Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c12.s3.t2.11

v1.c12.s3.t2.11

But these instances do not reveal the corporate life of the Vijayanagara people in political matters so much as the record dated Saka 1341 (A.D. 1419-20) of the times of Dēva Rāya II. In that year, when Rāyaṇa Oḍeyar, son of Bhūpati Oḍear,² was ruling over that part of the Empire in which Nāṅgupaṭṭi³ was included, a political compact was signed between Narasiṅgadēvar of Pērāmbūr and his followers on the one hand, and the residents of Kiḷaikurichchi on the other. The inscription continues thus: "Whereas there existed enmity between us from the time of Sēmar-Narasiṅgadēva up to the time of Aḍaikkalamkātta Narasiṅgadeva, hundreds of men on both sides have been killed and imprisoned; in the time of the last-mentioned chief we met together and settled that henceforward we ought not to act contrary to the interests of each other on account of this long existing enmity". This agreement thus made was ratified in the presence of some villagers and district people. And it was also agreed that as long as the sun and moon exist, the enemies of the Pērāmbūr chief would be the enemies of Kiḷaikurichchi and vice-versa, and that no double dealing would be permitted. Those who acted otherwise would sin against the god of Nāṅgupaṭṭi.⁴ The absence of such spirit explains to some extent the anarchy under the later Pāleyagāras.