Alupas

Alupa Dynasty
200 BCE–450 CE
Extent of the Alupa Kingdom
Capital		Mangalore, Udyavara, Barkur
Languages		Sanskrit, Kannada
Government		Monarchy
History
•	Established	200 BCE
•	Disestablished	450 CE
Succeeded by Vijayanagara Empire

The Alupa also known as Alva (4th to 15th centuries) were a royal dynasty who ruled what is now coastal Karnataka, India. They ruled independently their kingdom known as Alvakheda since the beginning of the common era.(200 BCE to 450 CE). Later with the dominance of Kadambas from Banavasi, they became feudatory to them. With the changing political scenario, soon they became the vassals of the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara Rayas. Their influence over coastal Karnataka lasted for about 1200 years. There is evidence that the Alupas followed the law of matrilineal inheritance (Aliyasantana) since the Alupa king Soyideva was succeeded by his nephew Kulasekhara Bankideva (son of Alupa princess Krishnayitayi and Hoysala Veera Ballala III). The legendary king who is credited with introducing matrilineality in Tulu Nadu is named Bhuta Alupa Pandya The name Alva survives as a surname even today among Bunt landlords who are Matrilineal The last Alupa king to have ruled is Kulasekharadeva Alupendradeva whose inscription dated 1444 CE have been found in Mudabidri

The name of the dynasty is variously recorded in inscriptions as Alupa, Aluva, Alva, Aluka and Alapa The origin of Alupas prior to the Kadambas is unclear as there are no epigraphical evidences. Ptolemy, the 2nd century geographer identifies the Tulu Nadu region as Olokhoira which is widely believed to be a corruption of the term Alva Kheda, 'the land of the Alvas'.

Regarding the origin of the name B. A. Saletore has suggested that the name Alupa is derived from its variant Aluka which is an epithet of the divine serpent Shesha of Hindu epics. Fleet has suggested that the name Aluka may possibly denote the Nāgas who in early times were included in Chalukya dominions. Saletore further adds that the Naga origin of the Alupas is proved by two facts. The figure of a hooded serpent which is found in an effaced Alupa stone inscription in the Gollara Ganapati temple in Mangalore and their ultra Saivite tendencies. Saletore dismisses the idea regarding the Dravidian origin of the name from the Tamil word 'Alu' meaning to rule or govern.