The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c11.s8.77

v1.c11.s8.77

Sovideva (Someśvara was his real name) ruled for ten years (1167-77) bearing full imperial titles. His distinctive biruda was Rāya-Murāri, 'a very Viṣṇu among Kings'. His inscriptions are numerous, but afford little new historical information. One of them, dated A.D. 1176, from Kurugodu (in the Bellary tāluk),⁴ showing a feudatory called Rācamalla then in possession of the fortress, may be evidence of some fresh acquisition in that direction. A record of 1171 states that Sovi-Deva, the Kadamba Governor of Banavase in that year, had thrown the Cangālva king into chains as he had vowed to do; another dated two years later shows how the dispatch of a military force was necessary to collect the land rent.⁵ Inscriptions furnish evidence of the continuance of disturbed local conditions resulting in many breaches of the peace and occasional fighting. One of the queens of Rāyamurāri Sovideva was Sāvaladevi, who is described as dearer to the king than his own life, and who was not only highly skilled in music and dancing but used to display these accomplishments in public.⁶ She had a brother Bhairava expert in conducting orchestras and playing on the brahmavīṇā, and a sister Vācaladevi equally proficient in gīta (song) and nṛtya (dance).