II. BELÁL EMPIRE OF KARNATA.

Foundation of the Belál Empire of Karnata.-The Belál kingdom of Karnata, or Kanarese-speaking people, was founded in the tenth century of the Christian era. A valiant warrior, named Hayasala, was a follower of the Jain religion, and had gone into the Karnata country, in the western half of the peninsula, to perform his devotions with a Jain priest. It happened that a royal tiger was infesting the neighbourhood, and the inhabitants implored the protection of Hayasala. Accordingly he went out and slew the tiger, and the people then made him king of all that country, and paid him a yearly tax. Hayasala was known as the Belál Rai. His kingdom corresponded generally to the modern territory of Mysore. He founded the dynasty of the Belál Rais or Rajas. Their history is as follows:

I. Hayasala Belál Rai, 984-1043: City of Dhúr-samundar Founded. He conquered all the countries to the south of the river Krishna. He followed the religion of the Jains. He built the metropolis of Dhúr-samundar, and peopled it with merchants, artisans, mechanics, and citizens of all classes, and established all the officers of government. He cleared out forests, built villages, and peopled them with divers Rajas.

Supports Bráhmans and Jains-Hayasala Rai was desirous of encouraging the Bráhmans in the centre of his kingdom, where they were few in number, and he appointed them to be Karnams, or revenue accountants, in the several districts. He appointed some to be priests in Brahman villages. He especially encouraged the Jains by employing them at his court, and appointing some of them to be commanders in his armies. He divided his kingdom into Nádus, or groups of villages. He made the perquisites of the different officers hereditary in their respective families.

II. Vináditya Belál Rai, 1043-1073: Clears the Jungle.— He cleared the country at the junction of the Bhadra and

Toonga rivers, which in those days was covered with teak wood; and there he built a city. He also cleared other jungles and founded villages.

III. Vareyánga Belál Rai, 1073–1113: Prevalence of Jains. -Under his reign the Jain religion prevailed more than He erected a number of Jain temples and agraharams, i.e., separate streets or quarters for the Bráhmans.

ever.

IV. Bala Deva Rai, 1113-1164: Mussulman Conquest.During his reign the Mussulmans from Delhi entered the Belál kingdom and fought against the Rai for three months. At last the Rai was captured by treachery, and carried away to the Krishna river. Here he agreed to pay a ransom to the Delhi Mussulmans; and they mutilated his little finger to show that he had been captured in battle, and then released him. He returned home in great shame, and remained quietly in his kingdom.

Rámánuja Acharya converts the Raja to the Vaishnava Religion. After this Rámánuja Acharya, the apostle of the Vaishnavas, who had fled from the Chola kingdom on account of the religious persecutions, came into the Karnata country, and resolved to convert the Raja to the religion of the Vaishnavas, and he prevailed on the concubine of the Raja to help him. It was the law amongst the Jains never to eat in the house of a man who had been mutilated. Accordingly the girl persuaded the Raja to invite his Jain Guru to take his dinner in the royal palace. She said, "If the Guru will accept your invitation, I will join your religion; if he will not come, you must join my religion." The Guru refused to break the laws of the Jain priesthood, and the Raja became a Vaishnava and a follower of Rámánuja Acharya. After this Rámánuja Achárya delivered the daughter of the Raja from a Rákshasa, i.e., he cast a devil out of her. Afterwards Rámánuja Achárya changed the name of the Raja from Belál Deva Rai to Vishnu Verdhana Rai, or "The increaser of the Vaishnava religion." He also miraculously healed the Raja's mutilated finger, so that in a moment it grew as perfect as

ever. After this he induced the Rai to destroy Jain temples, and to build Vishnu temples instead.12

V. Vijaya Narasinha Belál, 1165-1187: Vaishnava Religion flourishes.-He encouraged the Vaishnava religion and oppressed the Jains more than his father had done. He made a pilgrimage to all the holy places. On his return to his own city, the god, i.e., Vishnu, appeared to him in a dream on the banks of the river Bhadra, and accordingly he built a city and temple at Bankipur.

VI. Vira Belál Rai, 1188-1232: Marries the Daughter of the Sultan of Delhi. He was born of the eldest queen of Vijaya Narasinha. He built tanks and other works of charity, and he constructed the stone steps at the junction of the Toonga and Bhadra for the religious people who went to bathe there. The daughter of the Pádisháh or Sultan of Delhi heard that Vira Belál Rai was very handsome, and so fell in love with the fame of his beauty,13 and threatened to kill herself unless her father gave her to the Raja in marriage. At last the Sultan consented, and sent messengers to inform the Raja. In return the Raja sent his sword by the hands of a minister to be married to the princess according to the law. So the Sultan married his daughter to the Raja's sword, and sent her to the Raja, and she became his wife. After this the Raja was displeased with the princess, and the Sultan sent an army against him and defeated him. So the Raja went into a cavern and never returned. Then

12 Rámánuja Achárya is said to have instigated the Rajas to carry on a horrible persecution against the Jains. Colonel Mackenzie adds a note to the manuscript to the effect that the people of Conjereram complained that their ancestors, who were Jains, had been cruelly persecuted. Some were beheaded, others were impaled, or beaten to death in mortars.

13 Falling in love with hearsay beauty is a Brahmanical form of expression to cover the shame of an amour. Thus the beautiful Damayantí is said to have fallen in love with Nala on hearing that he was very handsome. The idea of having seen him, or of having been seen by him, was abhorrent to Brahmanical ideas.

the Sultan's daughter followed him, and a tomb was built over the place to her memory.14

VII. Vira Narasinha Belál, 1233-1248.-He was the son of Vira Belál by the Sultan's daughter. Nothing is recorded of him.

VIII. Saya Belál Rai, 1249–1267.-Nothing recorded.

IX. Vira Narasinha Deva, 1267-1308.-Nothing recorded.

X. Belál Rai, 1308-1355: Mussulman Conquest of Karnata. -He was a very handsome prince, and his father gave him two wives to prevent his going after other women. His sister was married and had two sons. During his absence on a hunting expedition his youngest wife tried to seduce his eldest nephew, but did not succeed. On the Raja's return she exasperated him against both his nephews, and he ordered them both to be hanged. Then the mother of the young men came out and pronounced a curse upon the Raja and upon his city of Dhúr-samundar, and then put herself to death.

This Belál Rai was overthrown by the Mussulmans.

III. THE TELINGA COUNTRY.

Reign of Pratápa Rudra in Telinga.-Raja Pratápa Rudra was born in the city of Warangal, the capital of Telinga, by the favour of the god Siva. He reigned over Telinga, or the Telugu-speaking people to the eastward, for seventy-six years. His minister was named Yuganda Rudra, and was so wise that he could create or destroy a world at will.

Carried Prisoner to Delhi.-About this time the minister,

14 There is another version of this strange legend. It is said that the Raja deserted his wife because he thought that the marriage was unlawful. It is also said that it was not the daughter, but the Pádisháh or Sultan, who perished in the cavern, and that the tomb was known as the Pádisháh's tomb.

Yuganda Rudra, foresaw that Warangal was about to be attacked by the Mussulman Sultan of Delhi. Accordingly he escaped into foreign countries in order that he might thereafter be able to deliver Raja Pratápa Rudra. Meantime the Sultan of Delhi marched an army against Warangal and took it, and he carried the Raja captive to Delhi. Then Yuganda Rudra loaded some ships with jewels, and disguised himself as a merchant, and went away with them up the river Jumna as far as the city of Delhi. When he had anchored his ships at Delhi, the Sultan heard of his coming, and offered to buy the jewels. The disguised minister, however, priced them at a hundred times their value, but offered to accept the valuation of Pratápa Rudra. Accordingly the Sultan went on board one of the ships, and took Pratápa Rudra with him, on which the minister weighed anchor and went down the river Jumna, and in due course arrived at Warangal with the Sultan and the Raja. The Sultan was then placed in prison at Warangal, but after a while was released and sent back to Delhi.

Laxity of the Bráhmans.-One day whilst the Raja of Telinga and his minister were discoursing in an upper chamber, they saw the daughter of the minister returning with her friends from the burning ghát, bringing with them the impure things that are distributed at funeral ceremonies.15 Accordingly the Raja asked the minister how he could permit his daughter to carry about such impure things. The minister was much ashamed, and said that such a thing should never occur again.16

15 The minister was probably a Bráhman.

16 There is more in this tradition than meets the eye. It was doubtless a custom amongst the Kshatriyas, as it was amongst the ancient Greeks, for the maidens to offer wine and cakes to the ghosts of deceased kinsmen. It was also the custom for the Buddhists to bring away relics from the burning ghát, as was customary amongst the Sákya Rajas. The Brahmans tried to eradicate the Buddhist usages. Moreover, they never allowed their unmarried damsels to be seen in public. The compiler of the chronicle, however, artfully places the complaint in the mouth of the Raja, who was apparently a Kshatriya, rather than in the mouth of the minister, who was apparently a Bráhman.