10 TRANSLATION OF INSCRIPTIONS 



consequent decline of the power of the Rais of Vijayanagar, and change of 

 dynasty which it is admitted took place. The reigns are in general very 

 short, and in the inscriptions we have two intervals of which one, that 

 between the 5th and 6th prince, of 8 years, might be filled up by some of 

 the names of the chronology : at any rate it is certain that with Narasinha 

 a new family ascended the throne. 



According to Ferishta, Narasa, or Narasinha was a Raja of Telingana, 

 who had possessed himself of the greater part of the Vijayanagar T^vmcii^dXiiy. 

 This is not incompatible with the account given in the pedigree, which states 

 that Sriranga Ray a. Raja of Kalyan, made war upon Ramchandra of 

 Vijayanagar, deposed him and placed his own brother on the masnad. Other 

 accounts give a different version of the matter : — Vir<^paksha, it is said, having 

 no issue raised one of his slaves named Sinhama, a Telinga, to the throne. 

 SiNHAMA, entitled Praurha Deva, reigned but fous^ years, he was succeeded 

 by his son VfRANARASiNHA, who reigned but two years, who being childless 

 gave his signet to his falconer Narasa or Narasinha. Different original 

 statements again concurring with that of Ferishta represent Narasinha 

 as the son of Iswara Deva, Raja of Karnul and Orvi^ i, a tract of coun- 

 try on the Tungabhadra, to the east of it near its junction with the 

 JKr is/ma. 



According to the pedigree it must have been Narasinha Rao, the only 

 Narasinha of the inscriptions, who was the monarch that gave a fresh 

 impulse to the prosperity of Vijayanagar, and maintaining a resolute oppo- 

 sition to the Muhammedan kings of the Dakhan extended his authority 

 over the greater part of the Peninsula and along the Coromandel Coast 

 towards Orissa. On his death he left two sons Viranarasinha and Krishna- 

 DEVA, the latter of whom acted as Dewan to his brother. VfRANARAsmnA, 

 according to the pedigree, left three sons, Achyuta, Sadasiva and Trimala, 

 who being infants, the country was managed by their uncle Krishnadeva. 



