POLITICAL HISTORY.
were in power from the end of the ninth century. One of them, Rájarája, ascended the throne in 1070--71 and reigned eight years, during which time he says he helped the Vengi kings against the Chólas, and afterwards defeated both of them and also the ruler of Utkala (Orissa) and other monarchs.
Under his son, Anantavarman-Chóda-Ganga, who ruled from 1078 for no less than 72 years, this family reached the zenith of its power. Many copper grants and inscriptions of this monarch have been found in Ganjám and Vizagapatam, and these state that he replaced on their thrones the fallen kings of Vengi and Orissa, engaged in wars extending from the Ganges in the north to the Gódávari in the south, and built the famous temple of Jagannátha at Puri. An inscription on copper belonging to his reign shows that, after the manner of many who have suddenly got up in the world, he desired a lofty ancestry. This record traces the origin of his family back to Brahma, and says that the name Ganga was derived from the fact that the fourth in descent from Brahma begot a son by propitiating the Ganges.
The Chólas of Tanjore seem twice to have invaded the south of Trikalinga during his reign. Inscriptions of Kulóttunga I of that dynasty refer to his subjugation of the kingdom at a date previous to 1095, and again in 1114. The existence of a Tamil record of his, dated 1089, in the Simháchalam temple goes to confirm the success of the former of these incursions, and various circumstances seem to indicate that Anantavarman-Chóda-Ganga took less interest in the Vizagapatam district than in the north of his kingdom.
He married at least five queens and had by them four sons who ruled after him. Of them and their immediate successors little but their names is known. Inscriptions of theirs occur in the district, but the country eventually fell again to the Eastern Chálukyas of Vengi and their feudatories, the queen of one of the latter of whom is recorded to have covered with gold the image of Vishnu at Simháchalam. The Yádavas of Dévagiri (the modern Daulatábád) and the Kákatiyas of Warangal claim, moreover, to have humbled Kalinga at this period.
At Simháchalam occur several inscriptions of a line of chiefs called the Matsyas of Oddavádi. Copper grants found at Dibbida agraháram in this district say that the founder of the family was descended from a fish (Matsya means fish), married a daughter of the king of Orissa, and was appointed to rule over 'the Oddavádi country.' The Matsyas seem to have become independent there in the thirteenth century. It is perhaps worth noting in
27
