Chapter Info (Click Here)
Book No. – 17 (Ancient History)
Book Name – History of the Early Dynasties of Andhra Desa (Book IV – The Visnukundins; 420-620 AD)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. Introduction
1.1. Earlier Writers
1.2. Sources
2. Ipuru Plates. Il set
3. Cikkulla Plates – Madhavavarman!
4. Vikramëndravarman I
5. Indrabhattärakavarman
6. Madhavavarman of the Rämatirtham and Cikkulla plates same as Madhavavarman I of the loūru plates (Il set)
7. Inūru Plates and Polamüru Grant of Madhavavarman
8. Three kings of the name of Madhavavarman
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The Genealogy of the Vinsnukundins
Chapter – 1
Introduction
Earlier Writers
The Vişnukundins were the first great dynasty after the fall of the Ikşvākus to hold paramount sway over the entire Andhra country, including Kalinga, and played an imperial role in the history of the Deccan during the 5th and 6th centuries A.D.
The history of the Vişnukundin dynasty has not been properly studied, and its importance in ancient Indian history has not been correctly estimated by scholars.
Professor F. Kielhorn, Dr. E. Hultzsch, and K. V. Lakshmana Rao edited the inscriptions of the Vişnukundins and proposed theories on the origin, growth, extent, chronology, and significance of the dynasty.
Later, Prof. G. Jouveau-Dubreuil attempted a brief history of the dynasty, followed by Prof. S. V. Visvanātha, who also contributed a similar outline.
A more systematic study of the dynasty was published by Dr. Dinesh Chandra Sircar, who recognized the importance of the Vişnukundins in the history of the Deccan.
Dr. Sircar’s approach has been criticized as incorrect and misleading, especially in handling the chronology, pedigree, and political history of the Vişnukundins.
The reasons for the confusion in Dr. Sircar’s work are threefold:
Geographical ignorance: Dr. Sircar lacks knowledge of the geography, topography, and historical divisions of Andhradesa.
Defective reasoning: Dr. Sircar’s conclusions are based on flawed assumptions, especially his rejection of palaeography in determining the chronology and pedigree of the kings.
Isolation from contemporary dynasties: Dr. Sircar studied the Vişnukundins in isolation, ignoring the history and chronology of other contemporary dynasties of Ancient India, leading to untenable conclusions.
A fresh attempt is being made to properly interpret the family charters and reconstruct the genealogy of the Vişnukundins.
This new study presents the history of the Vişnukundins in a revised manner and from a proper perspective.
Sources
The primary sources of history of the Vişnukundins are the copper-plate charters of the family, which are written in Sanskrit.
Some inscriptions of contemporary dynasties also provide synchronisms for political events during the Vişnukundin Epoch.
There are only five published copper-plate grants of the family, all of which have translations and exhaustive notes.
An unpublished stone inscription of the family is located at Vēlpüru in Sattenapalli taluk, Guntur district, which will be discussed later.
The published inscriptions are:
The Cikkulla plates of Vikramëndravarman II, dated the tenth year.
The Rämatirtham plates of Maharaja Indravarman, dated the twenty-seventh year.
The Polamuru copper-plate grant of Madhava-varman III, dated the forty-eighth year.
The Ipūru plates of Madhavavarman III, dated the thirty-seventh year.
The Ipuru plates (II set) of Madhavavarman II, son of Deva-varman, dated the twenty-seventh year.
Additional materials are found in Sanskrit and Telugu literature, including historical legends and traditions relating to the Vişnukundin kings.
These materials are embedded in sixteenth-century Telugu literature and the Local Records of the Mackenzie collection.
These additional sources will be referred to as needed in the discussion.