Malayappa (pronounced: MAAL-yup-AH) is the personal slave of Somadeva, he obtained this title at the age of 25. He is a proud, idealistic, and strict man. He is the father of Kattapa and Shivappa. He was accidentally killed by his own son Shivappa.
In the book Chaturanga, Maharaja Somadeva mentions about the Vaithalikas, where he specifies that briefly the forefathers of Kattappa stopped serving the Maharajas of Mahishmathi. Though not specified for how long, it all ended with Malayappa, who once again renhanced his family to be slaves to Mahishmathi.
Malayappa did not purposely do this. Malayappa was the cheiftan of the Vaithalikas, and had a small part of the Gauriparvat mountain under there control. But, when Malayappa's sister loved a man who suddenley abandoned her, she commited sucide. Malayappa had great affection towards his sister and vowed to have the man killed. However, he was a noblemen so it wasn't easy. He went to Mahishmathi, full of vegenance. He convinved Maharaja Somadeva and Mahapradhana Parameswara to have the man killed to have totalitarian control over Gauriparvat.
However, the maharaja furthermore condemened Malayappa to serve as a personal slave, just like how his forefathers had done. Somadeva did this so Malayappa did not betray the promise after. Malayappa, full of vegenance, agreed. The man was executed, but Malayappa went from a cheiftan to the personal slave of the Maharaja. Maharaja removed his personal slave Bhairava to make Malayappa the personal slave. However promised. Malayappa protected and served the king with uttermost respect until his last breath. This was why Kattappa and Shivappa had the rights to become the cheiftan of Vaithalikas, and why Shivappa became the chieftan after Bhutaraya's death.