-Studies in Tuḷuva history and culture, Author – Professor P. Gururaja Bhatt, M.A., B.T., Ph.D.
The first recorded Āḷupa ruler of Ālvakhēda, Ganasāgara (Aluvarasa 1) Is stated to be ruling from Banavāsi (North Kanara district) over the Banavasi-mandala. This inscription is assigned by Mr. Rice to A.D.675 and hence the overlord of Karnaṭaka during this period was Vikramāditya I, The Western Chālukyan king. Marutūru grant dated in the year 663 A.D. may be identified with Aluvarasa I. It invokes Akshaya-Phala upon Alupa-mahārāja and mentions Him as having traversed a long way from Mańgalapura. Gnpasāgara’s son and successor, Chitravāhana, continued to be in possession and governorship of Kadamba-mandala. The Soraba plates of the chalukyan King, Vinayāditya, dated A.D.692, state that he made a grant at the Request of Guṇasāgara Āḷupēndra’s son, Chitravāha-mahārāja, who was In possession of the Edevolal district in the Banavāsi province. Likēwise, Another copper-plate grant of the same emperor, dated A.D.693, mentions the subordination of Pallava, Kalabhra, Kērala, Haihaya, Vila, Malava, Chola, and Pāndya, along with the hereditary servants the Āḷupa, Ganga, etc. That the Āḷupas were subordinate to the Western Chalukyas Is fully evidenced by an inscription dated A.D.634-35. It gives the Information that the Āḷupas and the Gangas of old standing took delight In drinking the nectar of close attendance on the great Pulakēsin II, Satyāsraya. We do not know who the Āḷupa ruler was at the time of Pulakēsin Il, nor can we imagine the predecessors farther back The Shiggaon plates of Chāukya Vijayāditya, dated A.D.707, state.
That this sovereign had gone to Banavasi to meet Chitravahana which shows that the latter was still in possession of Banavāsi-maṇdala. There is no doubt that this Chitravāhana was the same as his namesake mentioned in the Soraba plates referred to above. (Chitravāhana of the Soraba plates is called Chitravāhana I by Dr. Hultzsch in view of another Chitravāhana (found in the later records). Vijayāditya paid a courtesy visit to Banavasi from his camp at Kisuvolal at the request of Chitravāhana and made the grant to the Jaina monastery which was caused to be constructed by Kurnkumadēvi at Purigere. Dr. G. S. Gai, Chief Epigraphist for India, while editing the Shiggaon plates, suggests that Chitra- vahana could be his brother-in-law. He also points out that it is likely that Alupa Chitravahana was an elder relative of the king since he figures in the grant of Vinayāditya, dated A.D.692, referred to above. Chitra- vahana was responsible for the visit of Vijayāditya to Purigere and for the favor of a grant to the Jaina monastery caused to be erected by Kurmkumadēvi. Even though the Alupas were subservient to the Western Chalukyas of Badāmi towards the beginning of the 8th century A.D., there is no positive proof of the possession of Āḷvakhēda by Kirttivarman II (A.D.743-A.D.753) as contended by Dr. B. A. Saletore and M. Govinda Pai. At any rate, the possibility of kinship between the Western Chalukyas and the Alupas may not be seriously disputed. and influence of the Alupas must have been the reason, along with the blood relationship, for their appointment as the governors of Kadamba- LS The power mandala. This contact with the Western Chalukyas of Bādāmi was of momentous significance in the history of Āḷvakhēda because this must have opened up channels of communication and cultural exchange between Karnāțaka and Āḷvakhēda. Inscriptions of the 8th century A.D. reveal to us that the Alupas were enmeshed in serious disturbances in Udayavara (Udayapura), Udupi taluk, and South Kanara and before political stability could be attained Protracted struggle had to be undergone. The details of the civil war In Udyavara may briefly be stated as follows Chitravahana I conducted an expedition against Udayavara as I Evidenced by an inscription in that place, which states that in the distress of Ranasagara, Chitravāhana’s army invaded Udayapura in which Kaltide, son of Vijaṇa-nãyga fought and died on behalf of Chitravahana. We hear about Chitravāhana’s military encounter with Ranasāgara. The latter entered Udayapura, determined to capture the city The Record states that Ranamande Angupesāra Polegan, a servant of Yuddha Malla, died in a fight with Raṇakesara (i.e. same as Ranasāgara), who was entering Udayapura in the battle against Dharegiśan. Another epigraph relates to the military operation of Ranasāgara and records the death of Jātisūra, who fell fighting after piercing the army of Kshirasāgara, on behalf of his master, Ranasāgara. Raṇasāgara made a gift to Nāgamma of Kayra-varśa who was as brave as Mahēndra for crushing the army of Paybaya. This could, perhaps, mean the victory of Ramasagara over his enemy, Chitravāhana. Kshirasāgara, mentioned above, may have been a near relation to Chitravāhana. Next, we come across Svētavāhana. Two epigraphs mention his invasion of Udayavara and obviously, the power of Ranasāgara must have been extirpated, but Svētavāhana was not destined to rule for long, for he had to contend against his formidable foe, Prithvisāgara. Prithvi Sagara’s success was complete, and out of chaos, political order and stability seemed to have been established. It may be said that a period of restoration and of political reconstruction was ushered in. The epigraphs of Prithvisāgara inform us that considerable political order must have finally been established by him, which led to definite regulations introduced into the eighteen pattanas of Udayapura and Pati-Pombulcha (Shimoga district)s, Prithvisāgara assumed the title Uttama-Pāndy And although it is not clearly known how he came to assume this cognomen a surmise is possible here. The Shiggaon plates of Chālukya Vijayāditya, dated A.D.707, referred to earlier, mention Chitravahana as belonging to the Pāndya lineage. This is reminiscent of the connection between the Pandyas of Madura and the Alupas. We suffer from an acute paucity of any other authentic source material to get enlightened further, on how and why Chitravāhana called himself of the Pandya lineage. The Velvikkudi Plates of Jatila Parāntaka, the Pandyan king, belonging to about A D.770, also known as Varaguna-Mahārāja I (A.D.765 – A.D.815), refer to a battle fought at Mangalapura in which the Mahārathas were defeated The Maharathas referred to here were none other than the Chalukyas of Bādāmi and Mangalapura is, by the consensus of opinion, identified with Mangalore of the district of South Kanara. This battle of Mangalapura must have been fought between A.D.700 and A.D.730 during the reign of Kōchchaḍaiyan, the grandfather of Jaṭila Parantaka, who was the donor of the Velvikkudi Plates. Evidently, the Western Chalukyan king was Vijayaditya (A.D.696-A.D.733/34) and the Alupa uler, who must have assisted Vijayāditya, being his feudatory and who suffered defeat in the hands of Kōchchadaiyan at Mangalapura, could be Prithvisāgara If this possibility were accepted, we may surmise that Prithvisāgara, as the vanquished, may have assumed the title- Uttama-Pandya. The assumption of elaborate titles by Prithvisāgara, the glorious Alupendra, who sprang from the race of the moon, the ornament of his family, Udayaditya Uttama-Pandya, the glorious Aluvarasar – seems an indisputable sign of the invigorating political advance of the Alupas. There is no doubt that the early Alupas were lords of Patti-Pombulcha, a place in the Nagar taluk of the Shimoga district. The successor of Prithvi-sāgara, Vijayāditya Māramma Alvarasar, also is stated to have introduced trade regulations into Udayavara and Pombulcha, This king assumed the title-Vijayaditya-Alupendra, Paramēśvara-Adhirajarajan, Uttama-Pandyan, Sōma-tamśōdbhava- which reveals the clear proof of the unquestioned sovereignty established by him. The name Vijayaditya is reminiscent of the Alupa’s connection with the Chalukyas of Bādāmi. It is possible that Chalukya Vijayāditya (A.D.733/34) may have been the grandfather of Maramma Alvarasar if we should suppose that Prithvisāgar was the son of Chitravahana I and that Māramma Aluvarasar, was the so of Prithvisāgara. The Alupa ruler introduced by the newly discovered Belmannu copper plates, ascribable to the middle of the 8th century A.D may be none other than Maramma Aluvarasar. (Plate VIII).
During the reign of the Rashtrakuta king, Govinda III (A.D.792 – A.D.814), the Banavasi-mandala seems to have been taken away from the Alupas and was entrusted to Rajāditya, while Alvakhēḍa-6,000 was administered by Chitravahana II, who, on the strength of his name may be assumed to have belonged to the Alupa family. To judge from the Mavali inscription, he proved troublesome and had to be coerced by the force of arms. What exactly was the position of Alvakheda during the Rashtrakūta period after A.D.800, which witnessed this political event, we are unable to say anything. The name Alvakheda -6,000 occur in another epigraph of the 9th century A.D. (in all probability belonging to the reign of Amoghavarsha – (A.D.814-A.D.878), It refers to Indapayya, as governing Banavāsi-12,000 and also mentions Alvakheda 6,000. This epigraph suggests that in the 9th century A.D. Alvakheda was a distinct division and was not a part of Kadamba mandala or Banavāsi-12,000. The subjugation of the Alupas is also related to a copper-plate grant of the chief Rājāditya (A.D.951), whose overlord is named as king Krishnarāja (evidently the Rashtrakūta king) who is said to have been engaged in a victorious expedition in the south over Chola, Chera, Pandya and Alu kings and encamped at Melpati Probably, Alvakheda suffered an invasion in the hands of the Rashtrakūta king, Krishna III (A.D.939-A.D.966). It is clear that the relation between the Alupas and the Rashtrakūta suzerain was marked by hostility and hence periodical campaigns had, perhaps, been organized by the Rashtrakūtas to hold Alvakheda in check. Probably, Alvakheda was subjected to a military campaign in the 9th century A.D. In enumerating the conquests of Bharata, Jinasena II mentions the following southern kingdoms Srikalinga, Ausa, Kachchandra, Pratara, Kerala, Chera, Punnata, Kulasthana-Aulika, Mahishaka, Mēkura, Pandya, AntaraPandya. It is quite possible that Aulika was none other than Āluka.
The political history of the Alupas from A.D.800 to the middle of the 10th century AD is shrouded in obscurity. The two names included in the genealogy of the Alupas between Chitravāhana II and Kundavarma – I, also do not receive the unquestioned stamp of historical certainty. Our sources for the study of this period of a century and a half are virtually blank. It is rather difficult to explain this phenomenon. But we have reasons to believe that during this period, the Alupas must have been overpowered and impaled into insignificance by the rise of another political power in the district of Shimoga, known as the Santaras.
The Santara kings had their first capital at Patti-Pombulchapura (the modern Humcha of the Nagar taluk of the Shimoga district). They were Jainas by faith and trace their origin to Jinadattarāya, who was the Lord of northern Madhura and of Ugra-vamsa. “Jinadatta came to the south, settled in Pomburcha or Patti-Pomburchapura as his capital, and ruled the Santalige-1000, having gained the monkey-flag and the lion-crest He took the name Sāntara and Ugra-vamsa became Santarānvaya”. It is very probable that Jinadatta himself undertook the conquest of Alvakhēda and caused the extension of his kingdom below the Ghats or there may have been a voluntary submission of these Āḷupas to Jinadatta and his successors, who attained remarkable success in extending their political sway. An unreported inscription of A.D. 1388 belonging to Haṭṭiyangadi states that, while Virugappa-daṇṇāyaka, son of Mahapradhana Baichappa Danāyaka, was ruling over Tuḷu-rājya from his capital at Bārakūru, he renewed the grants of lands, which were made to the Chandranātha-basadi in early times by Jinadattaraya. A portion of the inscription reads as follows:
- Hattiyangadiya bastıya Chandranātha
- svāmige pūrvadalli Jinadatta-raya
- bitta dharmakke barasida śilāśāsana
- bahukālavāda mēle agni-badheyagi
- bahala dharma mareyāda kāraṇada
- Abhayacharyara nirūpadinda
- Virugappa-danayakaru barasıda
- śilāśāsanada vakhaṇiya kramaventendare
This inscription is important from two standpoints. Firstly, it suggests to us the influence of the first Säntara king, Jinadatta, on this region of Tulu-nadu and could, as well, lead us to infer that Jinadatta may have had his political sway extended over the district of South Kanara (Alvakheda), Secondly, we may surmise that at least during the time of Jinadatta, Jainism may have spread to this part of Alvakhēda. Its complete discussion will follow under the chapter Jainism in Tulu-nādu”. Among other things, the inscription states that the original stone inscription recording grants made in the olden days by Jinadattaraya to the deity. Chandranatha, having been destroyed in a fire, thereby resulting in the discontinuance of the grants then made, Virugappa-Danayaka, at the instance of Abhayacharya, caused the present inscription to be engraved anew. The text clearly implies that Jinadatta was in some way connected with Alvakheda. However, it has to be accepted that we do not have any further proof of his hold on Alvakhēḍa.