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24 CUDDAPAH CHAPTER II. POLITICAL, HISTORY,

Introductory — Vre-historic remains—Vhe Becean politically isolated in earliest historical times —Earliest known dynasties——-The Banas——The Rashtrakutas—The Vailumbas—Rise of the Cholas—The eastern division of the district—The Telugu Chodas—The Kakatiyas of Oarangal First Muhammadan invasion—The Vijayanagar Empire—-Rise of the Poligars--The Matla Princes —-The Nawabs of Cuddapah—Haidar Alt of Mysore—Transfer of Cuddapah to the British---The work of Munro—The Poligars and their reduction- -Conclusion.

Ir has been truly saicl that in any account which may be given of the literature proper to South India, one capital defect must be obvious, that history finds in it no place. The Muhammadan historians have confined themselves to their own period, and the records of Golconda and Bijapur do not touch that part of the Deccan which includes the present district of Cuddapah. It is only in the last quarter of u century that means have been found through antiquarian research of supplementing the deficiency caused by the absence of materials constructed or collected by usual historic methods. That epigraphy has thrown and continues to throw a flood of Light on what his hitherto been obscure or conjectural is proved by results. The neglect of history as a branch of the literature of the country is in marked contrast to the care which has been taken from very early times to as recent a period as the 18th century of our era to record matters of local interest on stone and copperplates. It is fortunate that the exigencies of the climate and the voracity of white ants, which perhaps alone precluded the use of a more perishable substance for the purpose of making what were intended.to be permanent records, have preserved to us the means of reconstructing the history of the past. Old copperplate records are commoner than might be supposed, and are very carefully preserved, being handed down as heir-looms from generation to generation. Their possessors value them highly and, though often ignorant of their contents, are glad to show them to enquirers. Lithic inscriptions are mostly found in temples but were also not infrequently set up near the entrance to a village or at the