Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma

Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma (24 December 1891 – 7 January 1963) was an Indian historian, who worked at the Andhra University. He was born at Miniminchilipadu Agraharam, a village in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh to Bhadrayya and Nagamma. Somasekhara Sarma couldn't continue his education beyond matriculation due to poverty. He started his career as a menial employee in Kannemera Library in Madras (now called Chennai) where he could have interactions with intellectuals like Lakshmanrao Komarraju and Chilukuri Veerabhadra Rao. Then he went to Rajahmundry to work for Deshamata, published by Chilakamarthi Lakshminarasimham. He worked for Andhra Patrika magazine from 1924 to 1940. He taught research in history at Andhra University from 1940 to 1946. History of Reddi Kingdoms (circa. 1325 A.D. to circa 1448 A.D.), Andhra University, 1946. (in Telugu), Published by Andhra Pradesh Government, 1976.

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 novel, and skteches.

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

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

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. He concludes:

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

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

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. 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.