The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c21.5

v1.c21.5

¹ *Ep. Ind.*, XVI., p. 319, vv. 31-35. Cf. Chikkadevaraya Vamsavali S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, *Sources*, p. 302. Neverthless there is ground for doubting that this succession was immediate. An inscription of the Mallikarjuna temple at Srisailam, Karnul, records a fact ‘in the reign of the Vijayanagara king Virapratapa Ramarajyadeva Maharaya, son of Vira Tirumalayyadeva Maharaya’. 43 of 1915. This was no doubt the third son of Tirumala, who had been Viceroy of Seringapatam. Moreover a Kumbakonam grant of Venkata II, 1590, mentions one of his brothers, Tirumala Deva Raya or Srideva Raya (a wrong name) and states that ‘he reigned for a short time’. Sewell, II, p. 3. Was this brother the same Rama? Then the Jesuit letter, which we shall quote latter on, says the following:—“After the demise of this Prince’s father, viz. Rama, the kingdom was given, by the unanimous vote of all the classes, to the brother of the deceased, that is to the one who is ruling at