The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c15.s2.t1.41

v2.c15.s2.t1.41

Rudra was highly pleased; and he honoured Kāṭa by bestowing on him the title of *Kōṭagelpāta* or the conqueror of Dharaṇikōṭa.¹ The power of the Kōṭas was broken, their capital fell into Rudra’s hands, and their territory lay prostrate at his feet; but Rudra did not annex it to his kingdom. Believing that it would better serve his purpose to treat the vanquished enemy with kindness and consideration than to confiscate his possessions, he adopted a policy of conciliation, installed Kēta II, the son of Doḍḍa Bhīma, on his father’s throne, and gave him back his ancestral territories. Kēta II reciprocated by becoming a loyal friend of Rudra and supported him during his campaign in the south. Having thus made himself master of the Kōṭa dominions, Rudra next proceeded against the territories of the Velanāḍu chiefs. He appears to have concentrated his efforts on the subjugation of the Koṇḍapaḍumaṭis, who, as mentioned above, served the Velanāṭi princes as wardens of the western marches of their kingdom. Though the details of this campaign are lacking, it is certain that Rudra was successful. An inscription at Tripurāntakam dated A.D. 1185, registering his gift of the village of Rēvūru on the bank of the Kṛṣṇā in Koṇḍapalli-nāḍu to the temple of the god Tripurāntaka Mahādēva of that place, shows clearly that he had penetrated far into the interior of the Velanāṭi kingdom and had brought Tripurāntakam under his sway.² The Koṇḍapaḍumaṭis would seem to have been completely obliterated as a family during the course of this campaign, since there is no further mention of them as a ruling family in the years which followed.