GAZETTEER.
He died in 1820 and was succeeded by Sítaráma Razu, a cousin's son whom he had adopted. This man died in 1830 and was followed by his widow Subbadramma; who, dying in 1841, was followed by her maternal grandson Súrya Náráyana Rázu. He was then an infant, and the estate was managed by the Court of Wards until 1857. Súrya Náráyana was a careful administrator, doubled the income of his property, lent his neighbours 3½ lakhs and invested a like sum in buying land.
Among his purchases was the small estate of Chemudu, a fief of Jeypore which had been seized by Vizianagram but restored to its ancient proprietors in 1794, had been constantly in finan cial difficulties and was sold in 1889. The Kottaparuvu subdivision of this (four villages) had already been granted to a Konda Dora named Sarike Bhíman Dora, for services rendered, and separately registered in 1883. It is now held by the Rája of Vizianagram, who acquired it by purchase.
Súrya Náráyana successfully defended a suit brought by his brothers for partition of the property1[1] and the estate is now scheduled in Act II of 1904 as inalienable and impartible. He died on 5th January 1891 and was succeeded by his son Virabhadra Rázu, the present Rája. The latter was only thirteen years of age at the time and the estate was managed by the Court of Wards until 1898. The minor was educated under an English tutor and in 1895 married Lakshmi Narasayamma, second daughter of Mahárája Sir Gajapati Rao (see p. 221) who bore him two sons and a daughter and died in child-birth in 1901. In 1906 he was granted the personal title of Rája.
Mérangi(or Chinna Mérangi, Pedda Mérangi lies just west of it) is twelve miles north-east of Párvatípur and contains 3,987 inhabitants. It was formerly the capital of the zamindari of the same name which has now, see below, been split into four subdivisions.
This zamindari, according to tradition, was granted, like Kurupám, on the usual feudal tenure by Visvambara Deo of Jeypore to an Uriya named Jagannátha Dora, with the title (still borne by his descendants) of Satrucherla, or 'destroyer of the enemy.' As has been stated just above, the estate was afterwards seized by Sivaráma Rázu of Kurupám, but in 1796 it was
separated from that property and given by Government2[2] to one Ganga Rázu of the original Mérangi family. Another member of the family, Jagannátha Rázu, son of the Venkata Rázu who had
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