The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c15.s2.t4.36

v2.c15.s2.t4.36

Very early in her reign Rudramadēvī seems to have recovered a part of the territory conquered by the Pāṇḍyas in the course of their invasion in A.D. 1263. Though no definite information is at present available about the events which took place at this time, yet the provenance of the inscriptions of Rudramadēvī and her subordinates in the eastern part of the Cuddapah and Nellore districts bears ample testimony to the triumph of the Kākatīya arms in this region. An epigraph at Nandalūr in the Rajampeta *tāluk* of the Cuddapah district registering a gift to the temple of Saumyanāthasvāmi at that place by Nāgarāja, the *pradhāni* of the Gaṇḍapendēra Jannigadēva, shows that the Kāyasthas had displaced the Pāṇḍyas in that neighbourhood as early as Ś. 1186 Raktākshi (A.D. 1264);⁴ another record at Aṭlūru in the Siddhavatam *tāluk* of the same district dated Ś. 1190 Prabhava (A.D. 1268) indicates that the Kāyastha success was not temporary but involved the permanent dislodgement of the Pāṇḍyas from that area.⁵ This second inscription is unfortunately damaged, and the name of the chieftain at whose instance it was set up is lost; but the titles, *Maṇḍalika brahmarākshasa*, and *Gaṇḍapendēra* coupled with the date of the record leave no room for doubt that the ruler mentioned in it was in fact none other than Jannigadēva.