Haihayas of Kona and Palnadu

A low open pillared hall with a flat roof and smaller shrines on a grassy compound under large trees. · Pavuluri satishbabu 123 (Wikimedia Commons user) (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Two families of chiefs in the Telugu country of the 12th and 13th centuries claimed descent from Kartavirya, legendary king of the Haihayas. The Kona chiefs ruled the Godavari delta, and left many well-dated inscriptions. The Haihaya chiefs of the Palnadu, in the west of the Guntur country, are known from only a few records. They are remembered above all as the kings of the Palnati Viralu, the “Heroes of Palnadu”, whose story is one of the great Telugu oral epics.¹²³ This page treats both families, because the sources for each are thin and both called themselves Haihayas, and it keeps the record and the ballad apart.

The Kona chiefs: descent and country

The Pithapuram inscription of 1195, edited by E. Hultzsch in 1897, gives the pedigree of two joint rulers, Mallideva and Manma-Satya II. They trace their descent from the mythical Kartavirya, son of Kritavirya and grandson of Haihaya.¹ See the Pithapuram inscription of Mallideva.

The third chief in the list, Rajaparendu I, is called lord of Konamandala, and the word Kona is put before several names. Hultzsch therefore called the family the chiefs of Konamandala.¹ He identified Konamandala with Konasima, the Telugu name for the Godavari delta.¹

The Godavari District Gazetteer (1907) noted that “the delta taluk of Amalapuram is still known as the Kona country”.⁴ Their records call the family “the ornament (of the city) of Mahishmati”, the Haihaya capital of the epics.⁵

Under the Chola–Chalukyas and the Velanati Chodas

The founder, Mummadi-Bhima I, is said to have received the insignia of sovereignty from the emperor Rajendra-Choda. Hultzsch identified that emperor with Kulottunga I.¹⁵ He took the claim that the family “ruled over Vengi” to mean only that Konamandala was a dependency of the Vengi country.¹⁵

Records at Draksharama and Palakol carry the family from 1128.⁵ In that year Rajendra Choda I of Kona, surnamed Vikrama-Rudra, made a grant.⁵ That chief also built a mandapa (pillared hall) in the temple of Bhimanatha at Draksharama.⁵

The Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1932–33 added earlier references.⁶ One was a lamp given at Draksharama in Saka 995 (Saka is an Indian way of counting years) by the queen of a Haihaya Kirttiraja.⁶ Another was a gift in Saka 1004 by a daughter of Kona Mummadiraja, whom the report identified with Mummadi-Bhima I.⁶

The inscription of 1195 includes verses in praise of the Velanati queen Jayamamba.⁵ Hultzsch read this to mean that “the chiefs of Konamandala were dependent on the chiefs of Velanandu”.⁵ The gazetteer called them “apparently hereditary chieftains subordinate to the Vengi viceroys and the Velanandu family”.⁴

The Kona chiefs and the Kakatiyas

P. V. Parabrahma Sastry cited a Draksharama inscription about the death of the Kakatiya Prola II. It says that Chodayaraja of the Kota family killed Prola, together with the Haihaya chiefs Satya and Mallideva of the Kona country. He found this “confirmed” by line 91 of the Pithapuram inscription of 1195.⁷

That line calls Manma-Satya II Prodari-badavanala, and line 79 says that the crown of a king Proda adorned Mallideva’s throne.⁸ Hultzsch, however, corrected the word in both places to praudha, “mighty”, in his footnotes.⁸

Parabrahma Sastry also thought that the Kona Haihayas did not accept the overlordship of the Kakatiya queen Rudramadevi.⁹¹⁰ He wrote that Ganapatideva had allowed the Kona chiefs to remain as they were, under the shadowy (nominal) supremacy of the Chola kings.⁹¹⁰

The later chiefs of the family appear at Palakol. A Kona Ganapatideva has records from Saka 1184 to 1222. He married a daughter of Mahadeva of Nidudaprolu, who bore the old Eastern Chalukya name Vishnuvardhana. A Bhima-Vallabha is known in 1318.¹¹¹² Robert Sewell’s table (1932) notes a later Kona Bhima-Vallabha in 1364–65.¹³ It says that “the family disappears from history in the 14th century”.¹³

The Haihayas of Palnadu: the record

The inscriptions of the Palnadu show Haihaya chiefs there as feudatories of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani. A record of Saka 1033 (1111) at Macherla names the chief Beta, son of Virakama. Virakama was the second of the four sons of Chagi Beta “of the lunar race of Kartaviryarjuna”. Its Kannada engravers suggested Western Chalukya influence to the Government Epigraphist.¹⁴

At Gurazala a record of 1129, in the reign of the Chalukya king Somesvara III, records a gift of land by “a Haihaya feudatory chief named Beta Birudankarudra”.¹⁵ The gift was to a temple at Madhavipattana, that is, Gurazala.¹⁵ The Annual Report for 1932–33 identified this Beta with the Haihaya chief described as “a descendant of Kartaviryarjuna and as of the Chagi race”.¹²

A record at Peddakodamagundla shows officers of the Velanati chief Gonka and of “the Haihaya chief Kamaraja-Mallidevaraja”, styled lord of Mahishmati, sharing the taxes of a village.¹⁶ The epigraphist thought the village lay on the border of their two territories.¹⁶ A mutilated record of an unnamed Haihaya king also survives at Karempudi.¹⁷

The Palnadu war: the ballad

The Palnati Viracharitra is a ballad cycle in dvipada (couplet) verse. Robert Sewell toured the Palnadu in 1879.¹⁸ He summarised the version written by Mudigonda Virabhadra in 1862, “founded on the local traditions of the Palnad country, and on previous poems on the same subject”.¹⁸

In his summary the king Alugu Bhupati, of the line of Kartaviryarjuna, rules at Gurazala with Dodda Nayudu as his minister.¹⁹²⁰ Alugu marries a daughter of the king of Chandavolu.¹⁹²⁰ His ministers’ house is led by Dodda Nayudu’s son Brahma Nayudu.¹⁹²⁰ Intrigues by a rich and ambitious woman, Nayakuralu, split the kingdom. Brahma Nayudu takes the young princes Balama and Devulu, leaves Gurazala and builds a new city at Macherla.²¹

A cock-fight at Gurazala, staked on seven years’ exile, goes against him through sorcery.²²²³ After his return the two sides fight a great war. In it Brahma Nayudu’s son Baludu, “the popular pet”, and many of the heroes are killed.¹⁸²⁴²⁵ The poem ends at Karempudi and the cave of Guttikonda.¹⁸²⁴²⁵

Chilukuri Veerabhadra Rao, writing in 1912, told the story as a quarrel between half-brothers. On one side was Nalagama, son of Anugu Raju by Mailamadevi, a princess of the Velanati house. On the other were Malideva and his brothers, sons of another queen. Brahma Nayudu fought for Malideva, and Nayakuralu for Nalagama.²⁶²⁷²⁸ See Brahma Nayudu.

The ballad is traditionally attributed to the poet Srinatha. Veerabhadra Rao doubted that the great poet wrote it, because of its faults of grammar.²⁶ C. P. Brown described the poem in 1852 as “despised by the learned” but of value to the student.²⁹

Dating the war

No inscription dates the war, and the dates proposed for it span three centuries:

1080–1087. H. H. Wilson’s catalogue of the Mackenzie manuscripts (1828) describes “a seven years war, from 1080 to 1087”.³⁰ It was “carried on by Brahma Naidu and twelve other land holders and graziers, against two towns, Gujerla and Macherla, in the Palnad country”.³⁰ It “originated in a dispute at a cock-fight”.³⁰ William Taylor’s catalogue repeated the dates.³¹
About 1160. C. P. Brown wrote that “the occurrences described took place about the year A.D. 1160”, and that Wilson’s dates were “too early”.²⁹
The 14th century. Sewell thought the legend “founded on facts”, and had the impression that the chiefs flourished early in the 14th century.³¹⁸ An old accountant at Karempudi recited a verse dating the end of the war to Saka 1308 (1386).³¹⁸ A mandapa of the heroes’ temple there bears an inscription of 1333.³¹⁸
1176–1182. Veerabhadra Rao held it “beyond doubt” that the war took place between 1176 and 1182.²⁸³² His reasons were synchronisms (events of known date) within the poem itself: its references to Prataparudra, to the Kota chiefs Bhima and Keta of Dharanikota, and to Velanati Choda Gonka.²⁸³²
After 1181. Parabrahma Sastry put the war after the death of the Velanati Rajendra Choda II in 1181.³³³⁴ He wrote that the Palnadu chief Nalagama called on the Kakatiya Rudradeva for help, and that on this march Rudradeva subdued the Kotas of Dharanikota.³³³⁴

V. Rangacharya, listing the Palnadu inscriptions in 1919, found that they show the hero cult “came to be in vogue in the time of the later Kakatiyas”. None of them, he noted, shows when or on what occasion the heroes became famous.²

The heroes’ temple at Karempudi

Sewell found the “Palnad Heroes” honoured all over the country.³ He wrote that “Temples were erected in their honor, poems have been written recounting their deeds”.³ He added that “Hindus and Mussalmans vie with one another to do them reverence on their grand festival day once a year”.³

At Karempudi the temple of the heroes stands on the right bank of the Nagileru.³⁵³⁶³⁷ It has a shrine to Brahma Nayudu’s servant Kanama Dasu, and a sanctum with 73 stones, “each supposed to represent one of the chiefs”.³⁵³⁶³⁷ Its hall bears an inscription of 1333.³⁵³⁶³⁷ Six iron spears are kept there, the largest called “Nayudu’s spear” and the smallest “Baludu’s”.³⁵³⁶³⁷

Rangacharya noted that Karempudi was still the seat of a Brahman guru who presides over the community that keeps the hero cult.³⁸³⁹ He also recorded a tower of 1445 at the spot where the hero Chilama Nayudu planted his spear.³⁸³⁹ Veerabhadra Rao described the yearly festival held in the month of Kartika on the battlefield, with its successive days for the cock-fight and the battle.⁴⁰

Gordon Mackenzie noted in 1883 that the cock-fights “which occupy so large a space in these ballads” were still held at Karempudi.⁴¹⁴²⁴³ He thought the early history of the Palnadu was unknown.⁴¹⁴²⁴³ He called Sewell’s legends “of no historical value”.⁴¹⁴²⁴³

Evidence and disagreements

Are the Palnadu chiefs Haihayas or Chagis? The Macherla record of 1111 calls Beta a Chagi of the race of Kartaviryarjuna, and the 1932–33 report treated the Palnadu Haihayas as of the Chagi family. Veerabhadra Rao called the Haihaya kings of the Palnadu Kalachuris. He doubted that the ballad’s Anugu Raju was the Chagi chief of the inscriptions, but held that Anugu’s family belonged to that inscribed family.¹⁴¹²⁴⁴⁴⁵
Did the Kona chiefs kill Prola II? Parabrahma Sastry relied on a Draksharama inscription and on line 91 of the Pithapuram inscription. Hultzsch had emended the key word of that line.⁷⁸
The date of the war. Wilson gave 1080–87, Brown about 1160, Sewell the 14th century, Veerabhadra Rao 1176–1182 and Parabrahma Sastry after 1181. The inscriptions prove only that Haihaya chiefs held the Palnadu in 1111–1129 and that the cult was established by the 14th century.³⁰²⁹³²⁸³³²
Srinatha’s authorship. The ballad is traditionally attributed to Srinatha, and Taylor’s catalogue says that one copy was taken “from a version by Sri natha”. Veerabhadra Rao doubted that Srinatha wrote it.⁴⁶²⁶

E. Hultzsch, “Pithapuram Inscription of Mallideva and Manma-Satya II; Saka-Samvat 1117”, Epigraphia Indica IV (1897), p. 84 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
V. Rangacharya, A Topographical List of the Inscriptions of the Madras Presidency, Vol. II (1919), p. 805 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Robert Sewell, Lists of the Antiquarian Remains in the Presidency of Madras, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. i (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
F. R. Hemingway, Madras District Gazetteers: Godavari, Vol. I (1907), p. 23 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Hultzsch, “Pithapuram Inscription of Mallideva” (1897), p. 86 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
Annual Report on South-Indian Epigraphy for 1932–33 (1936), Part II, para. 10, p. 57 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
P. V. Parabrahma Sastry, The Kakatiyas of Warangal (1978), p. 87. ↩ ↩²
Hultzsch, “Pithapuram Inscription of Mallideva” (1897), p. 91, text lines 79 and 91 and notes 8 and 20 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Parabrahma Sastry, The Kakatiyas of Warangal (1978), p. 127. ↩ ↩²
Parabrahma Sastry, The Kakatiyas of Warangal (1978), p. 177. ↩ ↩²
Hultzsch, “Pithapuram Inscription of Mallideva” (1897), p. 87 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Annual Report on South-Indian Epigraphy for 1932–33 (1936), Part II, paras. 10–12, p. 59 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Robert Sewell, The Historical Inscriptions of Southern India (1932), p. 361, “Kona or Konamandala Chiefs” (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Paraphrased except for the short phrase quoted. ↩ ↩²
Rangacharya, Topographical List, Vol. II (1919), p. 812, No. 536 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Rangacharya, Topographical List, Vol. II (1919), p. 808, No. 509 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Annual Report on Epigraphy, Madras, for 1913–14 (G.O. No. 920, Public, 4 August 1914), Part II, para. 41, p. 104 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Rangacharya, Topographical List, Vol. II (1919), p. 810, No. 523 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. ii (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. iii (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. v (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. vi (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. vii (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. viii (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. x (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. xi (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Veerabhadra Rao, Andhrula Charitramu, Part II (1912), p. 196 and note (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). In Telugu. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Veerabhadra Rao, Andhrula Charitramu, Part II (1912), p. 197 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). In Telugu. ↩
Chilukuri Veerabhadra Rao, Andhrula Charitramu, Part II (1912), p. 192 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). In Telugu. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
C. P. Brown, A Dictionary, Telugu and English (1852), preface, p. xi (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
H. H. Wilson, The Mackenzie Collection: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Oriental Manuscripts, Vol. I (1828), p. 305 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
William Taylor, A Catalogue Raisonnée of Oriental Manuscripts, Vol. II (1860), p. 729 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩
Veerabhadra Rao, Andhrula Charitramu, Part II (1912), p. 193 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). In Telugu. ↩ ↩²
Parabrahma Sastry, The Kakatiyas of Warangal (1978), p. 98. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Parabrahma Sastry, The Kakatiyas of Warangal (1978), pp. 156–157. ↩ ↩²
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. xiii (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. xiv (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Sewell, Lists of Antiquarian Remains, Vol. I (1882), Appendix A, p. xv (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Rangacharya, Topographical List, Vol. II (1919), p. 809 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Rangacharya, Topographical List, Vol. II (1919), p. 811, No. 525 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²
Veerabhadra Rao, Andhrula Charitramu, Part II (1912), p. 232 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). In Telugu. ↩
Mackenzie, Kistna District Manual (1883), p. 161 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Mackenzie, Kistna District Manual (1883), p. 162 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Gordon Mackenzie, A Manual of the Kistna District (1883), p. 9, note 1 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³
Veerabhadra Rao, Andhrula Charitramu, Part II (1912), p. 195 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). In Telugu. ↩
Veerabhadra Rao, Andhrula Charitramu, Part II (1912), p. 198 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). In Telugu. ↩
Taylor, Catalogue Raisonnée, Vol. II (1860), p. 730 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

Photos

Veerula Gudi, the shrine of the Palnad heroes at Karempudi (photograph by Pavuluri satishbabu 123, 2014, Wikimedia Commons)Photograph · 2014

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