GAZETTEER
of Kumili and Bhógapuram. He was succeeded in 1690 by his son Sítarámachandra, who secured the lease of ten additional Vizianagram, taluks and established himself at Potnúru. Five zamindars followed, each of whom added something to the rapidly growing power of the family, and then came Viziaráma Rázu I, who in 1713-14 built the fort at Vizianagram and transferred his residence thither. He and his successors all bore the title of Gajapati, or 'lord of elephants.' The assistance he gave to Bussy in 1756-57, when that officer came to quiet the Northern Circars, has already (p, 32) been referred to, as have also the attack upon the Bobbili fort which Viziarama instigated (p. 237) and his assassination in consequence. The latter was succeeded in 1757 by Ananda Rázu, son of his first cousin. The story of this man's quarrel with Bussy, seizure of Vizagapatam from the French, co-operation with Colonel Forde's expedition in driving that nation out of the Circars, a ad death at Rajahmundry in 1759, has also been recounted (pp. 33-4). He was succeeded by a boy of twelve, the second son of the late Viziaráma Rázu's cousin Rámabhadra Rázu, who had been adopted by Viziaráma's widow Chandrayya and was afterwards known as Viziarama Rázu II.
The fortunes of the house of Púsapáti under the administration of this chief and his brother Sítaráma Rázu have been sketched on pp. 46—53, where it is shown that from the date of the expulsion of the French they rapidly became more and more powerful until they controlled almost all the district, so abused the authority they had acquired that the Company was compelled to intervene, and so defied that body's authority that Sítaráma Rázu was eventually deported to Madras and his brother was slain at the fight at Padmanábham in 1794. The latter's son, Náráyana Rázu, succeeded in the circumstances related on pp. 54-5.
In 1817 he was twelve lakhs in debt and agreed to mortgage his property to Government until this was cleared off. Government paid off the debts so as to make themselves the sole creditors, gave Náráyana Rázu an allowance of Rs. 80,000 a year, and in 1822 returned the estate to him free of arrears. In 1827 he again made over his zamindari to the Collector and went to Benares on an allowance of a lakh a year. He died there in 1845 and his debts then amounted to eleven lakhs, a considerable portion of which had been contracted in the sacred city.
He was succeeded by his son Viziaráma Rázu III, a boy of nineteen, who at first showed no alacrity to return to the district
