Page:The Aristocracy of Southern India.djvu/123

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H. H. The Rajah of Kallikote & Atagada.
83

and paid his respects to the Nizam, who was pleased to give him a sunnud for lands extending to a distance of 400 miles. From Hyderabad he went to Goppa Kudu, where he heard that two of his sons had died. He related all his adventures to the third son Maruva Kali Prasada Rana and died soon afterwards.

Maruva Kali Prasada Rana constituted himself the lord of lands extending through 400 miles as far as the Rushi Kallya river and the Bay of Bengal in the south, and Orissa in the east. Of the 400 miles, 108 miles were forests and 292 miles, arable lands. He became Rajah of half the land and appointed minor Rajahs under him for the rest. The peishcush payable by him to the Nizam, was Rs. 1,400 annually. From the subordinate Rajahs, he received Rs. 48,000 and the income from the estate under his control was 32,000 Rs. He maintained 32 elephants, 150 horses, and 15,000 pikes (sepoys). It was customary in those days to build forts in rocks for perfect safety, and accordingly he built a fort and lived in it. Shortly afterwards his first son died, and his second son went away on pilgrimage without any body's knowledge and after travelling to many places, he went to Oudh, where he saw his brother-in-law, Ramakumar, and married two of his nieces. Maruva Kalli Prasada Rana, who went in search of his son, met him at Benares, while returning with his two wives. They all repaired to their native place. Maruva Kalli Prasada Rana installed his son Kuber Singh as the future ruler and spent the remaining portion of his life in retirement. He left Goppakuda, stopped in Krishnagiri, six miles from Kallikote, and built many temples such as Dadheshwar and Ramachandi. Most unfortunately for him, on a certain day, a cobra