Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma

Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma (24 December 1891 – 7 January 1963) was an Indian historian, who worked at the Andhra University.[1] He was born at Miniminchilipadu Agraharam, a village in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh to Bharayya and Nagamma.[2]: 1 

Works
  • A Forgotten Chapter of Andhra History (History of the Musunūri Nāyaks), Andhra University, 1945.[3]
  • History of Reddi Kingdoms (circa. 1325 A.D. to circa 1448 A.D.), Andhra University, 1946.[1]
  • Āndhra Deśa Caritra Sangrahamu (in Telugu), Visalaandhra Book House.[4]
  • Āndhrasaṃskrti taraṅgiṇī (in Telugu), Published by Andhra Pradesh Government, 1976.[5]

The two books Forgotten Chapter and History of Reddi Kingdoms deal with the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Kakatiya Empire, the former covering the history of Musunuri Nayakas and the latter the history of Reddi kingdom. Some of his other works in Telugu include Rohiṇī Candraguptamu novel, Amarāvati Stūpamu and Āndhra Virulu skteches.[6]

Reception

Sarma is a well known Telugu historian and after his death the Government of Andhra Pradesh published a commemoration volume in his memory.[2]

Sarma hypothesised that the Reddi kings were subordinate to the Musunuri chiefs during their inception:

The Reḍḍi kings of Koṇḍavīḍu, who began as the subordinates of the Musunūri chiefs of Rēkapalli and Waraṅgal, soon became independent, and played an important role during the revival of Hindu supremacy in the post-Kakatiya period.[7]

The theory was criticised by historian M. Rama Rao, who noted that the founder of the Reddi line, Prolaya Vema Reddi, predated Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka.[8] He concludes:

It is thus clear that various parts of Andhradeśa were rescued from the Muslims at various dates—Rajahmundry and the coastal region in 1324, the territory south of the Krishna in 1325 AD, the Rekapalli region in 1330 and western Andhra between 1330-35 AD. Several individuals—Prolaya Vema Reddi, Musunuri Prolaya nayaka, and Arviti Somadeva liberated these parts and they had no political connection with each other.

Modern historian Cynthia Talbot has warned against taking the inscriptional evidence at face value.[9]

One way a warrior could assume the Kakatiya aura was through simple juxtaposition of his exploits with those of the Kakatiyas in the introductory portion of an inscription. We find this strategy employed in the Vilasa grant of Prolaya Nayaka, the Musunuri chief.

She also opined that Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka being a lord of 75 subordinates was a formulaic device.[10]

Legacy

I would not like you to go away from us without a work of appreciation from me on behalf of myself and the University for the very valuable work you have done. Your researches appear to me to possess a high scientific value as they embody the results of patience and accurate investigation and the application of sound historical methods.

— C. R. Reddy's comment on Somasekhara Sarma's early retirement.[2]: 5 

Recognizing his valuable contribution to the field of historical research, he was invited in 1940s to join in Andhra University by Dr. Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy, then Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University.[2]: 4  He discovered some copper plate grants and the Vilasa grant of Prolaya Nayaka got deciphered by him and N. Venkataramanayya.[11] His research work on history is considered as a major contribution to Indian history by many historians. For example, his work on the Telugu history after the fall of Kakaitya empire resulted in rectification of some versions of Indian history based on Firishta and considered to be an original and greatly significant contribution.[2]: 4 

The Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma Historical Research Foundation was established in Visakhapatnam in honour of Sarma. It awards annual memorial awards in his name to acclaimed historians of Andhra.[12]

References
  1. Sarma, M. Somasekhara (1946), History of the Reddi Kingdoms (circa. 1325 A.D. to Circa 1448 A.D.), Andhra University, title page
  2. Sri Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma Commemoration Volume. Government of. Andhra Pradesh. 1976.
  3. Excerpts from worldcat database
  4. Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma. Andhra Desa Charitra Sangrahamu (in Telugu). Visalaandhra Book House.
  5. Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma (1976). Āndhrasaṃskrti taraṅgiṇī (in Telugu). Andhra Pradesh Government.
  6. Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi (1961). Whos Who Of Indian Writers (in Telugu). Dalcassian Publishing Company. p. 344.
  7. Sarma, Mallampalli Somasekhara (1948), History of the Reddi Kingdoms (circa. 1325 A.D. to Circa 1448 A.D.), Andhra University, p. v
  8. Rao, M. Rama (1947), "The Fall of Warangal and After", Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 10: 292–297, JSTOR 44137150
  9. Talbot, Cynthia (2001), Pre-colonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra, Oxford University Press, pp. 177–178, ISBN 978-0-19803-123-9
  10. Talbot, Cynthia (1994), "Political intermediaries in Kakatiya Andhra, 1175-1325", The Indian Economic and Social History Review, 31 (3): 261–289, doi:10.1177/001946469403100301, S2CID 145225213: For instance, Rudrama Devi was mentioned to have had 75 subordinate chiefs, Prataparudra 77 subordinates, Velugoti chiefs 77 subordinates, Induluris 72 subordinates, etc.
  11. Epigraphia Indica. Vol. XXXII (1957-58). Archeological Survey of India. 1987. p. 239.
  12. "Historian felicitated". The Hindu. 9 December 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
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