Ubhaya-Nanadesi ๐
“Both Local and Foreign” Merchants — a medieval mercantile assembly in Telangana (12th–14th c.)
Based on the inscriptions in the provided sources, the Ubhaya-Nanadesi (meaning "both local and foreign" merchants) was a high-status merchant guild or collective assembly representing diverse trading interests in medieval Telangana. They frequently collaborated with other powerful guilds like the Aiyyavolu 500 to manage market tolls and provide for religious institutions.
๐ Inscriptions documenting the Ubhaya-Nanadesi
๐ Patancheru Inscription
Location: Patancheru, Sangareddy District
Reign of: Vikramaditya VI
Details: Found in a mango grove near the Vinayaka shrine, this record documents gifts made for the daily rituals of the god Salesvaradeva.
Activity: The offerings were made by the entire mercantile community alongside all kinds of people and the ubhaya nanadesis.
๐ Gangapuram Commodity Gift Inscription (A.D. 1116)
Location: Gangapuram, Mahabubnagar District
Sovereign: Western Chalukya king Tribhuvanamalla (Vikramaditya VI)
Date: December 28, A.D. 1116
Activity: The record registers a gift of income from various commodities for the worship of the god Sailesvara. The grant was made collectively by the settikora, the samaya-samuha (assembly of the community), and the ubhaya-nanadesis.
๐ Gangapuram Jaina Temple Inscription (A.D. 1125)
Location: Gangapuram, Mahabubnagar District
Date: March 23, A.D. 1125
Activity: This record relates to the construction of a chaitya stupa of Parsvanatha by Bammisetti, the chief of Manakeriya.
Guild Involvement: The ubhaya nanadesis, alongside the "as'esha setti galu" (all the merchants) and the swamis of Aiyyavolu 500, granted gifts for the daily rituals (anga and ranga bhogas) and for the repairs and renovation of the temple.
๐ Appanapalli/Kadamburu Gateway Inscription (A.D. 1181)
Location: Appanapalli (Kadumuru), Nagarkurnool Taluk
Sovereign: Kalachuri king Ahuvamalla
Date: July 18, A.D. 1181
Activity: The Ubhaya-nananadesis of the Kannada Navaka 1000 assembled with the elders of Aiyyavolu 500 and the 36 Beedu of Mummari to construct a ceremonial gateway (torana) at Kadamburu.
๐ Alampur Merchant Conference (Mahanadu) Inscription (A.D. 1182)
Location: Alampur (Dakshina-Varanasi), Jogulamba Gadwal District
Sovereign: Kalachuri king Ahuvamalla
Date: January 11, A.D. 1182
Activity: Representatives of the Ubhaya-Nanadesis, the Ayyavale 500, the Mummuri Dandas of 36 Bidus, and the Kannada 4000 assembled in a massive regional conference.
Grant Details: They granted the income derived from tolls on various market transactions for the maintenance of a perpetual lamp and daily offerings in the temple of Gavaresvara.
๐ Pulivera Religious Grant (A.D. 1304)
Location: Pulivera, Nalgonda District
Sovereign: Kakatiya king Prataparudra Deva Maharaja
Date: March 12, A.D. 1304
Activity: The Ubhaya nanadesi Pekkaแนdru (assembly of merchants), along with the Sri Vaishnavas of the 18 countries (Padinentinadu) and a royal servant named Chakragolu Vallabhayya, granted a vritti of wet and dry lands as tax-free (sarvamanya) to the god Chennakesava of Palavi.
๐ Significance of the Ubhaya-Nanadesi
- ✔ Served as an elite mercantile assembly that negotiated with state officials to divert trade taxes toward civic growth.
- ✔ Acted as trustees for major religious endowments.
- ✔ Represented both local and foreign trading interests, facilitating long-distance commerce.
- ✔ Collaborated with Aiyyavolu 500 and Mummuridanda in joint civic and religious projects.
- ✔ Active across three major dynastic periods: Western Chalukya, Kalachuri, and Kakatiya.
๐บ️ Geographic reach
The Ubhaya-Nanadesi operated across the Tungabhadra and Krishna river basins (modern Sangareddy, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Jogulamba Gadwal, and Nalgonda districts), sharing the same commercial sphere as the Aiyyavolu 500 and Mummuridanda.
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