The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c18.11

v1.c18.11

The statement has been made that Ranga transferred the capital of the Empire to Chandragiri ³. This is not founded on any contemporary source. The Vellangudi plates of Venkata II say that ‘he made Penugonda his capital’ ⁴; and the Kondyata grant of Venkata III calls him the ‘king of Penagonda’ ⁵. Moreover, we know of inscriptions of all the years of his reign, excepting two. They clearly state that he was ruling over the Empire from the hilly town of Anantapur. In 1572 certain inhabitants of Mannur, Cuddapah, gave away their annual fee from the village to the god Chennakesava, in the reign of Srirangaraya of Penukonda ⁶; an inscription of 1573 says that that he ‘was ruling at Penukonda’ ⁷; his Maredapalli grant was made in 1574 ‘in the presence of the god Ramachandra (in Penukonda)’ ⁸, and it states that he was residing at Penukonda ⁹; again, another inscription of 1574 records that he was ‘ruling at Penukonda’ ¹⁰; three inscriptions of 1575 speak of him as still ‘seated in Penukonda’ ¹¹; another of 1576 again commemorates the fact of his ‘ruling at Penukonda’ ¹²; in 1577-8 he makes the Arivilimangalam grant ‘in the presence of the god Ramachandra of Perunkondapura (Penukonda)’ ¹; again, he is said to be ‘ruling over Penukonda’ in 1578 ²; and in 1579 he is ‘ruling the kingdom of the earth at Penukonda’ ³; this is also said of 1579-80, ⁴; in 1582 he is ‘seated on the diamond throne at the city of Penugonda’ ⁵; in 1582-3 he is said still to be ‘ruling at Penukonda’ ⁶, and finally he is called ‘Sri Ranga of Penukonda’ and ‘ruling at Penukonda’ both in 1584 ⁷ and in 1585 ⁸, the last year of his reign.