NELLORE: From 1640 to 1688, Nellore region had been under the rule of Golkonda sultans. The period brought many changes – both good and bad, as Muslim rule became a permanent part of the area’s history.During their rule, the sultans built mosques and tombs in different towns, leaving many inscriptions in Persian and Arabic. These inscriptions can still be seen not only in mosques but also on the walls and pillars of Hindu temples. In some cases, they damaged Hindu temples and used their materials to build new Islamic structures. Muslim rulers conquered famous forts like Udayagiri, Nellore and Sarvepalli, originally built by Hindu kings. However, not all Muslim rulers had been harsh, with some being tolerant and supportive of Hindu traditions. According to Dr. Govindu Surendra, a noted historian from SKR Degree College, Gudur, one inscription found at Pallavolu in Udayagiri says that Sayid Abdulla Sahib gave rent-free land to the local Avulamma Temple. In 1642, Sultan Abdul Padshah of Golkonda gave land in Kandukur for building temples. That same year, the ruler Kutub Shah cancelled grain taxes in the village of Somarajupalli to help Hindu families. Another interesting inscription from 1651, found in Machavaram near Kandukur, says that Sultan Abdullah Padshah gave Kandukur as a tax-free grant (moksha) to a Hindu man, in charge of maintaining a village tank. At the Chennakesava Temple in Lebur, a Persian message on the Gopuram pillars says that Muhammad Husain Beg Khan had built the structure. It instructs his family to take care of the fakirs (holy men), warning that if they fail, his younger brother Hamza Husain Khan would take over. Another beautiful inscription, though partly damaged, is at the Subramanyesvara Temple in Subramanyam — further proof of how different communities and faiths left their mark on the region. In Annamasamudrampeta near Atmakur, a 1762–1763 Persian inscription inside a mosque reads: “No one can despair of the mercy of God.” A nearby Arabic message reflects on human suffering: “Severe illness wears out a person. Death, compared to such illness, is easier. Indeed, O Ayesha, such illness makes life bitter. Death comes close to prove this.” Alan Butterworth and V. Venugopal Chetty have compiled a book, “A Collection of the Inscriptions on Copper-Plates in Nellore District.” Records preserved in this book are vital threads in the historical tapestry of south India, reminding that the past, though complex and often contested, carried moments of coexistence, reflection and cultural synthesis.
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