THE RAMNAD RAJAHS. 
49 
middle of the fifteenth century, and was succeeded by 
his son, Parca Chrisnapa Nayaca, whose life presents 
nothing memorable, except that he built a village near 
Palametta, which he called after his own name ; de- 
dicated a temple to Siva, dug a large tank, and de- 
voted a number of houses to the accommodation of 
Brahmins. He died after a tranquil reign of about 
thirty years, when the crown devolved upon his son, 
Parcavirapa Nayaca. 
During the life of this Prince, part of the royal ter- 
ritory was usurped by a rebel chieftain, who built two 
strong forts within the district of Madura, in which he 
alternately held his court. He was finally subdued and 
reduced to obedience. Parcavirapa died after a tole- 
rably quiet reign of twenty-seven years, and left three 
sons, who successively sat upon the throne; the last 
being succeeded by his nephew, who reigned thirty 
years. He was a munificent prince : following the 
example of his great progenitor, Viswanat’ha, he built 
several pagodas, dug tanks, constructed agrars,* and 
left behind him many noble testimonials of his libe- 
rality and public spirit. 
It was during this reign that the Ramnad Rajahs 
established a petty supremacy. The founder of this 
family, Wodeya Teween, had received authority over 
a small district covered with jungle and infested by 
robbers and other tribes of depredators, who not 
only interrupted the pilgrimages to Ramisseram, the 
road to which lay through this district, but continu- 
ally plundered the peaceable inhabitants of the coun- 
try. It happened that a priest of the King of Madura 
* Houses for the accommodation of devotees. 
F 
