The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c23.56

v1.c23.56

³ 615 of 1915. The above-mentioned account of the travels of Archbishop Menezes through Malabar gives some interesting details about this Pandya King and his dealings with the Christians. He is called by Fr. Gouvea Punhati Perumal, but must be identified with Ativirarama, the then ruling Pandya, because of the following words of the same author: “Oqual Rey foy antigamente senhor do Pande (Pandya), mas co guerras que teue com o Naique de Manduree, veyo a estas serras, & na falda dellas comprou muitas serras (terras?) ao Rey de Tecacutes (?) aonde agora mora, posto que inda lhe obedecem algus pouos no Pande”. It happened at this time that a tribe called of the *Malleas*, who were under his dominion, wished to become Christians. They requested an *olla* from the Pandya King, securing them from molestation on account of their conversion. The *olla* was duly obtained through the influence of an old Christian who ‘was the chairman of his council’. This *olla* caused great excitement among the courtiers and Brahmans of the Pandya sovereign. They told him that the neighbouring kings were ready to wage war with him, if the *olla* were not cancelled; and the king of Turugure (a palaiyakaran) would also cause damage to the Pandya King’s territory, by diverting the course of a river that was the source of much fertility to it. The mother of the Pandya sovereign was the first to try this *olla* revoked; but the King always replied that ‘he would never revoke