-Studies in Tuḷuva history and culture, Author – Professor P. Gururaja Bhatt, M.A., B.T., Ph.D.
(A.D. 1336-A.D. 1650)
The Vijayanagara period witnessed the division of Tuḷu-nāḍu into two well-defined provinces (rajyas), namely, the Bārakūru and Mangalore-rajyas, whose capitals were the Bārakūru and Mangaluru towns respectively. The earliest Vijayanagara inscription found in Tuḷu-nāḍu until now is dated A.D. 1345 and it states that during the reign of Mahamanda-leśvara Vira-Bukkaṇṇa-Odeya, Sankaradēva-Odeya was the governor of Mangaluru-rajya and he seemed to have made a gift to a deity, probably to Gōpinātha of Arthapura (Attāvara). This inscription reveals an important fact is that the control of the Vijayanagara governors over Tuḷu-nādu started very early. The earliest of the Bārakūru epigraphs, so far discovered, is dated at A.D. 1353 and belongs to the governorship of Gōparasa-Odeya. The names of governors, who were appointed to rule the two provinces of Bārakūru and Mangalore, are given at the end of this chapter. The following are the important inferences that may be drawn on the nature of their political history:
- The governors were either appointed by the sovereign himself or by the Dandanayakas who were put in charge of the coastal regions and who were primarily answerable to the Central Government. A few examples will clarify this point. Hadapada Gautarasa was the governor of Mangalūru in A.D. 1349 by the orders of the king, and Mangarasa-Odeya, the governor of the same province in A.D. 1390, was appointed to the office by king Vira Harihararāya himself. But Mahapradhāna Jakkaṇṇa-Odeya was appointed governor of Bārakūru in A.D. 1383 under the orders of Muddeya-daṇṇāyaka. Again, Annarasa-Odeya was ruling over Mangalore and Bārakūru-rajyas under the orders of Achanna-danṇāyaka. Likewise, Chandarasa-Odeya became the governor of Bārakūru in A.D. 1432 under the orders of the king and Mahapradhana Perumāḷadēva-daṇṇāyaka. Pradhana Lakkaṇṇa-daṇṇāyaka appointed Timmaṇṇa-Odeya as the governor of Bārakūru. Inscriptions are numerous It may not be unreasonable in proof of our above inference. to suppose that the control of the Central Government over Tuḷu-nāḍu was more direct and effective when these governors were directly responsible to the king and that in such instances, the authority of the governors was substantial, whereas in cases of the governors held responsible to another dignitary of the king, powers tended to be less substantial and their tenure of office short-lived.
- Most of the governors were of the rank of Mahapradhana, but Narasimha-Odeya who was in charge of Bārakūru-rājya in A.D. 1425 called himself Mahamantri. We do not know whether this governor wielded greater powers in administration than the rest.
- It looks as though the Bārakūru-rājya was held in greater importance and also presented to the Central Government greater problems than the Mangaluru-rājya. This inference is based on consideration of frequent appointment of governors to the Bārakūru province. One reason for this phenomenon seems probable. Mangaluru-rajya comprised a number of self-governing feudatory states (The Kumbale kingdom, Banga-nāḍu, the sīme of the Chautas, the Puñjaliya-rājya, Mūlike-nāḍu etc.) which were largely responsible for political and social stability, all of which continued in power until the advent of the British. Therefore, the problem of administration faced by the governors may have been of lesser magnitude.
- The normal reign period of a governor in office would be two to three years. But there was no convention against the reappointment of the same person to the office, who, either was transferred or was succeeded by another. This short tenure of office was found to be essential to avoid despotism and recalcitrancy. Moreover, it appears that the direction of politics at Vijayanagara had their repurcussions on the provinvial centres also. Sometimes, three governors were found in office in the same year. But it cannot be said that longer tenure of office was unknown. Mahapradhana Maleya-daṇṇāyaka was in office in Bārakūru from A.D. 1356 to A.D. 1366. Likewise, Mahapradhana Gōparasa held power for eight years from A.D. 1366 to A.D. 1373. Another example of prolonged governorship was of Vitharasa-Odeya during the reign of Virupaksharāya. He appears to have continued in power from A.D. 1467 to A.D. 1478. Ratnappodeya, who was ruling over the Bārakūru and Mangaluru-rajyas from A.D. 1513 to A.D. 1519, was one of the most powerful of the governors. The assumption of elaborate titles bears witness to the power he commanded.
- Śrīmat-mahā-bhāgadēyarum-tadājnādhārarum
- sapta-saptati durgādhīśvara-mēdinimisar
- gaṇḍa Śrīmat-Baichadaṇḍādhipa-gōtra
- gagana maṇḍala-mārtaṇḍa maṇḍalarum
- Jaina paramāgama – uddharana-dattana
danarum - samyaktva-guṇaratna-bhūshaṇa
- bhūshitarum=appa Ratnappōḍeyaru
- Maṅgaḷuru-Bārakūru-rājyavam pratipālisuttidda
- kāladalu………………………………………………..
- Most of these governors were appointed from outside Tuḷu-nāḍu and perhaps, the reasons for this are not far to seek. may be said that natives of Tuḷu-nāḍu were also at times selected for this office of pride and power. Kurugōḍu Sōvaṇṇa-nāyaka (A.D. 1509) and his brother Kurugodu Mallappa-nayaka seemed to have belonged to Tuḷu-nāḍu itself.
- It is difficult to say definitively whether there was any system of the transfer of power from father to son. But, an inscription of Nilavara, Udupi taluk, states that Ratnappōḍeya, to whom was assigned the governorship of Bārakūru, transferred his power to his son, Vijayappa-Odeya, as governor. The epigraph of Nandanavana, Kundapur taluk, dated A.D. 1520, records a gift of land in the village of Kergal by Vaijappa-Odeya, son of Ratnappa-Odeya, ruling over Bārakūru.
- Instances of both Bārakūru and Mangaluru-rajyas held by the same governors are also found. This would take place, perhaps, on two occasions. The most capable of the governors deserved to be entrusted with such enormous powers as in the cases of Annappa (Annarasa)-Odeya, Vitharasa-Odeya and Ratnap-poḍeya. Moreover, during the interim period following the transfer of one governor and the appointment of another, it was but natural that the governor of the other province in Tulunāḍu was delegated with administrative powers. The significant fact in this connection is that there seemed no lapse in administrative control over Tuḷu-nāḍu from the earliest times of the Vijayanagara rule. Sometimes the governor of Bārakūru supervised over Haive and Konkaṇa-rajyas also, as in the case of Mallappa-Odeya in A.D. 1386. Singanna held Tulu and Malaha-rajyas in A.D. 1392. Here, Tulu was Bārakūru rajya and perhaps, Malaha was Araga-rajya. Tulu and Haiverajyas were governed by Mallappa-Odeya in A.D. 1396. Mahapradhana Purushottamadēva-Odeya, the governor of Bārakūru, held sway as far in the north as Bailūru in the Honnavar taluk of North Kanara, in A.D. 1433. Tulu-rajya, which was practically the Bārakūru-rajya, was in rare cases governed from the capital at Honnavar as is evidenced in A.D. 1427, when Mahapradhana Timmaṇṇa-Odeya is stated to be ruling over Haive, Tulu and Koṅkaṇa-rajyas. Antappodeya was in charge of Haive, Tulu and Konkana-rajyas in A.D. 1438 and is stated to be ruling from his capital at Honnavara.
Governors of Bārkūru under Vijayanagara rule
| Name Of Governer | Date |
|---|---|
| Goparasa-Odeya | A.D 1353 |
| Mahapradhana Mallaya | A D.1356-A D.1365 |
| Mahapradhana Gōparasa-Odeya | A D 1366-A D.1373 |
| Bacharasa-Odeya | A.D. 1376 |
| Bommarasa-Odeya | A.D. 1377-A D 1380 |
| Mahapradhana Jakhanna-Odeya | A D 1382-A D 1386 |
| Mallappa-Odeya | A D.1386-A D 1391 |
| Virugappa-dannayaka | A D 1389 |
| Singanna-Odeya | A D. 1389 – A D.1393 |
| Heggade Sankarasa(Sankaradeva-Odeya) | A D 1394 – A D 1395 |
| Mallappa-Odeya | A D 1395- A D 1396 |
| Mahapradhana Sankaradeva | A D 1397 |
| Nagara-Odeya | A D 1399 |
| Basavanna-Odeya | A D 1400 – A D 1402 |
| Mahapradhana Bachanna-Odeya | A D 1406 |
| Sankaradeva-Odeya | A D 1408 |
| Mahapradhana Bachanna-Odeya | A D 1411 |
| Sankaradeva-Odeya | A D 1414 – A D 1417 |
| Annappa-Odeya | A D 1418 |
| Mahapradhana Sankaradeva-Odeya | A D 1422 |
| Virupanna | A D 1422 |
| Harideva-Odeya | A D 1423 |
| Virupanna-Odeya | A D 1424 |
| Narasimhadeva-Odeya | A D 1425 – A D 1426 |
| Timmanna-Odeya | A D 1427 |
| Annappa | A D 1431 |
| Mahapradhana Chandararasa | A D 1431 – A D 1433 |
| Purushottama-Odeya | A D 1433 |
| Mahapradhana Chandararasa | A D 1434 |
| Annappa-Odeya | A D 1436 – A D 1437 |
| Antappa-Odeya | A D 1438 |
| Annara (Annappa-Odeya) | A D 1439 – A D 1440 |
| Chandararasa-Odeya | A D 1442 |
| Mahapradhana Timmanna-Odeya | A D 1442 – A D 1444 |
| Mahapradhana Acharasa-Odeya | A D 1446 – A D 1447 |
| Rupanna-Odeya | A D 1447 – A D 1448 |
| Devappa-dannayak-Odeya | A D 1449 |
| Rayarasa-Odeya | A D 1449 |
| Lingarasa-Odeya (Lingappa) | A D 1450 |
| Mahapradhana Vallabhadeva-Odeya | A D 1451 |
| Banappa-Odeya | A D 1451 – A D 1452 |
| Demanna-Odeya | A D 1453 |
| Pandarideva-Odeya | A D 1455 |
| Banappa-Odeya | A D 1457 |
| Guruvappa-Odeya | A D 1459 |
| Siddappa-dannayaka | A D 1459 |
| Devarasa-Odeya | A D 1461 |
| Sankaradeva-Odeya | A D 1461 |
| Heggade Devappa-dannayaka | A D 1462 |
| Mahapradhana Lakkanna-Odeya | A D 1463 |
| Pandarideva-Odeya | A D 1465 |
| Singara-Odeya | A D 1466 |
| Konderaja-Odeya | A D 1467 |
| Vittarasa-Odeya | A D 1467 – A D 1478 |
| Pandarideva-Odeya | A D 1480 – A D 1482 |
| Mallappa-nayaka | A D 1482 |
| Virupaksha-Odeya | A D 1486 – A D 1487 |
| Hamparasa-Odeya | A D 1491 |
| Honnakalasa-raya | A D 1492 – A D 1494 |
| Pandarideva-Odeya | A D 1495 |
| Sadaranadeva | A D 1500 |
| Kendada Basavarasa | A D 1503 – A D 1508? |
| Somanna-Odeya | A D 1510 |
| Ratnappa-Odeya | A D 1513 – A D 1519 |
| Vijayappa-Odeya | A D 1519 – A D 1520 |
| Vittarasa-dannayaka | A D 1523 – A D 1525 |
| Euraya-Odeya | A D 1526 |
| Ahya Timmanna | A D 1528 |
| Kondappa-Odeya | A D 1533 – A D 1536 |
| Pandarideva-Odeya | A D 1542 |
| Achappa-Odeya | A D 1543 |
| Ghennarasanna | A D 1544 |
| Obalaraya-Odeya | A D 1544 |
| Achyutha-Odeya | A D 1546 |
| Ekadhalakhana-Odeya | A D 1551 |
| Mallappa-Odeya | A D 1554 – A D 1557 |
| Kalleya Yellappa-Odeya | A D 1562 – A D 1564 |
| Dalarayi Lingarasarayn | A D 1569 |
| Ramakrishna-Odeya | A D 1571 |
| Achappa-Odeya | A D 1581 – A D 1586 |
| Sankaradeva-Odeya | A D 1345 |
| Gautarasa | A D 1346 |
| Mallaya-dannayaka | A D 1348 |
| Hadapada Gautara | A D 1349 |
| Mallaya | A D 1353 |
| Madarasa | A D 1364 |
| Sankaradeva-Odeya | A D 1375 |
| Pandarideva-Odeya | A D 1377 |
| Madarasa | A D 1379 |
| Mallarasa | A D 1389 |
| Madarasa | A D 1390 |
| Mangarasa | A D 1390 |
| Lingarasa | A D 1390 |
| Hadapada-Madarasa | A D 1396 – A D 1398 |
| Naganna-Odeya | A D 1404 |
| Bachanna-Odeya | A D 1406 – A D 1407 |
| Banappa-Odeya | A D 1407 |
| Timmanna-Odeya | A D 1411 |
| Kesappa-Odeya | A D 1417 |
| Annappa-Odeya | A D 1418 |
| Timmanna-Odeya | A D 1419 |
| Naganna-Odeya | A D 1420 – A D 1423 |
| Devaraya-Odeya | A.D. 1429 – A.D. 1430 |
| Annappa-Odeya | A.D. 1431 |
| Devaraya-Odeya | A.D. 1433 – A.D. 1437 |
| Annappa-Odeya | A.D. 1437 – A.D. 1440 |
| Triyarnbakadeva-Odeya | A.D. 1448 |
| Gopanna-Odeya (Ganapanna) | A.D. 1451 |
| Timmanna-dannayaka | A.D. 1456 |
| Vittarasa-Odeya | A.D. 1465 – A.D. 1478 |
| Ratnappa-Odeya | A.D. 1513 – A.D. 1516 |
| Kondappa | A.D 1535 |
| Sadasivaraya-nayaka | A.D. 1557 |