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Historical Sketch of the Kingdom of Pandya. 



[July 



possession of their local sovereignties, and to have contented them- 

 selves with enforcing an acknowledgment of their paramount dignity, 

 and exacting in times of emergency pecuniary and military aid. Such 

 was the case with the Pandya and Chola kingdoms, which were 

 governed in the reign of Krishna Raya of Vijayanagar by their own 

 kings. A war broke out between Vira Sek'hara, the Chola, and 

 Chandra Sek'hara, or Chandra Kumara, the Pandya prince, in which 

 the Madura monarch being worsted, he was compelled to fly his 

 country, and, in this distress, had recourse to Krishna Raya for pro- 

 tection and assistance. An opportunity of this nature was not likely 

 to be disregarded by the Vijayanagar court, and Nagama Nayaka, 

 overseer of the royal cattle, was despatched with a considerable force 

 to reinstate the Madura prince, and punish the ambitious presumption 

 of the sovereign of Tanjore. The task was easily effected; and 

 Chandra Sek'hara seated on the throne of his ancestors. His restora- 

 tion, however, was but nominal, as Nagama Nayaka retained the sove- 

 reign authority in his own hands, keeping the king of Madura in con- 

 finement, and disregarding the commands and menaces even of Krishna 

 Raya, who found his successful general converted into a rebel. 



The valour and conduct of Nagama Nayaka rendering the officers of 

 Vijayanagar reluctant to undertake his chastisement, he seemed likely 

 to maintain his newly acquired authority in perfect impunity.* To 

 the surprise of the Vijayanagar court, however, an antagonist to Na- 

 gama was found in the person of his only son, Viswanath j a son whom 

 he had performed a pilgrimage to Benares to obtain, and whom he had 

 left for education, or who had not improbably been detained as a 

 hostage, at Vijayanagar. As Viswanath Nayak had given many proofs 

 of his military talents, and as his professions of loyalty were credited, 

 he was accordingly intrusted with the unnatural duty of revenging his 

 prince upon a father, and marched with a strong force against Nagama. 

 The father was defeated and taken prisoner, and, according to one ac- 

 count, delivered to Krishna Raya by Viswanath, who replaced the 

 legitimate king of Madura on the throne, and returned triumphantly 

 to Vijayanagar, where, in consideration of the merits of the son, the 



* The materials for the history of the Nayaks of Madura, although not ?ery full, are, as 

 far as they extend, satisfactory. They are, 1. A History of the Modern Kings of Madura, 

 by Triuvercadu Mutiah, an ingenious native of the Carnatic, an amusing account of 

 ■whose studies, written by himself, is published in the Asiatic Annual Register, for 1801 ; 

 2. A History of the Telugu Rulers of Madura, translated by Mr. Wheatley from the 

 Tamil ; and, 3. A Sketch of the History of Madura, to the reign of Trimal Nayak, Nos, 

 19, 22, 23, A fourth account (5d4) is confined to the affairs of the descendants of Vijaya 

 Eanga Choka N at'h, who died in 1731. It is drawn up by the representative of the family, 

 Vijaya Kumara Viswanath Bhangaru Trunala Nayak, the great grandson of the last 

 Nayak of Madura. 



