Part 5 - Sarngadhara II (A.D. 1253-1267)

The second son of Madhava and successor of Singaladeva, Sarugadhara II was the most distinguished ruler of the dynasty. His earliest inscription is from Nagalappalapadu dated A.D. 1253 (s 1175 Ananda) mentioning his parents, Madhava and Chudabavi and Ganapati deva and recording his gifts for their merit. As for the date of the record, “The saka and cyclic years, differ by a year” and corrrspond to the year A.D.1254. Sarngadhara’s Sarangapuram c.p. grant records that in A.D. 1254 (s 1176 Ananda) the king summoned the Brahmins and granted Sarangapuram for the religious merit of his overlord. At the end of the record, the King is mentioned simply as Chakranarayana. His record from Kcppolu (Ongole taluq) dated A.D. 1254 records that Ehakranarayana bearing the usual prasasti granted land in Bhantikolamu to the local gods for the merit of his parents Mada and Madamma in the presence of Mahapradhani and the feudatories. The name of the donor Sarngadbara or Sarngapani is lost in the record and his parents were Madhava and Madamma, The next record is from Yendlurur dated s. 1174 Nala but as“Nala corresponds to s 1179 current”, it gives the date A.D. 1256. It records while Mahamandalesvara Kakatiya Ganapatideva Maharaja was ruling, Sarngapani made gifts for the increase of his life, health and kingdom and his Mahapradhani Govindanayoka made gift for the merit of his deceased father Madhavarajulu. Sarngapani’s records are not found after A D. 1256 but his reign may have lasted till A.D. 1267 when his nephew Smgadeva began issuing inscriptions.

His Political Relations

Samgadhara had a reign of fifteen years. His c.p. grant mentions him as the ruler of men destroyer of enemies and honoured for his might. From his inscriptions, Sarngadbara is variously known as Sarngapanidevarasu, Sarngapani. Sarngapani devarajulu and Samgadhara.

Sarngadhara and the Kakatiyas

The contemporary Kakatiya rulers were Ganapati and Rudrama. Sarngadhara’s records at Nagulappalapadu and Yendluru dated A.D. 1254 and 1256 respectively attest his. allegiance to Ganapati. Probably he assisted Ganapati, with. his armies in his southern expedition, to reinstate Manmasiddha III in his kingdom about A.D. 1257 or earlier. But none of Sarngadhara’s records belonging to the reign of Rudrama are available and so there is no certainty of his allegiance to her.

Sarngadhara and the Telugu Cholas

The Telugu Chola rulers in this period were Manmasiddha III and Tikka II at Nellore, and Allutikka at Kanchi. Sarngadhara and the Telugu Cholas fought each other and Sarngadhara suffered a defeat in the Telugu chola hands. Though the Yadava inscriptions are silent on the matter, the literature of the Telugu cholas bears testimony to this. For Ketana in Dasakumara charitra says that king Tikka suppressed the pride of the subordinates of the Sevunas and Kataka, Bacha, son of Siddhana, a great warrior entitled Nannanigandhavarana is described to have approached the ocean of the terrible Sevunas like fire, drank it like Agastya, and dried it like Raghukshitinatha. Tikkana in Nirvachanottara Ramayana says that king Manma, son of Tikka, in his wars with the enemy drove Saranga, the samanta of Maharashtra descent and captured his horse with no effort on his.part. A.D. 1250 has been suggested as the date for the decisive battle beween the Yadavas and the Telugu cholas. Probably the battle came about as follows—In the beginning of his reign Manmasiddha III and his son Tikka Gandagopala i.e. Tikka II, or Tikka I towards the beginning of his reign and his son Manmasiddha i.e. Manmasiddha III invaded the territories of the Yadava kingdom towards the close of Singala’s reign. Singala and Sarngadhara put up a strong opposition to the enemy, no doubt with the help of the Kakatiyas, their overlords. The Yadava prince, Sarngadhara was vanquished, but the Kakatiya support to the Yadavas must have been the cause of the result that no annexation of the territories could be effected by the Telugu cholas after their victory. Probably the Telugu Cholas concluded a treaty with the Yadavas and the Kakatiyas. Sarngadhara did not experience any trouble from the Telugu cholas in his reign, unless his defeat means that he led an expedition into the Telugu chola kingdom and suffered a reverse.

Sarngadhara and Other Rulers

Ganapati, Bhima IV, Ganapama and Devaraju of the Kotas, Rudra II of the Nakaradis, Abhideva Mallideva and Vijayagandagopala of the Pallavas, Krishna Kandhara and Mahadeva (A.D. 1260-1271) of the Yadavas of Devagiri. Samrnapanideva of the Panugal Yadavas, Katamaraju of the yadavas of Alavulapadu, were some of the contemporaries of Sarngadhara. Probably he was on friendly relations with all the feudatory rulers in the Telugu land as all acknowledged Kakatiya suzerainty, the oniy exception being Vijayagandagopala.

A verse enumerating the rulers of Nellore mentions that after Manmagandagopala, Svarnadeva ruled brilliantly. This Swarna may be identified with Sarngadhara, whose rule in the neighbourhood of N ellore was famous in this period.