The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c15.s2.t4.4

v2.c15.s2.t4.4

The king did not, however, as is generally assumed, die immediately after his retirement. There is reason to believe that he was alive at least until A.D. 1269–70, though he no longer took much part in the affairs of the kingdom. Two records call for special attention in this connexion. In an epigraph at Tripurāntakam dated Ś. 1188 Kṣaya (A.D. 1266) Pedda Mallaya Preggaḍa, feudal lord of the donor Tammirāja, is spoken of as the Mahāpradhāna and the subordinate of Gaṇapatidēva Mahārāja.¹ It is evident then that Gaṇapati was still living at this time; otherwise the donor of the record would not have omitted the name of the ruling sovereign Rudramadēvī and referred to his master as a Mahāpradhāna of Gaṇapatidēva. More important still is an inscription of the Kāyastha chief Jannigadēva at Duggi in the Palnad tāluk of the Guntur district dated Ś. 1191 Śukla (A.D. 1269), in which Rudramadēvī is spoken of as the Paṭṭōddhati of Gaṇapatidēva Mahārāja and not as a queen formally invested with sovereign powers;² for the term paṭṭōddhati, an obvious scribal error for paṭṭōdhṛiti (paṭṭa, royalty, and ud-dhṛiti, chosen or selected), indicates that Rudramadēvī was still at that time only queen designate and not yet formally anointed as sovereign ruler. Two important conclusions follow from this: (1) that Gaṇapatidēva was alive until Ś. 1191 (A.D. 1269); and (2) that Rudramadēvī was not the crowned queen of the Kākatīya kingdom until that year. The time was not yet propitious for celebrating her coronation. The political situation in the country was indeed critical; both internal and external danger threatened the stability of the kingdom.