Mysore and Coorg from the Inscriptions c8.s7: 7. Noṇambas or Noḷambas
Mysore and Coorg from the Inscriptions c8.s7
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7. Noṇambas or Noḷambas
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With him the old main line of the Pallavas perhaps ended. But the succession was maintained by the Noṇambas or Noḷambas, who claim to be Pallavas,¹ and gave their name to the Noḷambavāḍi or Noṇambavāḍi Thirty-two Thousand province, corresponding generally with the Chitaldroog District and adjacent parts north and east of it. The existing Noṇabas, a numerous and important section of agriculturists in Mysore, represent its former subjects.
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¹ A princess named in Ch 10 is said to be of the Noḷamba-vamśa and Pallava-kula.
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The genealogy of the Noḷambas is given in the Hēmāvati pillar (Si 28). They are stated to be of the Iśvara-vamśa, and descended from Trinayana, through Pallava, the king of Kāñchī. The first king named is Mangala or Noḷambadhirāja, praised (nuta) by the Karṇṇāṭas. His son was Simhapōta, whose son was Chāruponnera, whose son was Pōlalchōra Noḷamba, whose son was Mahēndra, whose son was Nanniga or Ayyapa-Dēva, whose sons were Aṇṇiga (or Bīra Noḷamba) and Dilipa or Iriva Noḷamba.
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Singapōta was subordinate to the Ganga king Śivamāra Saigoṭṭa, and was sent by him against his younger brother Duggamāra, who strove to set himself up as independent (Cl 8). The Rāshṭrakūṭas having imprisoned Śivamāra and assumed the government of the Ganga territory, we find (Cl 33, 34) Singapōta’s son and grandson under their orders ruling the Nolambalige Thousand and other provinces. This may have been the nucleus of the Noḷambavāḍi province. On the restoration of the Gangas, their king Rājamalla Satyavākya I married Singapōta’s grand-daughter, Pallavā-dhirāja’s daughter, the younger sister of Noḷambadhirāja, and gave his own daughter Jāyabbe in marriage to Noḷambadhirāja Pōlalchōra (Si 38). The latter appears in Kl 79 as ruling the Ganga Six Thousand under the Ganga king Nītimārgga. His son by the Ganga princess was Mahēndra or Bīra Mahēndra, who in Bp 64 is ruling the same province, under the Gangas. In Sp 30 he appears as ruling in conjunction with two others over a territory up to the Kiṟu-tore or little river as its boundary. But Si 38 represents him as assuming independence in 878, while DB 3 says he was ruling as king, and fighting with the Ganga king. He was opposed by Būtuga, the Ganga Yuvarāja, and finally slain by Būtuga's son Ereyappa, who thence obtained the title Mahēndrāntaka. Mahēndra's queen was a Kadamba princess, named Dīvalabarasi or Dīvāmbike (Mb 38), and he is called Noḷambādhirāja and the Noḷamba Nārāyaṇa. CB 26 of about 880 and Md 13 of 895 may refer to him, and show that the Noḷambas had gained considerable power.
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Mahēndra's son was Ayyapa, and it is in connection with him that the Noḷambavāḍi province is first mentioned. In Jl 29 of 920 he is said to be ruling the Noḷambavāḍi Thirty-two Thousand, with Aṇṇayya (his son) as a governor under him. But as a rule all the Pallava Noḷamba inscriptions, from Mahēndra in Pg 45 of about 880 to Nanni Noḷamba in Mb 122 of 969, represent the kings as ruling the kingdom of the world, that is as independent. Noḷambavāḍi must have been the main portion of their kingdom, which seems from the inscriptions to have extended eastwards as far as the Srīnivāspur tāluq. Sb 474 of 954 speaks of the time in the (near) past when the Thirty-two Thousand was under one king.
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For Ayyapa, who has the names Nanniga, Nannigāśraya, Nolipayya, and Noḷambādhirāja, we have the dates 897 in Mi 52, 918 in DB 9, 920 in Si 39, and 929 in Kd 6. His eldest son Aṇṇiga or Bīra Noḷamba, also called Aṇṇayya and Aṅkayya, succeeded him. For the latter we have the date 931 in Ct 43 and 44, in which he is described as being at peace, in the enjoyment of all the rights of sovereignty. Gd 4 states that Anni, a son of the Ganga prince Piḷduvipati (Pṛthuvīpati II), was killed in battle when fighting in his army. Aṇṇiga was defeated by the Rāṣṭrakūṭa king Krishna or Kannara III in 940 (EI. iv. 289; v. 191). His younger brother Dilipa or Iriva Noḷamba next came to the throne.
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He had also the name Nolapayya. Bp 4 and Kl 198 show that he had the Vaidumbas under him, and Mb 126 that he had subjected the Mahāvalis. For him there are the dates 943 in Si 28, 948 in Si 35, 951 in Ct 49, 961 in Mb 126, and 966 in Kl 245.
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In Mb 122 of 969 we are informed that Nanni Noḷamba had assumed the crown. He was Iṟiva Noḷamba’s son (Hr 1). But the Ganga king Mārasimha, who ruled till 974, boasts of having destroyed the Noḷamba family, whence he had the name Noḷambakulāntaka, and he was ruling, among other provinces, over the Noḷambavāḍi Thirty-two Thousand (EI. iv. 352). In Mb 84 of 974 we have a record of three Noḷamba princes, who had escaped and were perhaps hiding, hearing with relief the news of his death. But the Noḷambavāḍi Thirty-two Thousand continued in possession of the Gangas, as testified by Rakkasa Ganga’s inscription (Sp 59) of about 985.
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The Pallava Noḷamba line, however, was not extinguished, for the kings continue to appear for a long time after, under the Chōlas and Western Chālukyas. Ht 47 informs us that when Noḷambādhirāja was ruling, Chōla fought with his army stationed at Bijayitamangala (Bētmangala, Bowringpet tāluq),¹ and Noḷambarasa was killed. But when he died, his son (? succeeded him). Ht 111 shows that in 977 the Chōla king Rājarāja had gained a footing in that part of Mysore, and Ayyapa’s son Gannarasa was acting as governor under him. But a Noḷambādhirāja Chōrayya continues as a Pallava king under the Chōla king Rājarāja to 1010 (Mb 208, Ct 118). He may be the one so named in Mb 84 as having escaped the general massacre of his family, and it may be his father who is there mentioned, and who is perhaps to be identified with the Noḷambarasa above stated to have been killed in battle, leaving his son to continue the line.
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¹ This indicates the direction in which they retired when driven from Noḷambavāḍi.
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But the Noḷambas seem to have gone over after this to the protection of the Western Chālukyas, who were at enmity with the Chōlas. For Mk 10 shows us a Jagadēkamalla- Noḷamba-Pallava ruling the kingdom in 1022, with the seat of his government at Kampili (on the Tungabhadrā in the west of the Bellary District). Then Dg 71 shows us Udāditya, called the Noḷamba-Pallava-Permmānaḍi,¹ ruling in 1035 under the same Chālukya king Jayasingha Jagadēkamalla. In Dg 126 is Jagadēkamalla-Immaḍi-Noḷamba-Pallava-Permmānaḍi, ruling the Kadambalige Thousand and other provinces under the same king in 1037. Dg 124 shows a Trailōkyamalla-Nanni-Noḷamba-Pallava-Permmānaḍi ruling Kadambalige in (?) 1042. The introductory part is effaced, or it might have supplied some important details. He appears again in Dg 20 with extended authority in 1045. Jl 10 shows a Nārasinga ruling the Kadambalige Thousand and other provinces under the same king in 1054, with his son Chōraya as a governor under him at Uchchangi. The Chālukya king Trailōkyamalla was Sōmēśvara I or Āhavamalla, who ruled 1040 to 1069. He married as one of his wives a Pallava princess, by whom he had his son Jayasimha, who takes the titles Vīra-Noṇamba (or Noḷamba)-Pallava-Permmānaḍi. Under his father he was governor of various provinces in 1048 and 1054 (Hl 107, 119). The next king, Sōmēśvara II, his elder half-brother by a Ganga mother, made him governor of the Noḷamba-Sindavāḍi province in 1068 (Sk 136). Mk 28 is a record of him in 1072, and Cd 82 of 1074. His other elder half-brother Vikramārka, also by the Ganga mother, on coming to the throne in 1076, made him Yuvarāja, and he won important conquests for the kingdom. In 1080 he was ruling Banavase and other large provinces for his brother (Sk 293). But eventually he rebelled against him, and was defeated and imprisoned.² We know that another half-brother of his, named Vishnuvarddhana Vijayāditya (see Ci 18), the son of an Eastern Chālukya princess, was ruling the Noḷambavāḍi Thirty-two Thousand in 1064 and 1066, with his seat of government at Kampili. He is described as about to sink into the ocean of the Chōlas, but this was averted by Rājarāja and Chōla-Ganga of the Kalinga Gangas. Then Si 9 shows us another Udayāditya ruling in 1072 over the Noḷambavāḍi Thirty-two Thousand, and said to be extending the Pencheru kingdom on all sides. He was evidently under the Chōlas, as he has the sub-title Vīra-Rājendra, as well as Vīra-Noḷamba-Pallava-Permmānaḍi. Pencheru is Penjeṟu (or Henjeṟu), now called Hēmāvati, situated on the northern border of Sīra tāluq. Apparently it was at this time the capital of Noḷambavāḍi. The same Udayāditya appears in Gd 57 in (?) 1109, and in place of bearing a Chōla title he is there styled binder of Chōla-mārāja. But meanwhile the Pāṇḍyas of Uchchangi come into view as governors of the Noḷambavāḍi province. Ci 33 shows Tribhuvanamalla-Pāṇḍya ruling it in (?) 1083, and he is described as defeater of the designs of Rājiga-Chōla. Dg 155 says he was the younger brother of Tribhuvanamalla-Noḷamba-Pallava-Permmānaḍi (Jayasimha above). Dg 3 shows that the seat of government had been moved to Beḷtūr (Bettūr near Dāvangere). In 1124 Rāya-Pāṇḍya was ruling the province from the same place (Dg 2). But next year the capital was again at Uchchangi (Ci 61), where it remained, and he had a Pallava as a feudatory under him. Dg 4, Ci 38 and 39, show Vīra-Pāṇḍya ruling the province in 1143 and 1149. Hk 56 says that at the rise of Bijjana, the Kalachurya king (in 1156), Palatta-Pāṇḍya was ruling Noḷambavāḍi. Dg 113 mentions a Pallava king in about 1160, without giving any name. Cd 13 shows Vijaya-Pāṇḍya ruling Noḷambavāḍi in 1184. But in Cd 23 we have a Pallava prince named Māchi-Dēva in 1205 as feudatory to the Hoysala king Ballāḷa II. His descent is given for three generations, and he was ruling in the Holalkere-nāḍ (Chitaldroog District) and adjacent parts.
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¹ The title Permmānaḍi was taken by the Gangas from the Pallavas on their subjection of them in the eighth century. The Ganga power being now overthrown, the Pallavas resume the use of it.
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² A curious inscription of his (Bn 142) is antedated in 444, and is the model on which the professed Janamējaya grants (Sk 45, Sb 183, etc.) were framed.