Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c22.s2.40

v2.c22.s2.40

There was one kind of *koḍage* grant which was given to those who showed their courage in a fight to rescue the cows of a village or against thieves and highwaymen. This was known as *neṭṭaru-goḍage*. On the cows of the Nelavatti *agrahāra* being carried off by Dēse of Beḷagavatti, the tailor Padma's son Chikka recovered them, although he died in the attempt. All the Brahmans of the *agrahāra*, therefore, in A. D. 1125, made a grant of land (specified) to Padma as a *nettaru-goḍage*.¹ Sometimes a *nettaru-goḍage* was granted by the ruler of the province in the presence of the farmers and subjects of the locality. Thus in A. D. 1223 when Leṅkaṇa Nāyaka of Karimale captured the cows of Maḷavaḷḷi, Māva-bōva of that place opposed him, recovered the cows but lost his life in the encounter. The *Mahamaṇḍalēśvara* Nigalūr Bommi Dēvarasa, with the approval of the farmers and subjects of Maḷavaḷḷi, granted land (specified) to Chikka-bōva, younger brother of Māva-bōva.² On other occasions the king himself ordered the grant of a *nettaru-goḍage*. The inscription which gives this information is unfortunately very much defaced. Nevertheless we are told that in A. D. 1283, in the times of the Yādava ruler Rāmachandra Dēva, a certain Rāya with his servants "entered upon the battle," and evidently he or someone lost his life in the struggle. "Pleased at his heroism, his king granted land as a *nettaru-goḍage* to Maduve Nāyakitti".³