Page:The Aristocracy of Southern India.djvu/172

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The Aristocracy of Southern India.

Nayakar. It was this gentleman that put clown the pride of an outlaw named Muvarayan and ultimately put him to death levelling his fort to the ground. In recognition of the valorous deed of Kumara Ettappa Nayakar, the Pandian king conferred on him the title of "Sundara Pandya". As Sundara Pandya Ettappa Nayakar had acquired a wide reputation for his enterprising spirit and daring valour, the Pandian king empowered him to quell disturbances in the south, and to restore order and peace as every thing was in confusion and disorder by marauders and upstarts. He accordingly proceeded to Satur, built a fore, and left one of his kinsmen, Nallama Nayakar, in charge of it, which thereafter came to be known as "Nallama Nayakar Kottai"; there still remain some ruins of the fort to the east of Satur and on the south banks of the river.

The next prominent member of the family, Kumara Ettappa Nayakar, brought the Maravars of Elambunom to subjection, and granted the privilege of carrying his, and his successors' palanquin on two of them, Arjuna Thalaven and Muttirala Thalaven and their descendants. He won the esteem and regard of one of the viceroys of the Pandyan king, by name Jagavirarama Pandyan, by collecting the taxes that Remained unpaid by the Marawars of Elambunom, which were 50 bullock loads of (money. The viceroy being pleased with the integrity and unflinching energy that characterised Kumara Ettappa Nayakar, made him a grant of Elambunom, Peddharajapuram, now known as Peddapuram, Pandavamangalam, Suraikapati, Eeral, Valampati, Bamanuttur, and Naduvirapatti, yielding a revenue of Rupees 19,250. He went a step further in his munificence by making the