inscriptions in the hassan district

PREFACE.
In this volume the inscriptions of the Hoysala kings, as might be expected,
largely predominate, the Hassan District being in the heart of their kingdom,
and containing their capital city. But many of them are models of composition
by authors of repute, examples taken from which are quoted in standard
works on the language. From the fresh information here supplied, with what
has appeared in previous volumes, a detailed account is obtained of all the
public and palace events in the reigns of this distinguished and purely
Mysorean dynasty of kings. Interesting too are the accounts of the Maleyala
merchants who traded on a regal scale and imported horses in ships by sea
for the royal stables.
The Kongalvas are here for the first time brought to notice. They mark the
farthest extension on the west of the Chdla invasion of the 11th century.
Their minister for peace and war in 1079 was Nakularyya, who boasts of
being able to write in four languages. It is not impossible that this was the
famous Lakula, founder of the Pasupata sect in Gujarat, who has been traced
from Arcot in 1020, to Belgami in Mysore in 1036, and eventually to Baroda.
Of the Changalvas we learn something new and important from finding them
in possession of Sermgapatam in 1252.
In the inscriptions of the Mysore kings it is curious that the Cbannarayapattana
fort is said to have been built for (or in agreement with) the Bijapui
Sultan. A record also deserving of attention is that which sets forth the
succession of the Mysore Eajas as received at the time when Krishna Raja
Wodeyar took over the reigns of government from the Dewan Purnaiya.
Among items of special interest that may be mentioned are the memorials
of public suicide on the death of royalty. Thus, when the Ganga king Nitimargga
died two separate persons are stated to have entered the fire in
consequence. But the most elaborate is that ot the self-sacrifice of the
prince Lakshma and bis wife on the death of the Hoysala king Vira-Ballaja
II, commemorated on a pillar at the HoysaleSvara temple. Another incident
which may be noticed is the ordeal undergone by the sbanabhog of Arkalgnd
to clear himself of the accusations brought against him.