Coins In Lucknow Mus. Vol 01 [56 MB - IndianCoins.org

8 INTRODUCTION'.or restored in the year 1524, to which the name of Mahish-nru 4(buffalo town) was probably given, though Rice says (op. cit., p. 241)that " reasons have been given for supposing that it may have beenknown by that designation before the Christian era. The vulgar nameof the place when Chdma Raja received it as his portion was Puragere,conjectured to be the same as Pirikere, wherein the Kongu king Avinitaacquired the recognition of royal rights in the fifth century. It isundoubted that for the last three centuries the name Mysore (Mahishur)has been the common name ofthe fort and town erected or repaired byHire Charna Raja."Bettada Chdma Raja was succeeded by his son Appana TimmaRaja, who ruled from 1552-1570, and, no male heir surviving to himor his brother Krishna Raja, the succession was continued in the junioror Mysore branch represented by Hire Chdma Raja B61, who wassucceeded in 1576 by Bettada Wodeyar. The latter only reigned for avery short time, and in the following year his brother Raja Wodeyarcame to the throne, and, casting off even the semblance of subjection toVijaynagar, acquired the city of Seringapatam and its dependenciesfrom his former master, Vencataputty Rayeel, who resided with scarcelya shadow of authority at Chendragerry.About this time also the numerous chieftains in the south of India,who had hitherto yielded a nominal obedience to Vijdyanagur, profitingthe dismemberment of the empire consequent on the battle of Tali-bykota in 1565, began to assume the name and importance of Polygars, 5the chief among whom were the Polygars of Chittledroog, Raidroog,Harponhully, &c.Raja Wodeyar was followed successively by Chdma Raja, andImmadi Raja who was shortly after his accession poisoned by thedalavayi, and Kanthirava Narasa Raja placed on the throne. Theyear after his accession Kanthirava successfully defended Seringapatamagainst the Bijapur forces under Ran-dulha Khan, and subsequentlycarried his conquests over a wide area. He improved and enlarged thefortifications of Seringapatam, and was the first Raja of Mysore whoestablished a mint, in which was struck the " Agala " or broad Kanthirayahana (Kanteroy fanam), a gold coin, which was, together with the" Gidd" or thick Kanthiraya hana (a re-coinage by Dewan Purnaiya),for a long time the established currency of Mysore.The Kanteroy fanam bears on the obverse a representation of theNarasinga avatar, and on the reverse the symbolsof the sun and*So called with reference to Mahish asura, the buffalo -headed monster, who wasdestroyed by Chamundi, the tutelary goddess of Mysore.'The coins issued by the Polygars are reserved for a future catalogue.