The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c14.45

v1.c14.45

4. We pass now from the East to the West of the Empire, *viz.* to the old Karnataka country³; and the most important subordinate state we find there at this time is that of Keladi, afterwards called of Ikeri. There are diverse opinions concerning the origin of its Nayaks⁴. Their ancestors, according to the *Keladi Raya Paditti*, their family chronicle, had originally been hereditary gowdas or chiefs of five or six villages in the neighbourhood of Keladi⁵. We know from the *Sivatattvaratnakara* that a person named Basava or Basavappa, according to the *Keladi Arasu Vamsavali*, a husbandman⁶ of the Sudra caste⁷, married a woman of the same name, and that by her he had four sons. After the death of Basava and the first two children, his widow gave birth to two posthumous sons who were named Chauda and Bhadra. On one occasion, when Chauda was ploughing his land, his ploughshare is said to have struck considerable buried treasure. With it he managed to become the headman of the village, and as such, he collected a small company of soldiers. The then king of the country, who was probably Krishna Deva Raya ¹, on hearing of this, sent for Chauda. Krishna Deva Raya was much pleased to hear his story; and knowing the personal character of the Keladi man, appointed him governer of Pulla-desa with the title of Keladi Chaudappa Nayaka. Chaudappa had two sons, Sadasiva and Bhadra ². He died soon after; but not before he had appointed Sadasiva his successor.