1837.] Historical Sketch of the Kingdom of Pandya. 205 



Virapa Nayak succeeded his father. According to one account, 

 Trichanapali was first attached to the government of Madura in his 

 reign, having previously belonged to the state of Tanjore, from which 

 it was obtained by exchange, the fort of Veliam being ceded to that 

 state in lieu of this citadel. The transaction is uniformly so described ; 

 but it is referred by other authorities to the reign of Viswanath, the 

 first Nayak, as already noticed, or to that of Tirumalla Nayak, the 

 successor of Virapa. 



The accession of Tirumalla Nayak, the son and successor of the 

 last prince, brings us to a period of chronological certainty, and is 

 placed by the different authorities within two or three years of the 

 same date, or 1621, 1623, and 1626. The reign of this prince was long 

 and flourishing, and the public edifices erected during his sovereignty 

 still furnish splendid proofs of his wealth and magnificence. 



The affairs of Ramnad form the most important transactions of this 

 reign. Kutan Setupati, the son of Wodeya Deva, who had succeeded 

 his father, left, upon his death, four legitimate sons, and one illegiti- 

 mate. Of the first, the third son succeeded his father, but the fourth, 

 Adi Narayan, disputed his possession of the country, and, with the 

 assistance of his son-in-law, Tiruvadeya-vanui , a man of great military 

 enterprise and ability, appears -to have deposed his brother, and made 

 himself master of Ramnad. The illegitimate son.of Kutan, named 

 Tumbi, had recourse to the court of Madura, and easily prevailed upon 

 Tirumalla Nayak to send an army under his general, Ramapya, to put 

 him in possession of what he claimed as his inheritance, a portion of 

 the Marawa principality. Whilst Tiruvadeya-vanni lived, the troops 

 of Madura were successfully resisted ; but, upon his dying of the small- 

 pox, a casualty ascribed to the incantations of his enemies, Ramapya 

 overran the country, and taking Adi Narayan prisoner, carried him to 

 Madura, where he was detained in close confinement. 



Tumbi Setu Pati was now sole master of Ramnad, but the people 

 contemning the baseness of his birth, withheld obedience to his 

 orders, and, breaking out into open rebellion, he was glad to seek 

 safety again in the court of his patron. The eastern districts were 

 now without a ruler, and the same dangers that formerly prevailed 

 once more obstructing the pilgrimage to Rameswar, the Brflhmans and 

 religious mendicants solicited the restoration of Adi Narayan to the 

 government, as calculated to re-establish order and security in the 

 country. Tirumalla complied in some degree with their request ; but, 

 acting upon a maxim which has constantly influenced eastern politics, 

 as well as those of more civilised regions, he gave to Adi Narayan, 

 with his liberty, but a third part of his patrimony, leaving another 



