Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c9.s2.97

v1.c9.s2.97

The evidence from the next record "Pg. 74" may now be considered. The Rev. Heras commented on this inscription as follows: "This inscription also seems to be suspicious, as it grants imperial titles to Bukka I, who never assumed them. Moreover Bukka is said to be 'seated on the jewel throne' one year before Harihara I's death".² These reasons, we are afraid, are insufficient to prove that "Pg. 74" is a spurious grant. Other considerations may be levelled against this record. Firstly, it may be noted that "Pg. 74" is a copper-plate grant in which the usual invocation to the gods, so characteristic of all, especially royal, documents, is not given. Secondly, it belongs to a certain class of copper-plate grants which on a closer examination may be said to contain not only conflicting statements but unreliable data for any historical purpose. These copper-plate grants are the following: copper-plates styled Nos. 5, 6 and 9 of 1920-21, and No. 16 of 1925. The first of these (C.P. grant No. 5) is dated Saka 1109 under Vīra-pratāpa Bukka Rāya and registers the granting of several āyagārs like the reḍḍi, karaṇam, and purōhita for the villages of Poṭṭipāḍu and Kavuluṛa in the Guṭṭi-durga. The second (C.P. grant No. 6) is dated Śaka 1093, Vijaya, but deals with the reign of Vīra-pratāpa Harihara-dēva Mahārāya, ruling at Vidyānagara, and the assignment of lands to several services attached to the village of Tarmela in the Guṭṭi-rājya. The third (C.P. grant No. 9) is dated Śaka 1270, Sarvajit Vaiśakha, Śu. 15, and informs us that Vīra-pratāpa Harihara-dēva Mahārāya, ruling at Vidyānagara, granted the post of reḍḍi with lands attached to it, to a certain Koṭireḍḍi Nārapareḍḍi in respect of the village of Dēvarapalle in the Guṭṭi-rājya known as Bhāskarakshētra.¹ From the remarks of Mr. Venkoba Rao on this document, it appears as if we are to give some credit to it. Mr. Venkoba Rao in his *Annual Report on Epigraphy* says: "The early King Harihara I of this dynasty for whom records are not as numerous as for the later kings, is represented by the copper-plate grant No. 9 of Appendix A, dated in Śaka 1270, Sarvajit. Herein he is said to be ruling from the capital town Vidyānagara. The main interest of this inscription lies in the earliest known epigraphical reference to the deity Ahōbalēśvara".²