The '''Banas''' were a dynasty of South India, who claimed descent from the asura [[Mahabali]].

The
dynasty takes its name from Bana, the son of Mahabali. The Banas faced opposition from several
neighbouring dynasties and served some major dynasties such as the [[Chola]]s and [[Pandya]]s as
feudatories, sometimes after they were subjugated by them. They also served as [[Samanta]]s to some
dynasties such as [[Chalukya]]s. The Banas had their capital at various places at different times, including
[[Kolar]] and [[Gudimallam]].<ref>The history of Andhra country, 1000 A.D.-1500 A.D, By Yashoda Devi,
p.384</ref> The earliest mention of the Banas in authentic historical records is in the middle of the
fourth century AD, and as the feudatories of the [[Satavahana]] and early [[Pallava]]s.<ref>Karnataka
through the ages: from prehistoric times to the day of the independence of India, Ranganath
Ramachandra Diwakar, Literary and Cultural Development Department, Government of Mysore, p.129-
130.</ref>

==Boundaries==
The Bana Kingdom was made up of various regions at different points in time and was known by the
following names:

* [[Perumbanappadi]] (the great Bana country), of the Sangam Period. It is the Tamil equivalent of the
'Country of Brihad-Bana' or 'country of the Brihad (great) Bana'. Perumbanappadi was a large tract of
land which lay to the west of Andhrapatha. It had Punganur, Kolar and Srisailam in the west, Kalahasti
and Sholingur in the east, while the river Palar formed its Southern boundary.<ref>{{cite journal | author
= Sailendra Nath Sen. | year = 1988 | title = Ancient Indian History and Civilization | url =
http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA470&lpg=PA470&dq=Bana+Kingdom&sourc
e=bl&ots=4Zx01EzL2n&sig=ygi1Dtr-
Dkf1XXrn99lk8ammoJM&hl=en&ei=4eEpS6b9GIL8sQPft7zJBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum
=8&ved=0CB8Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Bana%20Kingdom&f=false | pages = 469476 |publisher = New
Age International Publishers}}</ref><ref>Feudatories of South India, 800-1070 A.D, p.35-
36</ref><ref>The Tirumala Temple, by N Ramesan, p.17-18</ref> Its capital was [[Thiruvallam]], also
known as Vanapuram.<ref>The early Chas history, art, and culture, by S.Swaminathan, p.46</ref>
Perumbanappadi formed a part of the province of Jayakonda [[Chola|Sola]] Mandalam <ref>South
Indian Inscriptions: Miscellaneous inscriptions in Tamil, by Eugen Hultzsch, Hosakote Krishna Sastri,
Archaeological Survey of India, p. 89 and p.113</ref> and also represented the north-western portions
of [[Tondai Nadu|Thondai-Mandalam]].<ref>Trade, ideology, and urbanization: South India 300 BC to
AD 1300, by Radha Champakalakshmi, p.374</ref>

* [[Balikula Nadu]] (Kingdom of the Banas). It was made up of parts of modern Chittor, Ananthapur and
Cuddapah districts. A portion of Balikula Nadu later included parts of Nellore. The Banas were located in
the said regions as early as the 7th century AD and were affiliated with the Tamil Cholas.<ref>Buddhist
remains in ndhra and the history of ndhra between 224 & 610 A.D, by KR Subramanian, p.148</ref>

* [[Andhrapatha]] (aka Andhra-desa or Province of the Andhras) traditionally between the [[Godavari]]
and Krishna rivers.<ref>Foundations of Indian culture, By Govind Chandra Pande, p. 30</ref> This Bana
Kingdom known as Andhrapatha, originally extended as far as Kalahasti in the west and covered the
whole of present day North Arcot district.<ref>The history of Andhra country, 1000 A.D.-1500 A.D, By
Yashoda Devi, p.384</ref> It also included present day Guntur and flourished under the [[Satavahana]]s.
Andhrapatha was known to the Tamils as Vadugavalli, Vadugavalli Merku or Vadugavalli 12,000.
Andhrapatha was developed into Andhramandala by a grant given by the Bana king, Vadhuvallaba
Malladeva Nandivarman in AD 338.<ref>Journal of Indian history, Volume 45, By University of Kerala,
p.481-482</ref> Andhrapatha was ruled by [[Ikshvaku]] kings, such as Virapurshadatta.<ref>Malwa
through the ages, from the earliest times to 1305 A.D, by Kailash Chand Jain, p.177</ref>

==In medieval Andhra==
The Ganga king, Prithivipati II was conferred the title "lord of the Banas" by [[Parantaka I]] [[Chola]] after
he defeated the Banas. After the Chola King, Parantaka I deprieved the Banas of their Andhrapatha
kingdom between 909-916 AD, the Banas were subsequently found ruling various parts, such as Nellore,
Guntur and Anantapur, as Chieftains in medieval Andhra.

===In Nellore===
An inscription found in Sannamur brought to light a Bana family ruling in the north of Nellore district in
the 11th century AD. The Bana king's name was Aggaparaju (also spelled Aggraparaju alias Aggappa).
Aggappa claimed descent from Mahabali, and lordship over Paravipura and Nandagiri. Nothing is known
of his predecessors. Aggappa may have ruled as a feudatory of the Chalukya prince,
Vimaladitya.<ref>The history of Andhra country, 1000 A.D.-1500 A.D., by Yashoda Devi, p.385</ref>

===In Konidena===
Churrabali I or Churaballiraja I of the Banas was ruling in Konidena in the 12th century AD. Churaballi II
alias Churabbiraju II, served as a Mahamandaleshwara and bore a long prasasti and titles similar to that
of Aggapparaju. Hence it is suggested that he was a descendent of Aggappa Raju. Churabbiraju's only
record from Konidena dated 1151 AD mentions him as "Mahamandalesvara Berbaha Churraballi Raju".
His epithets mention he belonged to Vashista gotra. He claimed lordship over Paravipura and Nandagiri
and ruled in a part of [[Kammanadu]].<ref>The history of Andhra country, 1000 A.D.-1500 A.D, by
Yashoda Devi, p.385-386</ref>

===Other Banas <ref>The history of Andhra country, 1000 A.D.-1500 A.D, by Yashoda Devi, p.384-
387</ref> ===
* Chittarasa, figuring in a record of 1122 AD record of Anantapur, was perhaps of Bana lineage.
* In the time of Prataparudra of the [[Kakatiya]] Dynasty, some Banas are heard of in the Telugu country.
They have been mentioned in the work 'Prataparudra Yashobhushana' written by Vidyanatha.
* Trivikramadeva claimed a Bana descent and flourished in the 15th Century. He wrote Trivikrama Vritti,
a work on Prakrit grammar.
* The last date for the Vijayanagar Viceroys (Nayaks) of [[Madurai Nayak Dynasty|Madurai]] claiming a
Bana descent is 1546 AD. The Bana Viceroys of Madurai later ruled the Madurai Kingdom independently.

==Brihatphala==
Based on the copper plates of Jayavarman Brihat-Phalayana, it has been suggested that Brihat-Phala
means the same as Brihad-Bana, where 'phala' and 'bana' both have the same meaning as
'arrowhead'.<ref>The Journal of the Bihar Research Society, Volume 19, p.179</ref> The Brihat-
phalayanas ruled in regions around Masulipatnam around the 3rd century AD.<ref>Ancient India, By
Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, p.385</ref> Additionally, the Saka Mahakshatrapas of Ujjain claimed
Brihatphala (Bahaphala) gotra and were linked with the Ikshvakus.<ref>Department of Archeology
Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy for 1961-58, p.4</ref> A record of the Ikshvakus of the Guntur-
Krishna region mentions that a queen named Varma Bhatarika, the wife of Maharaja Ehuvula
Chantamula, and daughter-in-law of Maharaja Chantamula, is said to have belonged to Bahapala (that is,
Brihat-phala or Brihatphalayana) gotra and is said to have been the daughter of a
Mahakshatrapa.<ref>Epigraphia Indica, Volume 34, by Devadutt Bhandarkar, p.21</ref><ref>Rural
studies in early Andhra, by PVP Shastry, p.198</ref> It may therefore be surmised that Brihatphala was
possibly used as a gotra name to indicate descent from Brihad-Bana.

==Bana kings==
Some Bana kings mentioned in various historical sources are:
* Jayanandivarman
* Vijayaditya I, Son of Jayanandivarman
* Malladeva, Son of Vijayaditya I
* Bana Vidhyadhara, son of Malladeva (Married a granddaughter of the Ganga King Siva maharaja, who
reigned between 1000 and 1016 AD)
* Prabhumerudeva, son of Banavidhyadhara
* Vikramaditya I, Son of Prabhumerudeva
* Vikramaditya II or Pugalvippavar-Ganda, Son of Vikramaditya I
* Vijayabahu Vikramaditya II, Son of Vikramaditya II
* Aragalur udaiya Ponparappinan Rajarajadevan alias Magadesan ([[Magadai]] Mandalam chief) of
[[Aragalur]]

==In Sangam literature==
An ancient Tamil poem of the [[Sangam period]], describes a scene in front of a Vanar Palace as below:
<br>
Poets are leaving the palace with plenty of gifts from the King, while the arrested rulers of smaller
regions of the Kingdom, who have failed to pay tribute to the King and waiting for the King's pardon
happen to see the poets leaving with expensive gifts which are actually things seized by the King from
them. One of them, seeing the gifts, says that its his horse that one the poet takes away, while another
one points out to his elephant, similarly and so on goes the poem, capturing the might of ancient
Vanars. This poem explains the wealth and power of Southern Vanars. [[Kalki]], in his historic novel
[[Ponniyin Selvan]], describes a scene in which the protagonist, [[Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan]], who he
claims to be of Vanar descent, broods over the fall of his clan, singing this poem.

==Titles==
The Bana Chieftains had different titles in different regions at different times. Some of them include
Vanar, Vanara, Vanavarayar, Vanakovarayar, Ponparappinan. Some of the Banas claim as "Vaana-
Kulothoman" and "Ganga-kula-uthaman".kaangeyar.etc.

==See also==
* [[Perumpuppaai]]

== References ==
{{reflist|3}}

[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
[[Category:History of Tamil Nadu]]