Rajaraja Narendra

Why in news?

• Seven gold coins belonging to the period of Raja Raja Narendra were preserved at Rallabandi Subba Rao Archaeological Museum

About Rajaraja Narendra:

• Rajaraja Narendra (1019 – 1061 AD) was the Eastern Chalukya king of the Vengi kingdom in South India.
• He established the city Rajahmahendravaram (Rajahmundry) on the banks of the Godavari during his reign. 
• Rajaraja Narendra asked his court poet Nannayya to transcreate Mahabharata into the Telugu language to make it more comprehensible to the Telugus in his kingdom.
• Nannayya could do so for three parvas. This was followed by the efforts of two other poets — Tikkanna and Yerrapragada – who completed the whole exercise to transcreate the greatest epic into Telugu.

Add ons:

• Of the seven gold coins, one contains the image of ‘Varaha’ (boar), an official symbol of the Eastern Chalukyas.
• It also contains some text in early Telugu script.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements:

1. Nannayya Bhattaraka, author of the first Andhra mahabharatam was a court poet of Rajaraja Narendra.

2. Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagara empire claimed descent from Rajaraja Narendra.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer