eastern Chalukyas), Gaṅgapâḍi (i.e. the Gaṅgavâḍi ninety-six-thousand), Nuḷambapâḍi (i.e. the Noḷambavâḷi thirty-two-thousand), Tadigai pâḍi (not yet identified), Kuḍamalainâḍu (“the western hill country,” Coorg), Koḷḷa (Quilon), and Kaliṅga (the country between the rivers Gôdâvarî and Mahânadî).—The later Western Châlukya records preserve the conventional numerical expression, without the dynastic appellation; e.g., an inscription of A. D. 1103, at Baḷagâṁve (P. S. and O.-C. Inscrs. No. 171; Mysore Inscriptions, p. 139), mentions the Mahâpradhâna Anantapâlayya, a minister of Vikramâditya VI., as managing the paṇḍya-tax of the saptârdha-lakshe or seven-and-a-half-lâkh country.