The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c15.s2.t4.57

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The Pāṇḍyas did not, however, give up their designs on the Kāyastha dominions. The defeat of Vijaya-Gaṇḍagōpāla and Ambadēva’s interference in the internal politics of the kingdom of Nellore spurred them on to make a fresh effort to reconquer the southern Āndhra country and to crush the Kāyastha ruler who was causing so much trouble on their northern frontier. The Pāṇḍyan army led by Jaṭāvarman Sundara Pāṇḍya II (acc. A.D. 1276), Māravarman Sundara Pāṇḍya (acc. A.D. 1270),¹ and Māravarman Kulaśēkhara (acc. A.D. 1268) marched into Pottapināḍu in A.D. 1282-3, while Ambadēva was probably still busy with the affairs of Nellore, as is shown by an inscription of Māravarman Sundara Pāṇḍya dated in his 13th regnal year, at Lēpāka in the Rajampet tāluk of the Cuddapah district.² An epigraph at Guṇḍlūru in the same locality dated Ś. 1284 Tāraṇa (A.D. 1282-3) of Sōmidēva, the brother obviously of Kēśavadēva of Kalukaḍa, leaves no room for doubt that the Kalukaḍa chiefs joined the invaders.³ The provenance of the Pāṇḍyan inscriptions in the Lēpāka-Nandalūr region shows that the rule of the Pāṇḍyas in this part of the country lasted for about five years during which time Piḷḷai Pallavarāyan of Tuñjalūr in the Pāṇḍya-maṇḍalam was in charge of its administration.⁴ No definite information is available about Ambadēva’s activities during this period. As a matter of fact he is not represented by a single inscription between the dates Ś. 1194 (A.D. 1272-3) and Ś. 1209.

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But curiously enough an epigraph at Akkāreḍḍipalli in the Badvel tāluk of the Cuddapah district dated Ś. 1205 Svabhānu (A.D. 1283) refers to Gaṇḍapeṇḍēra Tripurāridēva Mahārāja as the ruling monarch and records the construction of a temple of Śiva by Gaurēśvarabāyammaṅgāru for the worship of Gōśriṅgēśvara enshrined therein.⁵ His relationship with Ambadēva and the circumstances in which he came to ‘rule the earth’ in the middle of Ambadēva’s reign are not easy to understand. The Government epigraphist is inclined to believe that he was identical with Ambadēva’s elder brother, though it is equally possible that he may have been his son and successor Tripurāri II.⁶ It may also be noted here that about this time Ambadēva lost the Ēruva country which he had to reconquer a few years later. He very probably came into conflict with the Pāṇḍyas and was defeated by them, as a consequence of which disorders broke out in his dominions and he temporarily lost control over the government. However that may be, it is certain that Ambadēva gathered his forces together and attacked the Pāṇḍyas in A.D. 1286, and that he inflicted a defeat on Māravarman Kulaśēkhara who had come to oppose him at the head of a powerful army, as a consequence of which the elephants and horses and all the equipment in the Pāṇḍyan camp fell into his hands.⁷ The Pāṇḍyas then appear to have retired from the Kāyastha territory, leaving Ambadēva free to deal with his other enemies.

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He first turned against the Kalukaḍa chiefs, Kēśavadēva and Sōmidēva, and having vanquished them in battle together with their ally Allu Gaṅga, the Telugu Chōḷa ruler of Jagatāpi Gutti, won back from them all the Kāyastha country including the capital Vallūrupaṭṭaṇa which had been in their possession ever since the Pāṇḍyan invasion of A.D. 1263. He made Vallūrupaṭṭaṇa the headquarters of his government and strengthened and occupied Gaṇḍikōṭa-Manōrathapura, a strong hill-fort which commands the gorge through which the river Pennār forces its way into the plains below. Having thus destroyed the power of the Kalukaḍa chiefs and their allies and made himself master of the territories under their rule, Ambadēva next proceeded against Manu-Mallidēva, the Telugu Chōḷa ruler of Ēruva, who appears to have still defied his authority. Though two records of Manu-Mallidēva, both dated probably in Ś. 1189 Prabhava (A.D. 1267-8), are found at Tripurāntakam, they do not mention an overlord or reveal his political affiliations.¹ Very probably he was a Kākatīya vassal owing allegiance to Rudrāmbā and perhaps it was his loyalty to the queen that brought him into conflict with Ambadēva. Manu-Mallidēva could not withstand Ambadēva's power, and in the conflict which followed between them he was killed and his possessions passed into the hands of the victor.

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After thus reducing Ēruva, Ambadēva proceeded against Peṇḍekallu (Peḍakallu), a tract of country comprising the old Bangānipalle State and the Dhone *tāluk* of the Kurnool district which lay in its neighbourhood to the west. To ensure the success of his enterprise, Ambadēva formed an alliance with a chief named Bollaya and to strengthen the bonds of friendship bestowed on Bollaya's son Rājaṇṇa the hand of his daughter together with the territory adjoining Nandanapura (Nandavaram in the Bangānipalle State) as her dowry. Ambadēva's attack on Peṇḍekallu did not go unchallenged. Queen Rudrāmbā seems to have sent an army to oppose his advance and frustrate his attempt. The princes of the whole of the Āndhra country who, according to his Tripurāntakam inscription, met him in battle somewhere in that neighbourhood were without doubt her feudatories;² but in the combat which followed Ambadēva was successful; 'he vanquished', in the language of the inscription, 'all the kings of Āndhra and acquired glory'. As a result of this victory the whole of Peṇḍekallu up to the river Kṛṣṇā passed into his hands, and he became the master of an extensive kingdom. Ambadēva was then at the height of his power. According to an inscription dated Ś. 1209 Sarvajit (A.D.

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1287) found at Attirāla in the Rajampet *tāluk* of the Cuddapah district, he ruled from his capital Vallūrupaṭṭaṇa at that time all the countries of Gaṇḍikōṭa, Mulikināḍu, Rēnāṇḍu, Peṇḍekallu, Sakili, Ēruva, and Pottapināḍu.³ His authority extended probably as far west as Gutti in the Anantapur district. One of the verses in the Tripurāntakam inscription seems almost to suggest that the fort was under his protection.¹ He was served by a circle of twelve vassal princes and the rulers of the neighbouring states dispatched to his court elephants, horses, costly jewels, and other valuable gifts.²