Salankayanas, the parama bhagavatas, werè an ancient brahmin family of Andhrapradesh.
Political history of Salankayanas can be traced from ten records, nine of which are copper plate records, and one is a lithic record. These are written in Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. As per these records seven king ruled from 320 A.D. to 446 A.D. They were the
feudatories of Ikshvakus and had ruled Andhra Pradesh, from their capital Eluru, from 3rd century AD to 5th century AD. Salankayana was their gotra name. According to Matsya-purana and Pravara-manjari of Purushottama, ‘Salankayana’ was the name of their ancestor, a rishi, who was a descendent of Salanka, and one of the sons of Visvamitran.
Salankayana means ‘Nandi’, the sacred bull of Lord Siva.
Samudragupta, who could easily defeat many rulers in Andhra but was given strong resistance by Hastivarman of Salankayana dynasty and
Vishnugopa, the Pallava ruler. He had no choice but to leave South India without annexing any territory to his empire. Vijayadevavarman, the Salankayana king, had declared himself to be a Paramamahesvara. He was an ‘asvamedhyajin, a meditator on
the feet of Bappa Bhattaraka.
Hastivarman 1, had founded Salankayana dynasty after defeating, Pallavas and Kadambas. He waged wars against several petty chiefs of the neighbouring region, like Mataraja of Kaurala etc, and established his kingdom.
Hastivarman 1, faced Samudragupta’s invasion and was defeated.
However Samudragupta couldn’t establish his independent rule & had to depend on Salankayana kings, for administrative control.
He was immediately succeeded by his son Nandivarman who ruled Vengi between A.D. 350 and 390. He extended his territory towards the South of the Krishna river by subduing the other petty rulers.
Inscription number 33.
Copper-plate Inscription of Vijaya-Devavarman.
Regnal Year 13.
Provenance: Not known, Possibly some place in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh.
Script: Brahmi of the southern class
Language: Prakrit
References: E. Hultzsch, Ep.Ind., IX pp.56-59.
Footnote 1.
1. From the facsimile in EP.Ind.. IX between pp. 58 and 59.
2. On the left margin expressed by the spiral symbol.
3. Vengipura has been identified with the village Padda-vegi, 11 km. from Eluva in west Godavari district.
Footnote 2.
1. Serial number of all inscribed sides, except the first, is engraved on left margin.
2. Identified with modern Eluru, in West Godavari District.
3. बभुर = बर्भु the pravara of Balhrava gotra was a descendant of Visvamitra.
Footnote 2.
1. The adjective is evidently meant for
Chitraratha-Svamin and hence should have been compounded with his name.
2. Possibly Mududa is a Dravidian word most probably signifying a village official. cf. the modern word
motadu is used in some parts of Guntur and Nellore districts, in the sense of a village Official or
servant supervising the distribution of water irrigating rain-fed or tank-fed lands. The Kanukollu plates of Nandivarman 1, read mutuda.
English Translation of the inscription.
Om ! From the prosperous and victorious Vengilpura, The villagers of Ellura headed by Mududa must be addressed (as follows) by the word of the glorious Maharaja Vijaya-Devavarman, the performer of the horse-sacifice, the
salankayana, the fervent Mahesvara, who is devoted to the feet of the lord (his father, (and) who meditates on the
feet of the holy chitrarathasvamin:
For this Ganasarman of Babhru gotra (a grant of) twenty-20-nivartanas of land in a handsome locality a house-site ( for himself) and a house-site for the two classes of servants, who work for half the crop and protection of immunities have been ordered by us.
Accordingly, he must be exempted with all the immunities.
(In) the victorious year thirteen-13 (of the reign), (on) the tenth 10th tithi of the dark fortnight of Pausha. (Here follow two of the usual imprecatory stanzas)