Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c22.s3.146

v2.c22.s3.146

The most prominent figure in the reign of Sadāśiva Rāya is, of course, that of Rāma Rāya. We have already cited evidence to prove that the people characterized the times as *dharmada-pārupatya* of Aḷiya Rāma Rāya. In about A. D. 1540, Viraṇṇa Oḍeyar granted Maha . . . pura village for the god Sōmēśvara, in order that merit might accrue to Rāma Rāya.¹ Gumma-daṇṇa-ayya in A. D. 1547 made a grant from the lands attached to his office of *amara-nāyaka*, for the perpetual lamp of the god Amṛitēśvara, in order that merit might accrue to Tirupati Rāma Rāja-ayya,² who could have been no other than the famous Regent. According to a record dated Śaka 1472 (A. D. 1550-1) Viśvanātha Nāyaka, Agent for the affairs of Rāma Rāya, made a gift of a *dēvadāna* hold (*paṭṭayam*) of land in Deśi, Śevval, and other places, in lieu of an annual income of paddy, to the temple of Ādityavanmichchuvaramuḍaiya-Nāyiṉār, at Śevval *alias* Virakēraḷanallūr, for the merit of the Regent.³ Mūrti Nāyaka, Agent of Rāmappa Nāyaka and of Kadaikūṭṭu Śēvagapperumāḷ, according to an epigraph dated only in the cyclic year Sādhāraṇa, Āvaṇi, Kollam 726 (A. D. 1550, August), gave land as a gift for conducting offerings and worship during the festivals in the months of Śittarai and Āvaṇi in the temple of Ādityavanmichchuvaramuḍaiya-Nāyiṉār at Śevval in Muḷḷi-nāḍ, on behalf of the king.⁴ An inscription dated Śaka 1482 (A. D. 1560-1) informs us that Viśvanātha Nāyaka, son of Nāgama Nāyaka, made a gift of taxes on looms to Tāḷapuriśvara temple at Panamalai, South Arcot district, for the merit of Aḷiya Rāma Rājaya, son of the *Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara* Śrīraṅga Rājayya Dēva.⁵