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Kakatiya dynasty
The Kakatiya dynasty (Telugu: కాకతీయ సామ్రాజ్యము) was an Indian dynasty that ruled most parts of what
is now Andhra Pradesh, India from 1083 CE to 1323 CE[1] ,with Orugallu (Telugu: ఓరుగల్లు) ( now Warangal
Telugu: వరంగల్) as its capital. Orugallu is also called 'Eka Sila Nagaram'(Telugu: ఏక శిలా నగరం). Shaivite Hindu
in nature, it was one of the great Telugu kingdoms that lasted for centuries.
Early history
Gundaya (950 CE) was the first known historical figure among the Kakatiyas.[2] He sacrificed his life in the service
of the Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna II while fighting against the Eastern Chalukyas. The grateful Krishna II placed
Gundaya's son Eriya in charge of Kurravadi near Warangal. This kingdom was created as a check on the Mudigonda
Chalukyas on the eastern borders of the Rashtrakuta Empire.[3] Eriya made Kakatipura his capital. Eriya's grandson
Kakartya Gundyana rendered help on behalf of his master Krishna III to Danarnava in setting aside his brother
Amma II and occupying the throne of Vengi, as a result of which he got Natavadi as a token of gratitude. Gundyana's
son and successor Betaraja I took advantage of the Chalukya-Chola conflict and carved out for himself a small
principality. His son and successor Prola I obtained by way of grant, Hanamkonda from Somesvara I. Beta II, son
and successor of Prola, ruled between 1076 CE and 1108 CE. During his period, orugallu became the capital of the
Kakatiyas. Prola II the younger brother of Beta II was the most famous among the early Kakatiya rulers. When the
Chalukyan power began to decline, Prola II took advantage of the confused situation and proclaimed independence.
He also defeated and killed Gunda, the ruler of Mantrakuta (Nuzividu taluk of Krishna district) and annexed it to his
kingdom. However, in his attempts to occupy the Velanati kingdom he lost his life at the hands of Rajendra Choda,
the prince of the Velanati Telugu Chodas of Chandolu. This was the emergence of the Kakatiya dynasty in its own
right.
Rudra Deva
Prola II was succeeded by Rudradeva (1158–1195). Rudradeva, also known as Prataparudra I, was the eldest son of
Prola II. By the year 1162 CE, Rudradeva vanquished a number of his enemies and transformed his petty principality
into an extensive kingdom. Rudradeva devoted the later part of his reign to the conquest of the coastal region. He
consolidated and pushed the kingdom to the east up to the Godavari delta. Thousand Pillar Temple was built by King
Rudra Deva in 1163 AD at Hanumakonda. During the years 1176-82 CE the battle of Palanadu was fought.
Rudradeva rendered military assistance to Nalagama's faction. In this battle, the military strength of Velanadu had
got weakened. Exploiting the situation, Rudradeva led his forces into coastal Andhra and conquered up to Srisailam
and Tripurantakam in the south. In the last year of his reign (1195 CE), he came into conflict with the Seunas
(Yadavas) of Devagiri. Rudra suffered defeat and death in his encounter with Jaitrapala I. After Rudradeva's death
and the imprisonment of his nephew Ganapati in the hands of the Yadavs, his younger brother Mahadeva ascended
the throne and ruled the kingdom for a short span of about three years (1196-1198 CE). He led an expedition against
the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri to avenge Rudra's death and also to release his son Ganapati. He lost his life in the
battle.
Kakatiya dynasty 2
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Satavahanas
Ikshvaku dynasty
Salankayanas
Vishnukundinas
Eastern Chalukyas
Kakatiya dynasty
Musunuri Nayaks
Vijayanagara Empire
Madurai Nayaks
Tanjore Nayaks
Ganapati Deva
Following the death of Mahadeva disorder broke out in the kingdom. Recherla Rudra, the commander-in-chief of the
Kakatiya ruler, saved the kingdom from crumbling. Ganapatideva was set free by Jaitrapala due to political
considerations like his desire to secure himself against an attack from Warangal in the event of a conflict with the
aggressive Hoysalas in the south. Ganapatideva's reign lasted for 2000 years. It is one of the most brilliant epochs in
the history. Ganapati during his long reign brought under his sway almost the whole land inhabited by the Telugu
speaking people, from Karimnagar and Anakapalle in the north to Ongole in the south . Though Ganapatideva was
alive until 1269 CE he handed over the threads of administration to his daughter Rudramadevi in 1262 A.D. itself
and retired from active politics.
Ganapatideva was known as the greatest of the Kakatiyas and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire
Telugu area under one rule. He put an end to the rule of the Telugu Cholas in the year 1216 who accepted his
suzerainty. He established order in his vast dominion and encouraged trade. It is around this period that the Golconda
Kakatiya dynasty 3
fort was constructed, as well as beautiful temples in the Kakatiya art form such as Ramappa Temple at the tiny
village of Palampet outside of Warangal.
Rudramadevi
The most prominent ruler in this dynasty was Rani Rudrama Devi 1262-1289 CE, one of the few queens in Indian
history. She was born as Rudramba to Ganapathideva who had no sons. She was formally designated as a son
through the ancient Putrika ceremony and given the male name of Rudradeva and declared the Queen. Rudramadevi
was married to Veerabhadra, Eastern Chalukyan prince of Nidadavolu[4] . Despite initial misgivings by some of her
generals who resented a female ruler, she suppressed the internal rebellions and external incursions. An able fighter
and ruler Rudramba defended the kingdom from the Cholas and the Yadavs, earning their respect. She remains one
of the few female powers of the South India for all time.
Prataparudra
Rudramadevi died in the month of November, 1289 CE., fighting battle against the rebel Kayastha chief Ambadeva.
On the death of Rudrama, her grandson Prataparudra, who was adopted by her as son and as heir apparent on the
advice of her father Ganapatideva, ascended the throne at the beginning of the year 1290 CE. Prataparudra had to
fight battles throughout his reign against either the internal rebels or the external foes. Prataparudra expanded
borders towards the west till Raichur, whilst introducing many administrative reforms, some of which were also later
adopted in the Vijayanagar empire.
repulsed but he returned in a month with a larger and determined army. The unprepared and battle-weary army of
Warangal was finally defeated, and King Prataparudra was taken prisoner. He committed suicide by drowning
himself in the river Narmada, while being taken to Delhi.
The demise of Kakatiya dynasty resulted in confusion and anarchy under alien rulers for sometime. Later Musunuri
Nayaks who served as army chiefs for Kakatiya kingdom united the Telugu people and recovered Warangal from the
Delhi Sultanate and ruled for half a century[13] [14] .
The Royal family of Bastar[15] state that Kakatiya King Pratap Rudra's brother, Annam Deo, left Warangal and
established his kingdom at Bastar,[16] Chhattisgarh around the late 14th century. A daughter of a later descendant
named Raja Rudra Pratap Deo, Praphul Kumari Devi ascended the throne in 1922. Later in 1927, she was married to
Praphul Kumar Bhanj Deo, who belonged to the royal family of Mayurbhanj[17] . Praphul Kumari Devi died in 1936
in London and her elder son Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo Kakatiya ascended the throne in 1936 at a minor
age. Praphul Kumari Devi is believed to be the last link to the Kakatiyas. The current descendant of this dynasty is
Komal Chandra Bhanj Deo.
The Legacy
The Kakatiya dynasty is regarded as one of the golden ages in Telugu
history. The kingdom was ruled by Telugu speaking rulers who
encouraged literature, art and architecture. The Thousand-pillar
Temple in Hanumakonda (now merged with Warangal) stands as
testimony to this. The famous Kohinoor diamond which was unearthed
in Kollur on the banks of Krishna river during their reign, was among
the booty carried to Delhi after the dynasty's fall. Ramappa Temple,
located 77 km from Warangal and still intact today is an example of
brilliant Kakatiya art and sculpture.
Kakatiya mandapam at AP state museum,
Hyderabad
Notes
[1] Gribble, J.D.B., History of the Deccan, 1896, Luzac and Co., London
[2] Sastry, P.V. Parabrahma, The Kakatiyas of Warangal, 1978, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad
[3] Altekar, A.S. The Rashtrakutas and Their Times, Oriental series No. 36, Oriental Book Agency, Poona, 1934
[4] History of the Minor Chāḷukya Families in Medieval Āndhradēśa By Kolluru Suryanarayana (http:/ / books. google. com/
books?id=f6seAAAAMAAJ& q=kakatiya+ chalukya+ prince+ marriage& dq=kakatiya+ chalukya+ prince+ marriage& pgis=1)
[5] No. 254(AR No. 204 of 1905) Melambika, sister of Kakatiya Ganapatideva and wife of Rudra, son of Buddaraja, chief of Natavadi
consecrated the image of Mailambikesvara in the temple of Tripurantaka
[6] Annual Report By Archaeological Survey of India, John Hubert Marshall (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=qhwTAAAAIAAJ&
q=kota+ kakatiya& dq=kota+ kakatiya& pgis=1)
[7] Social and Cultural Life in Medieval Andhra By M. Krishna Kumari (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=WKtAAAAAMAAJ& q=kota+
kakatiya& dq=kota+ kakatiya& pgis=1)
[8] Social and Economic Conditions in Eastern Deccan from $A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1250 By A. Vaidehi Krishnamoorthy (http:/ / books. google.
com/ books?id=YekEAAAAMAAJ& q=kakatiya+ chalukya+ prince+ marriage& dq=kakatiya+ chalukya+ prince+ marriage& pgis=1)
[9] The history of India By Mountstuart Elphinstone (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=y2UBAAAAQAAJ& pg=PA241& dq=kakatiya+
chalukya+ prince#PPA242,M1)
[10] Ventakaramanayya, N. The Early Muslim Expansion in South India, 1942
[11] A History of India, H. Kulke and D. Rothermund, 1998, Routledge, p.160, ISBN 0415154820
[12] A Social History of the Deccan: 1300-1761, R. M. Eaton, 2005, Cambridge University Press, pp. 16-20, ISBN 0521254841
[13] Sarma, M. Somasekhara; A Forgotten Chapter of Andhra History 1945, Andhra University, Waltair
[14] Pre-colonial India in Practice, Cynthia Talbot, 2001, Oxford University Press, pp.177-182, ISBN 0195136616
[15] [Bastar Royal Family http:/ / bastar. nic. in/ ]
[16] (http:/ / www. uq. net. au/ ~zzhsoszy/ ips/ b/ bastar. html)
[17] (http:/ / www. uq. net. au/ ~zzhsoszy/ ips/ m/ mayurbhanj. html)
Article Sources and Contributors 6
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