TELANGANA HISTORY:

Over View of Telangana States History Material and telangana ancient history in pdf format
also Total syllabus with explanation. This article covers total syllabus for the telangana states
history. If any updates, we will update after official notification issued by tspsc.
This is the timeline and overview of telangana state history of ancient, medieval and modern
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Telangana history can be divided into three

parts for academic purposes viz.
1.

Ancient History- extents till 10th century A.D

2.

Medieval History- commenced with the kakatiya dynasty and spans till 1857
revolt.

3.

Modern history- extents till the formation of telngana in 2014.

Ancient Telangana History:

Telangana was part of the Mughal empire until the rise of satavahanas in 230 BC.
1. The Satavahanas and their contribution social structure religious conditions growth
of literature and painting Ikshvakus and their cultural contribution Growth of Buddhism .
Growth of Telugu language & Literature education and learning Religious Sects growth of
art and architecture, Trade and commerce.
Satavahana Dynasty is common in telangana history(TSPSC) and ap
history (APSPSC).
NOTE: this is a comprehensive article on satanahana dysnasty tailor made for the aspirants to
be able to answer any kind of question asked from this section.
Satavahana empire was a vast kingdom of the central india during the ancient times based at
Kotilingala, Telangana with other prominent centers at junnar and prsthistana, Maharasthra.

Satavahana Dynasty (230 B.C 220 A.D): History, administration, socio-economic

and religious affairs
Time Period Empire began around 230 BC and lasted till around 220 AD, with 400 years of
coontinous rule.
Etymology: Actually word could be sadvahan. Satvahan is corrupt Sanskrit form of the
original Prakrut word . Sadvahan means a horse rider in prakrut language.
Languages: Prakrit, Sankrit, Local languages.
Capitals: Prtisthanapura(MH), Kotilingala(Telangana) .
Founder: Simuka (230-207 BC)
Territorial Expanse Empire of the satavahanas extented from the west coast to east coast
covering the modern day Maharasthra, Telangana, noethern Karnataka, deltaic regions of
Andhra pradesh and parts of Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh
Sources of Satavahana history:
1.

Mythology Puranas refer them as andhra-bhrutyas.

2.

It is believed that satavahanas belong to Oundhra clan. The first mention of

Oundra along with Pundra, Mutib, Pulind, Shabar etc. as rulers of southern part
of Vindhya Mountain appears in Aitareya Brahmana

3.

Inscriptions: like Hathigumpa , amaravati chaitya etc

4.

Numismatics The Satavahanas are the first native Indian rulers to issue their
own coins with portraits of their rulers, starting with king Gautamiputra
Satakarni. Satavahana coins give unique indications as to their chronology,
language, and even facial features.

Origin:

The Aitareya Brahmana speaks of them as the degenerate sons of

Visvamitra.

Pliny the Elder refers to the Andhras as a powerful race which supplied the
king with an army of 1, 00,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 1,000 elephants.

It is believed that the Royal family originated in the upper parts of north-west
telanagana and extended its control to the east coast, finally giving its name,
Andhra, to this region. Since the earliest inscriptions of the Satavahanas are
found in the Western Deccan, this view may be correct.

Prominent Kings
1.

Simukha (230-207 BC).

2.

Satakarni (180-124 BC)

3.

Hala (20-24 AD)

4.

Gautamiputra satakarni (78 AD- 102 AD)

History of Satavahanas can be divided into two phases viz.

1.

Early Satavahanas.

2.

Later Satavahanas.

Satavahanas were the vassal kings under the Mauryan dynasty. With the death of Ashoka in 232
BC, many feudatories declared their independence. Most prominent and powerful among them
were Satavahana dynasty.
Early Satavahanas:
The founder of the Satavahana dynasty was Simuka. He and his successors established their
authority from the mouth of the Krishna to the entire Deccan plateau. According to the Puranas,
the Satavahana king killed the last Kanva ruler of Magadha and presumably took possession of
his kingdom.
The earliest of the Satavahana kings to receive wide recognition was Satakarni I, and this was
due to his policy of military expansion in all directions. He is the Lord of the west who defied
Kharavela of Kalinga and against whom the latter campaigned. His conquests took him north of
the Narmada into eastern Malva, which at the time was being threatened by the Shakas and the
Greeks.
Satakarni I gained control of the region of Sanchi, and an inscription there refers to him as
Rajan Shri Satakarni. His next move was in the southerly direction and on conquering the
Godavari valley hefelt entitled to call himself Lord of the Southern Regions (Dakshina
pathapati).
The description of Satakarni I as (Dakshina -pathapati) in the Nanaghat inscription of Nayanika
proves that the Satavahana dominion was not confined to western Deccan alone, but included
other areas of the Deccan and beyond Satakarni I performed two Asvamedha sacrifices and one
Rajasuya sacrifice.
Later Satavahanas:
After the reign of Satakarni I, the Satavahanas were driven out of the western Deccan by the
Shakas of the Kshaharata clan. Coins and inscriptions of the Shaka Chief Nahapana have been
found around Nasik, indicating the Shaka dominance in the area towards the close of the first
century A.D. or the beginning of the second.
But it must have been soon after this that the Satavahanas regained their western possessions,
for the coins of Nahapana are often found over-struck by the name Gautamiputra Satakarni, the
king who was responsible for re-establishing Satavahana power in this region by driving out the
Shakas.

Gautamiputra Satakarni (A.D. 106 -130) is said to have destroyed the power of the Shakas and
the pride of the Khastriyas, promoted the interests of the twice-born and stopped the mixing of
the four varnas. His achievements are recorded in glowing terms in the Nasik prasasti by his
mother Gautami Balasri.
He ruled over a wide area extending from the Krishna in the south to Malwa and Saurashtra in
the north and from Berar in the east to the Konkan in the west. To the Buddhists he made
munificent donations. His patronage to Brahmanism is revealed by the epithet Ekabrahmana.
Satavahana Administration:
1.

Administration is modelled on the lines of amuaryans, also used kautilyas

arthshastra and manusmriti extensively in administration.

2.

The Satavahana coins, inscriptions and literature are the rich source of our
knowledge about their administrative system. In this period the South was ruled
over by the monarchies. King was the highest official of the Government and his
office was hereditary.

3.

They did not assume high sounding titles. Similarly, the Satavahana rulers did
not believe in divine rights of a king and they carried administration in accordance with the directives of the Dharma Shastras and the social customs. The
king himself led his armies in the battle-field and was commander-in-chief of his
forces.

4.

There was also a council of ministers to aid and advise him for carrying out
the administration properly. The king was the head of the Government as well as
the protector to his people. The Satavahana kings regarded their subjects as
their own children and always looked after their welfare.

5.

The Satavahana Empire was very vast. Their administrative system was
feudal. They had divided their empire among a number of feudal chiefs who
managed the land revenue system and looked after the administration.

6.

There were three grades of feudatories the Raja, the Mahabhoja and the
Maharathi or Senapati. The Raja belonged to the highest grade. He had the
right to impose taxes and to strike coins. The kingdom was divided into
provinces and Janapadas for administrative efficiency.

7.

The highest official in a province was Amatya or minister. His office was not
hereditary. Men of proven ability were appointed to this official. Each unit had
several villages. A village was administered by a Gramika. There we several
officials to help the king. Out of them, the most important were Senapati,
Mahabhoja, Koshadhyaksha, Rajadoof, Amatya etc.

8.

There was also a special official called Uparakshita who was charged with
the duty of building caves etc. for the monks. The bhikshus (monks) and
Brahmanas were held in high esteem and they too observed and preached high
standards of conduct. They were beyond the ordinary laws of the Government.

9.

In this period, the local administration had its own importance. There were
separate organization to look after the administration of the towns and the
villages. The towns were administered by a body called the Nagarsabha while
in villages there were Gram Sabhas. These organizations carried their functions
independently without any interference.

10.

The military administration of the Satavahanas was also quite efficient. Their
army consisted of foot soldiers, cavalry and elephants. Foot soldiers or infantry
was the backbone of the army and they formed the vanguard and were flanked
on either side by horses and elephants. The soldiers used swords, spears, axes
and armours as weapons of war.

11.

It was by dint of efficient military administration that the Satavahanas

succeeded in expanding their empires. They kept a regiment posted in each
village for maintaining peace and order. They were maintained at the expense of
the rural inhabitants.

SALIENT FEATURES OF POLITY:

1.

Absence of centralisation of administration due to presence of powerful

maharathis and mahabhojas.

2.

They were the first to start issuing land grants to the Buddhists, monks,
sanghas, brahmanas .

3.

Polity is dominated by the element of Militarism. This made the feudal lords
virtually independent.

4.

Viswas amatya acted as prime minster , who was consulted by kings on all
matters. King ias assisted by a council of ministers calledraja pramukhs.

5.

Kings undertook royal tours to keep in touch with the public opinion and
improve adminstrative efficiency.

6.

TAXATION collected 1/6th of teh produce as tax called bhaga and

deyameya. But states main source of income was land revenue.

7.

Society during Satavahana Period:

The coins, sculpture and literature of the Satavahana period are the source of our knowledge not
only in respect of the contemporary administration but also about the political, social, economic
and religious and cultural conditions.
Social Condition:

The Satavahana society was divided into four classes. This division was based
on economic activity and status. The first class consisted of high officials and
feudatory chief who ruled over provinces and districts. Thesecond class included
petty officers like Amatyas Mahamatras and wealthy traders. In the third
class were the middle class peoples such as Vaidyas or physicians, writers,
peasants, goldsmiths, perfumers etc.

The varna system became rigid , Gautamiputra satakarni called himself as

dwijakulavardhana, eka brahmin.

The fourth and the last class were constituted of the lowest vocations such as
carpenters, blacksmiths, fishermen and gardeners. There were the four divisions
of the society.

The smallest unit was the family in which the eldest living member commanded the greatest respect. He was called the Grihapati and was obeyed by
all the other members of the family.

Women were honoured. They were given higher education and they took part
in religious functions. Some of the rulers even added their mothers name to
their own name, such as Gautamiputra, Vashishthiputra, Pulumavi,
Kaushakiputra etc.

According to Gathasapsati, society was patriarchal and joint family system is

followed.

This practice itself reveals that the status of women was much high.
Sometimes, women assumed guardianship of their minor sons and acted as their
regents. They also took part in the Ashvamedhas. The Satavahanas were
Brahmanas.

Therefore, Brahmansnism made rapid strides under their rule. The

Brahmanas were accorded the highest place. Effort was also made to revice the
Varna system. In their bid to exalt Brahmanism the Smritis declared that a ten
years old Brahman would be more revered than a 100 years old Kshatriya.

Mixed marriages were considered obnoxious though there are some instances
of such marriages. Vashishthiputra Pulumavi himself married the daughter of the
Saka ruler Rudradaman thus giving respectability to such marriages.

In this period, inter marriages among the Hindus and foreign tribes of the

Sakas, the parthians and the Greeks were freely consummated so that these
foreigners were absorbed forever in the Hindu social order.
Economic Condition:
1.

Agriculture and trade were prosperous. Life of the common man was happy
as he was well- provided with all facilities of life. They were economically welloff.

2.

They inherited many traits of the material culture of the Mauryas and made
their life better and well off. There was a free fusion of local elements and
northern ingredients under them.

3.

They learnt the use of coins, burnt bricks and ring wells from the Mauryas and
added much to the advancement of their material life. Under the Satavahanas,
agriculture was prosperous and the villages economy was developed.

4.

Rice was cultivated in the territory between the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
Cotton was also produced. The peasants used implements made of iron which
were extensively used particularly in Carnatic. There were also wells for
irrigation.

5.

Encouragement was given to trade and industry. The traders and those
engaged in other professions had their own guilds or sanghas/ srenis. Coin
dealers, potters, oil pressers and metal workers had their own guilds.

6.

These guilds looked after the collective interests of their trade and worked for
their common uplift. These guilds were recognized by the Government and
worked as bankers also.

7.

Both internal and external to trade and industry. The external or foreign trade
was carried through the famous ports of Supara, Broach and Kalyan.

8.

India and trade relations with countries like Arabia, Egypt and Rome. In the
far eastern countries, Indian traders established their own settlements and
preach Indian culture.

9.

They referred to these countries as Swargabhoomi or paradise. India

exported cotton, textiles, spices etc. India imported wine, glass and items of
luxury. The inland trade was also prosperous.

10.

Travel between the north and south of India were much easy as the roads and
transport were better.

11.

Several towns sprang up in Maharashtra during this period. Paithan, Nasik

and Junar were big markets and centers of trade. In the south-east Vijaypur and
Narsela were well-known trade centers.

12.

There were guilds of traders as well and they carried trade in groups. To
encourage trade, the Satavahna kings struck numerous coins of gold, silver,
copper and bronze.

Religious Condition:

During the Satavahana period, both Hinduism and Buddhism spread rapidly.
The Satavahana rulers were the followers of Brahmanism. They performed
Aswamedha Yajnas and gave donations to Brahmanas. Indra, Surya (The Sun
God), Chandra, (the Moon God), Vasudeva, Krishna, Pasupati and Gauri etc. were
various Gods and Goddesses worshipped by the people.

Shaivism and Vaishnavism were most popular form of Hinduism. Beautiful

temples were built. The Brahmans occupied the highest position in the society.

The Satavahana kings were Brahmanas but they showed tolerance towards
other faiths such as to Buddhism as well.

They gave similar donations to Buddhism as they did for the Hinduism.
Consequently, Buddhism too spread in this period. At many places, the Buddhist
caves, chaityas and stupas were built.

Almost all the caves in the south belonged to the Buddhists. Sometimes,
grants of land were made for the maintenance of these chaityas, viharas and
stupas as well as for the monks or bhikshus. In this period, there were several
sects of Buddhism in the south and various classes of monks were always busy
to preach the Buddhist doctrines.

One significant development of this period was the admission of the foreign
races of the Sakas, Greeks, Kushans and Abhiras to the folds of Hinduism or
Buddhism. They became an integral part of the Indian society. They were quite
tolerant and exchanged gifts on religious festivals and other occasions.

Literature:
The Satavahana rulers were lovers of literature. Under their patronage, great progress was made
in the field of literature. Most of the Satavahana rulers were themselves learned and had special
interest in literature. In this period, the Prakrit language and literature developed significantly.
They extended patronage to the Prakrit language and wrote most of their inscriptions in that
language. The Satvahana King Hala was a poet of high order. He composed Gatha
Saptasati in Prakrti.
It has 700 shloakas. He also patronized several scholars who lived in his court. Gunadhya, the
great scholar who wrote Brihat Katha lived in his court. Another scholar Sarva Varman wrote
a treatise on the Sanskrit Grammar.
Architecture:

amaravati stupa

Most of the rock caves in the Deccan were cut during this period. These caves were big and
beautiful. The caves, monasteries, chaityas and stupas of Orissa, Nasik, Karle and Bhuj are fine
specimen of contemporary architecture and decoration.
Chaitya was a large hall with a number of columns. The Vihara had a central Hall. One could
enter this hall by a doorway from a varandah in front. The Chaitya of Karle was most famous. It
is 40 metres long, 15 metres wide and 15 metres high. It has rows of 15 columns on each side.

Each of these columns is built on a stair like square plinth. Each pillar has a
capital figure of an elephant, a horse or a rider on the top. The roof-tops are also
decorated with elegant carvings.The viharas were meant as places of residence
for the monks. At Nasik, there are three viharas carrying the inscriptions of
Gautmiputra and Nahapana.

The most famous of these monuments are the stupas. Among them the
Amravati Stupa and the Nagarjunakonda Stupa are most famous. The stupa was
a large round structure built over some relic of the Buddha.

The Amravati Stupa measures 162 metres across the base and its height is
100 feet. Both these stupas are full of sculptures. The Nagarjunakonda town
contains not only the Buddhist monuments but also some ancient Hindu brick
temples.

Many sculptures were made during this period. Most of the sculptures of this
period depict scenes from the life of the Buddha. At Amravati, there is a beautiful
scene showing Buddhas feet being worshipped. The scene, showing Buddha
preaching at Nagarjunakonda, is pervaded with serenity and calm.

Achievements of the Satavahana Rulers:

The Satavahana rulers were great kings. They recorded significant achievements in various
fields which are described as under:

1. The Satavahana Rulers and their Conquests:

There were about 19 Satavahana rulers of whom the most important were Simuka who
conquered Magadha and Krishna who occupied Nasik. Sri Satakarni conquered Berarand
Madhya Pradesh. Little is known about their successors for about a century except Hala the 17th
ruler of this dynasty.
Shri Gautamiputra Satakarni conquered Malwa, Kathiawar, Gujarat and part of the Rajputana.
Shri Pulumavi had perpetual conflict with Rudradaman. The last king was Yagya Sri Satakarni
who was a strong ruler. He waged wars to recover the territories conquered previously by the
Saka rulers.
2. Political Condition and Administration:
The system of administration was monarchical. The king himself was the commander of his
force. He sought advice from his council of ministers to carry out his administration efficiently.
The administration was feudal. The whole kingdom was divided into provinces, districts and
villages.
The king was always prepared to take steps for the welfare of his subjects. The main sources of
income were land tax, salt tax, property tax, justice- cess and income from import and export
trade. The military administration was efficient. The army which consisted of infantry or foot
soldiers, cavalry or horses and elephants were well-equipped.
3. Literary Progress:
The Satavahana kings were lovers of literature. They also patronized learning. The Prakrit
language prospered well during this period. Hala wrote Gatha Saptasati, Gunadhya wrote
Brihat Katha and Sarva Varman wrote a treatise on the Sanskrit Grammar.
4. Progress in the Field of Architecture:
Under the Satavahanas great progress was made in the field of architecture as well.
5. Progress in the Field of Sculpture:

Many statues and images were also made during this period. Most of the
images depict scenes from the life of the Buddha.

Buddha idol

The scene depicting Buddhas feet being worshipped is particularly a unique

sculpture at the Amravati Stupa while at Nagarjunakonda the sculpture,
depicting the Buddha giving a sermon, cast a spell of serenity and calm.

6. Coinage :

The Satavahanas are the first native Indian rulers to issue their own coins
with portraits of their rulers, starting with king Gautamiputra Satakarni, a
practice derived from that of the Western Satraps he defeated, itself originating
with the Indo-Greek kings to the northwest.

Satavahana coins give unique indications as to their chronology, language,

and even facial features (curly hair, long ears and strong lips). They issued
mainly lead and copper coins; their portrait-style silver coins were usually struck
over coins of the Western Kshatrapa kings.

The coin legends of the Satavahanas, in all areas and all periods, used a
Prakrit dialect without exception. Some reverse coin legends are in Kannada &
Telugu language,[22] which seems to have been in use in their heartland

abutting the Godavari, Kotilingala, Karimnagar in Telangana, Krishna, Amaravati,

Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.

Their coins also display various traditional symbols, such as elephants, lions,
horses and chaityas (stupas), as well as the Ujjain symbol, a cross with four
circles at the end. The legendary Ujjayini Emperor Vikramditiya on whose name
the Vikram Samvat is initiated might be Satakarni II a Satavahana emperor as
the Ujjayini symbol also appeared on the Satavahana coins.

Vakataka Dynasty:
We came to the second part of the telangana ancient history i.e., Vakataka Dynasty in telangana
and andhrapradesh. We can expect few questions from vakataka dynasty. Although we have
tried for better production of good content, we are facing few hurdles. We had discussed
about Satavahana Dynasty in our previous article now coming to the Vakataka Dynasty.
NOTE: Not much information on vakataka dynasty is available , since research is still
going on . Whatever , information we could gather is presented in reader friendly
manner in this article.
Period around 250A.D to 500 A.D .
Territorial Expanse : Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of
Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south as well as from the

Arabian Sea in the western to the edges of Chhattisgarh in the east.

Languages Ancient Maharasthri, Sanskrit, Prakrit.
Sources of their History Allahabad inscriptions, Ajanta caves.
Religions Patronised Hinduism, Buddhism.

Founder King Vindhyasakthi is considered to be the original founder .

Rulers of the Vakataka dynasty
Vindhyasakti (250270)
Pravarasena I (270330)
1. The PravarapuraNandivardhana branch
Rudrasena I (330 355)
Prithvisena I (355 380)
Rudrasena II (380385)
Divakarasena (385400)
Prabhavatigupta (fem.), Regent (385405)
Damodarasena (Pravarasena II) (400440)
Narendrasena (440460)
Prithvishena II (460480)
2.The Vatsagulma branch
Sarvasena (330 355)
Vindhyasena (Vindhyashakti II) (355 400)
Pravarasena II (400 415)
Unknown (415 450)
Devasena (450 475)
Harishena (475500)
Territorial expansion began in the reign of his son Pravarasena I, who came to the throne about
270 and reached the Narmada River in the north by annexing the kingdom of Purika.
Branches of Vakataka Dynasty
It is generally believed that the Vakataka ruling family was divided into four branches after
Pravarsena I. Two branches are known and
two are unknown. The known branches are the
1.Pravarpura Nandivardhana branch They ruled from various sites like Pravarapura
(Paunar) in Wardha district and Mansar
and Nandivardhan (Nagardhan) in Nagpur district. This branch maintained matrimonial
relations with the Imperial Guptas.
Prominent Kings were Rudrasena I, Pravarasena ,

2.Vatsagulma branch This branch was founded by Sarvasena, the

second son of Pravarasena I after his death. King Sarvasena made Vatsagulma, the present day
Washim in Washim district of Maharashtra his capital .
The territory ruled by this branch was between the Sahydri Range and the Godavari River .
This Branch is important for Mains exam point of view, since their territory,
administration, polity pertains to the deccan aeas of which Telangana is part of .
Hence, aspirants are advised to gather more information on this branch.
Important kings under this branch are :
Sarvasena
Sarvasena (c.330 355) took the title of Dharmamaharaja. He is also known as the author of
Harivijaya in Prakrit which is based on the story of bringing the parijat tree from
heaven by Krishna. This work,praised by later writers is lost.
He is also known as the author of many verses of the Prakrit
Gaha Sattasai. One of his ministers name was Ravi. He
was succeeded by his son Vindhyasena.
Vindhyasena
Vindhysena (c.355 400) was also known as Vindhyashakti II. He is known from the well known
Washim plates which recorded
the grant of a village situated in the northern marga (subdivision)
of Nandikata (presently Nanded) in his 37th regnal year. The
genealogical portion of the grant is written in Sanskrit and the formal portion in Prakrit. This is
the first known land grant by any Vakataka ruler. He also took the title of Dharmamaharaja.
Pravarsena II
Pravarasena II (c.400 415) was the next ruler of whom very little is known except from the Cave
XVI inscription of Ajanta, which says that he became exalted by his excellent, powerful and
liberal rule. He died after a very short rule and succeeded by his minor son, who was only 8
years old when his father died. Name of this ruler is lost from the Cave XVI inscription.
Devasena
This unknown ruler was succeeded by his son Devasena (c.450 475). His administration was
actually run by his minister

Hastibhoja.[6] During his reign, one of his servant Svaminadeva

excavated a tank named Sudarshana near Washim
Harishena
Harishena (c.475 500) succeeded his father Devasena. He was a
great patron of Buddhist architecture, art and culture. The World
Heritage monument Ajanta is surviving example of his works. The
rock cut architectural cellXVI inscription of Ajanta states that he
conquered Avanti (Malwa) in the north, Kosala (Chhattisgarh),
Kalinga and Telangana in the east, Lata (Central and Southern Gujarat) Harishena was
succeeded by two rulers whose names are not known.
The end of the dynasty is unknown. They were probably defeated by
the Kalachuri of Mahismati.

Cultural Contributions
Some of the kings of the Vakataka dynasty contributed heavily towards the sectors of culture,
religion and arts. Though the rule of these kings was not as famous or as significant as the
kings of other famous dynasties, they still played a big role in those days.

Art

AJANTA CAVES
The caves, famous for its murals, are the finest surviving examples of Indian art, particularly
painting.
These caves are excavated in horseshoe shaped bend of rock surface nearly 76 m in height
overlooking a narrow stream known as Waghora.

The location of this valley provided a calm and serene environment for the Buddhist monks who
retreated at these secluded places during the rainy seasons. This retreat also provided them with
enough time for furthering their religious pursuits through intellectual discourses for a
considerably longer period
The caves were caused to be excavated by royal patronage and the feudatories under the
Vakatakas as illustrated by the inscriptions found in the caves. Varahadeva, the minister of
Vakataka king Harishena (A.D. 475-500) dedicated Cave 16 to the Buddhist Sangha while Cave
17 was the gift of a prince (who subjugated Asmaka) feudatory to the same king.
The flurry of activities at Ajanta was between mid 5th century A.D. to mid 6th century A.D.
During the rule of King Harishena, cave numbers sixteen and seventeen were dug out and
adorned with excellent paintings and sculptures. One of the famous historians, Walter Spink
has recorded that all the caves in the Ajanta rock cut temples, except caves 9, 10, 12, 13 and
15A, were constructed during the historic rule of Harishena.
Literature
One of the rulers of the Vatsagulma branch, King Sarvasena, was also a famous poet and is best
known for his work, Harivijaya in Prakrit script. During the time it was written, this work was
praised by lot of literature experts. However, this work got lost over time due to lack of
preservation. The work termed as Gaha Sattasai, was also penned by Sarvasena.
Religion
The last significant ruler of the Vatsagulma branch, Harishena, was known to have contributed
excessively towards Buddhism culture. Cave number 16 in Ajanta caves found in the
Aurangabad district is proof of the fact that Harishena won places like Nasiks Trikuta (west),
Central and Southern Gujarats Lata (west), Telangana (east), Kalinga (east), Malwas Avanti
(north), Chhattisgarhs Kosala (east) and Southern Maharashtras Kuntala (south).

Chalukya Dynasty:
Material for Telangana History chalukya Dynasty for TSPSC and other telangana and
andhraprapradesh govt jobs.This article covers the chalukyan history in detail,

including the lineage and the kings . Chalukya history, economy, art and culture and
more covered in this section.
Time period 6th A.D to 12th A.D . They ruled Telangana areas mainly from 543 A.D to 753

A.D .
Capital Vatapi (modern day Badami) . Hence they are also called as Badami chalukyas.
Languages Sanskrit, prakrit, Old kannada. Old telugu.
Religion Hinduism, Jainism.
Sources of History

Inscriptions in Sanskrit and Kannada , Badami cave inscriptions of Mangalesa,

Peddavaduguru inscription of Pulakesi II, the Kanchi Kailasanatha Temple
inscription and Pattadakal Virupaksha Temple inscription of Vikramaditya II. The
Badami cliff inscription of Pulakesi I , the Mahakuta Pillar inscription of
Mangalesa and the Aihole inscription of Pulakesi II .

Travelogues of contemporary foreign travellers have provided useful

information about the Chalukyan empire. The Chinese traveller Hsan
tsang (Xuanzang) had visited the court of Pulakesi II .

The rule of the Chalukyas marks an important milestone in the history of South India. Since it is
the first south indian based kingdom to take control and consolidated the entire region between
the Kaveri and the Narmada rivers.
Badami Chalukya Dynasty:
Pulakesi I and his descendants, are referred to as Chalukyas of Badami who ruled over an

empire that comprised the entire state of Karnataka and most of Telangana in the Deccan.
Pulakesi IIwhose precoronation name was Ereya was perhaps the greatest emperor of the
Badami Chalukyas. Immadi Pulakesi (Immadi in old Kannada means II) is considered as one
of the great kings in Indian history. His queen Kadamba Devi was a princess from the dynasty of
Alupas. They maintained close family and marital relationship with the Alupas of South Canara
and the Gangas of Talakad.
Pulakesi II extended the Chalukya Empire up to the northern extents of the Pallava kingdom
and halted the southward march
of Harsha by defeating him on the banks of the river Narmada. He then defeated the
Vishnukundins in the southeastern
Deccan. Pallava Narasimhavarman however reversed this victory by attacking and occupying the
Chalukya capital Vatapi (Badami).
The Badami Chalukya dynasty went in to a brief decline following the death of Pulakesi II due to
internal feuds. It recovered during the reign of Vikramaditya I, who succeeded in pushing the
Pallavas out of Badami and restoring order to the empire. The empire reached a peak during the
rule of the illustrious Vikramaditya II who defeated the Pallava Nandivarman II and captured
Kanchipuram.
NOTE: Detailed events of the chalukyan history is provided in this article, since
questions can be expected from anywhere in the topic.
Contents
o

0.0.1 List of Badami Chalukyas:

0.1 Contribution of the Chalukyas:
1 Different styles of architecture

1.1 Polity :

List of Badami Chalukyas:

NOTE: Only Important kings are covered here.

Pulakesi I (543 566 C.E.)
Pulakesi I established the Chalukya dynasty in then western Deccan and his descendants ruled
over an empire that comprised the entire state of Karnataka and most of Telangana. Pulakesi
overthrew the Kadambas to establish the Chalukya kingdom. He had the titles Satyashraya,
Vallabha and Dharmamaharaja.
Pulakesi I was Ranarangas son. His wife was Durlabhadevi of Bappura family.He earned the

distinction of being the first independent King and the real founder of the Chalukya dynasty. He
successfully defied the waning power of the Kadambas and proclaimed the Chalukyan
independence. He chose Badami (Vatapi) as his capital and constructed a strong hill fortress
there. The new fortress stood on the defensible location surrounded by rivers and steep
mountains. The Chalukyan kingdom did not extend much beyond the immediate vicinities of
Badami.
Pulakesi performed sacrifices like Asvamedha, Hiranyagarbha, Agnistoma, Vajapeya,
Bahusuvarna and Paundarika. These details are provided by his Badami Cliff inscription dated
Saka 565 (543 CE).Inscriptions compares him with such mythical heroes as Yayati and Dilipa.
Kirtivarman I (566 597 C.E.)
Kirtivarman I succeeded Pulakesi I as the ruler of the Chalukya Dynasty. Kirtivarman I
consolidated the newly founded Chalukya Kingdom. He completed the subjugation of the
Kadambas, and he secured the extension of the Chalukya Kingdom by subduing the Nalas of
Nalavadi, the Alupas of South Kanara and the Maurya chiefs of Konkan.
He also annexed the port of Goa, then known as Revatidvipa. The Sendrakas, the feudatories of
the Kadambas who ruled in Shimoga district, now shifted their political allegiance to the
Chalukyas, and married a princess from this family.
At the demise of Kirtivarman, his son Pulakesi II was too young to rule and Kirtivarmans
brother Mangalesa assumed the responsibilities of the crown.
Mangalesa (597 609 C.E.)
Mangalesa was an energetic and ambitious ruler succeeded Kirtivarman I to the Chalukya
throne. He ruled as regent as the heir to the throne Pulakesi II was considered too young to rule.
Mangalesa won several laurels in war. Mangalesa continued the policy of expansion. He invaded
the territory of the Kalachuri ruler Buddhiraja who ruled over Gujarat, Khandesh and Malwa.
From the Mahakuta pillar inscription of 595 it is known that he subdued the Gangas, Pallava,
Chola, Alupas and Kadambas rulers.
Mangalesa assumed the titles like Ururanaparakrama, Ranavikrama and Paramabhagavata. As
Mangalesa was ruling as a regent, he should have surrendered the throne to Pulakesi II when
the latter came of age. Instead he sought to prolong his reign with the view of handing the
throne to his own son Sundaravarma in due course.
This forced Pulakesi to rebel against his uncle. Pulakesi left the court and by his own martial
prowess, waged a war on Mangalesa with the help of few of his friends. Mangalesa was routed

and killed in the battlefield of ElapattuSimbige. This incident is mentioned in the

Peddavaduguru inscription, and the incident must have happened about 610 A.D
Pulakesi II (609 642 C.E.)
Pulakesi II is the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty. In his reign the Chalukyas of
Badami saw their kingdom extend over most of the Deccan.
Ereya, who assumed the name Pulakesi on his coronation, was born to the Chalukya king
Kirtivarman I. Ereya ascended the Chalukya throne as Pulakesi II and assumed the title
Chalukya Parameshwara after defeating his uncle. His other assumed titles are Satyashraya,
Prithvivallabha.
With this conquest, Pulakesis control extended completely over Southern India, including
Maharashtra and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. He received the title
Dakshinapatheshvara (Lord of the South) at around the same time (630-634 A.D).
The Ganga ruler Durvinita gave one of his daughters in marriage to Pulakesi, and she was the
mother of Vikramaditya I. Pulakesi was the first ruler in South India to issue gold coinage.
Broad and circular in shape, the punchmarked coins had various punches at the edge, and a
central punch depicting a Varaha or Boar. The Boar was the royal emblem of the Chalukyas.
Contemporary literature cites the gold coins of south India as Varahas. It is possible that
Pulakesi II lost his life in one of these encounters against the Pallavas.
Pulakesi had five sons, Chandraditya, Adityavarma, Vikramaditya, Jayasimha and Ambera. They
fought among themselves after his demise, trying to divide the kingdom into territories for each
of themselves. Pulakesis third son Vikramaditya I became the Chalukya king 642 and attempted
to reunite the kingdom after defeating his brothers.
Vikramaditya I (655 680 C.E.)
Vikramaditya I was the third son and followed his father, Pulakesi II on to the Chalukya throne.
He restored order in the fractured kingdom and made the Pallavas retreat from the capital
Vatapi. Vikramaditya, with the help of his maternal grandfather Bhuvikarma of Western Ganga
Dynasty set himself the task of repelling the Pallava invasion and restoring the unity of his
fathers kingdom.
He defeated the Pallava Narasimhavarman I to end his occupation, which had lasted for thirteen
years and expelled him from Vatapi. He defeated his brothers and other feudatories who wished
to divide the empire and then declared himself king of the Chalukyas (655). He rewarded his
younger brother Jayasimhavarman who was loyal to him, with the viceroyalty of Lata in the

southern
Gujarat.
Vikramaditya continued his enimity with Narasimhavarmans son and successor
Mahendravarman II, and later with his son Paramesvaravarman I. He allied himself with the
Pallavas other enemy the Pandyan Arikesari Parankusa
Vinayaditya (680 696 C.E.)
Vinayaditya succeeded his father, Vikramaditya I on to the Chalukya throne. His reign was
marked by general peace and harmony. He earned the titles Yuddhamalla, Sahasarasika,
Satyashraya. He had fought alongside his father against the Pallavas, he defeated the Pallavas,
Kalabhras, Keralas and the Kalachuri of central India.
From the Kolhapur plates of 678 he defeated the kingdoms of Lanka and Kamera. The Vakkaleri
plates confirm the Chalukya levying tribute on Kamera, Lanka and Parasika (Persia). During
this time, Persia was under Islamic invasion. Vinayaditya sent an expedition to the north under
the command of his son Vijayaditya.
According to some accounts, Vijayaditya was captured and held prisoner and after a period of
incarceration, escaped and returned to the Chalukyan kingdom to be crowned the monarch of
the empire. Vinayaditya sent an ambassador to the Chinese court in 692.
Vikramaditya II (733 746 C.E.)
Vikramaditya II was the son of King Vijayaditya succeeded the Badami Chalukya throne. He had
conduce successful military campaigns against their arch enemy, the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.
His most important achievements were the capture of Kanchipuram on three occasions, the first
time as a crown prince, the second time as an emperor and the third time under the leadership
of his son and crown prince Kirtivarman II.
Virupaksha Temple inscription alludes to the emperor as the conqueror of Kanchi on three
occasions and reads Sri VikramadityabhatararmumeKanchiyanmume parajisidor. The other
notable achievement was the consecration of the famous Virupaksha Temple (Lokeshwara
temple) and Mallikarjuna Temple (Trilokeshwara temple) by his queens Lokamahadevi and
Trilokadevi at Pattadakal. These two monuments are the centre piece of the UNESCO World
Heritage Monuments at Pattadakal.
Kirtivarman II (746 753 C.E.)
Kirtivarman II also known as Rahappa succeeded his father Vikramaditya II. His reign was

continuously troubled by the growing power of the Rashtrakutas and finally succumbed to them.
Kirtivarman and his Ganga feudatory Sripurusha came into conflict with the Pandya ruler
Maravarman Rajasimha I who was extending the Pandya Empire on to the Kongu country which
was adjacent
to the Ganga kingdom.
Rajasimha crossed the Kaveri and engaged Kirtivarman and Sripurusha in a big battle at Venbai
on the banks of the river Kaveri. The Chalukya king was defeated. Kirtivarman II was the last
king of the Badami dynasty. There was a period of 220 years in which the western branch of the
Chalukyas was in eclipse.

Contribution of the Chalukyas:

Art and Architecture:
The Chalukyas of Badami developed the Deccan or Vesara style in the building of structural
temples, which reached culmination, however, only under the Rashtrakutas and the Hoysalas.
They perfected the art of stone building without mortar. Under their auspices, the Buddhists,
Jainas and Brahmanas competed with each other in building cave temples. Some of the finest

specimens of the cave frescoes belonged to the Chalukya era.

Temples:
The temple building activity under the Chalukyas of Badami can be broadly divided into two
stages.
The first stage is represented by the temples at Aihole and Badami. Of the temples at Aihole,
four are prominent. The Ladh Khan temple is a flat roofed structure. The Durga temple was an
experiment seeking to adopt the Buddhist Chaitya to a Brahmanical temple. The Hucimaligudi
temple is very similar to the Durga temple, but smaller than it.
The Jaina temple of Meguti shows some progress in the construction of structural temples, but it
is unfinished. Of the temples at Badami, the Melagitti Sivalaya is a small but finely proportioned

and magnificently located temple. A group of four rockcut halls (one Jaina and three of them
Hindu) at Badami are all of the same type.
The second stage is represented by the temples at Pattadakal.There

are four temples in the northern style and six in the southern
style. The Papanatha temple is the most notable among the temples of the northern style and it
also reveals attempts to combine northern and southern features in one structure. The
Virupaksha temple, a direct imitation of the Kailasanatha temple of Kanchi was built by one of
the queens of Vikramaditya II.

Different styles of architecture

1.Nagara architecture (North Indian style)
Distinct Features:
1.In plan, the temple is a square with a number of graduated projections in the middle of each
side giving a cruciform shape with a number of re-entrant angles on each side.
2.In elevation, a Sikhara, i.e., tower gradually inclines inwards in a convex curve, using a
concentric rotating-squares and circles principle.
The projections in the plan are also carried upwards to the top of the Sikhara and, thus, there is

strong emphasis on vertical lines in

elevation. The Nagara style

is widely distributed over a greater part of India, exhibiting distinct varieties and ramifications

in lines of evolution and elaboration according to each locality. An example of Nagara

architecture is the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple.

2. Dravidian architecture
Following four parts are important:
1. The principal part, the temple itself, is called the Vimana (or Vimanam). It is always square in
plan and surmounted by a pyramidal roof of one or more stories; it contains the cell where the
image of the god or his emblem is placed.
2.The porches or Mandapas (or Mantapams), which always cover and precede the door leading
to the cell.
3.Gate-pyramids, Gopurams, which are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures
that surround the more notable temples.
4.Pillared halls or Chaultrisproperly Chawadis used for various purposes, and which are the

invariable accompaniments of these temples.

Besides these, a temple always contains temple tanks or wells for water (used for sacred
purposes or the convenience of the priests), dwellings for all grades of the priesthood are
attached to it, and other buildings for state or convenience.

3.Vesara Style
It is a combination of both the Nagara and the Dravida styles. This style of architecture reached
perfection during the era of badami chalukyas.This style reduces the height of the individual

tiers without reducing their number resulting in a reduction in the height of the temple towers.

The semi-circular structures of the Buddhist Chaityas are also incorporated in some of the
temples of this style. The temples of Halebid, Belur, Somnathapura and Pattadakal are some of
the examples of this style.

Polity :
The empire was divided into Maharashtrakas (provinces), then into minor Rashtrakas
(Mandala), Vishaya (district), Bhoga (group of 10 villages), analogous to the Dasagrama unit
used by the Kadambas. At the subordinate levels of organization, the Kadamba style entirely
reigned. The Sanjan plates of Vikramaditya I have mentioned a land unit termed Dasagrama.
There were many regions ruled by feudatories like Alupas, Gangas, Banas, Sendrakas etc.
Local assemblies worked on the local issues. Groups of mahajanas (learned brahmins) looked
after agraharas (like Ghatika or place of higher learning) like the ones at Badami (2000
mahajans) and Aihole (500 mahajanas).
Coinage:
The Badami Chalukyas imprinted coins were included Nagari and Kannada legends. They

minted coins with cryptograms of temples, lion or boar facing right and the lotus.

The coins were called honnu in old Kannada and had fractions such as fana and the quarter
fana, whose contemporary equivalent being hana (literally means money). It weighed 4 grams. A
gold coin called Gadyana is mentioned in some record in Pattadakal that later came to be known
a varaha which was also witnessed on their emblem.
Religion:
The rule of the Badami Chalukya was a period of religious development. Initially they followed
Vedic Hindusim, as observed in the diverse shrines devoted to countless popular Hindu deities.
Pattadakal is the location of their grandest architecture. The worship of Lajja Gauri, the fertility
goddess was equally popular.
They enthusiastically encouraged Jainsm and confirmed to by one of the Badami cave temples
and other Jain temples in the Aihole complex. Aihole and Kurtukoti, Puligere (Laksmeshwara in
Gadag district) were primary places of learning.
Literature
The Aihole inscription of Pulakesi II (634) written by his court poet Ravikirti in Sanskrit
language and Kannada script is considered as an classical piece of poetry.
A few verses of a poetess named Vijayanaka who describes herself as the dark Sarasvati have
been preserved. It is possible that she may have been a queen of prince Chandraditya (a son of
Pulakesi II). Famous writers in Sanskrit from the Badami Chalukya period are Vijnaneshwara
who achieved fame by writing Mitakshara, a book on Hindu law, and King Somesvara III, a
noted scholar, who compiled an encyclopedia of all arts and sciences called Manasollasa.
From the period of the Badami Chalukyas, references are made to the existence of Kannada
literature, though not much has survived. Inscriptions however refer to Kannada as the natural

language.
The Kappe Arabhatta record of c. 700 in tripadi (three line) metre is the earliest available work
in Kannada poetics.
Karnateshwara Katha, which was quoted later by Jayakirti, is
believed to be a eulogy of Pulakesi II and to have belonged to this
period. Other probable Kannada writers, whose works are not
extant now but titles of which are known from independent
references are Syamakundacharya (650), who is said to have
authored the Prabhrita, and Srivaradhadeva (also called
Tumubuluracharya, 650 or earlier), the possible author of the
Chudamani (Crest Jewel), a lengthy commentary on
logic .
Around 6th century AD, the Chalukya kings of Telangana also started using Telugu for
inscriptions. Telugu was most exposed to the influence of Sanskrit, as opposed to Prakrit, during
this period. This period mainly corresponded to the advent of literature in Telugu.

4. Rashtrakutas- based at Manyakheta, social structure, adminstration, cultural achievements,

literature, social life, education, religion, art and architecture, Trade and commerce.
5. Role of the Bhakti movements, budhism , jainism, their contributions to the saocietal life,
literature, art forms, schools of architecture, development of literature, contributions from
different areas.

Medieval telanagana history

1. Kakatiya dynasty- social structure, adminstration, cultural achievements, literature, social life,
education, religion, art and architecture.

Kakatiya Dynasty:
Kakatiya Dynasty is most important area and many questions are expected from
this section in group1 tspsc mains.
Period : 1083 AD1323 AD

Capital : Orugallu (Warangal)

Languages: Telugu
Religion Patronised :Hinduism
Founder : Beta I .
Source of their history : Historians have found some inscriptions of Kakatiyas in Gutur
district of Andhra Pradesh. According to one of the inscriptions, the kakatiyas are known to
belong to solar race kings. Some historians believe that the kakatiyas who worshipped Goddess
Kakati (Kakatamma) were from fishermen community.
Etymology :The name Kakatiya is derived from the highly revered goddess of power : Kakati
Devi (Durga Matha). Kakati Devi was the goddess mother for the founding fathers of Kakatiya
dynasty. Kakati could be the Goddess of Bhairavi, an other form of Durga.
The dynastys name might also be associated with a town known as Kakatipura (since the kings
bore the title Kakatipuravallabha) . Kakatiyas belonged to the Durjaya family/clan.

Greatness
The Kakatiya reign is said to be the brightest period of the Telugu land with the Kakatiya rulers
extending the empire beyond Warangal all th way upto Raichur, Karnataka. Warangal
embellished their reign, as the metropolis of Andhra(Deccan) region, standing the testimony of
time for nearly a millenium (more than 800 years). The stalwarts of the Kakatiyan Dynasty
united all the Telugu kings under one administration and are the most brilliant monarchs ever
to rule the Andhra region right up there with the Satavahanas.
The Kakatiya period was rightly called the brightest period of the Telugu history. The entire
Telugu speaking area was under the kings who spoke Telugu and encouraged Telugu. They
established order throughout the strife torn land and the forts built by them played a dominant
role in the defence of the realm. Anumakonda and Gandikota among the `giridurgas, Kandur
and Narayanavanam among the `vanadurgas, Divi and Kolanu among the `jaladurgas, and
Warangal and Dharanikota among the `sthaladurgas were reckoned as the most famous
strongholds in the Kakatiya period. The administration of the kingdom was organized with
accent on the military

HISTORY : Lineage of Kings

1.The rulers of Kakatiya Dynasty were originally the feudatory of the Eastern Chalukyas of
Vengi. Taking advantages of the confusion that followed after the death of the Eastern Chalukya
king Ammaraja II , Beta I, a feudatory of the Eastern Chalukyas declared his independence by
establishing a new dynasty in the year 1,000 A.D. He ruled the Kakatiya Kingdom for 30 years
and was succeeded by his son Prola I.
2.Prola I (1030-1075 A.D.)
Prola I who succeeded his father in 1030 faced a critical situation as the small principality was
threatened by both the Cholas and the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani. Nagavamsi of Chakrakuta
(Bastar) tried to annex the new principality. Prola I was able to overcome all these dangers. He
attacked Chakrakuta and defeated its ruler Dharavasu. During his rule of 36 years Prola was able
to extend the Kakatias territories of his principality in all directions. He was succeeded by his
son Beta II who ruled from 1075-1110 A.D. His reign was uneventful. He shifted his capital to
Anamakonda near Warangal and took the title Tribhuvanamalla.

3.Prola II (1110-1158 A.D.)

Prola II was an important king of the early Kakatiyas. His exploits are described at length in the
Anamakonda inscription of his son Rudradeva. He is credited to have defeated Mailapadeva,
Govindaraja, Gunda and Jaggadeva. There is a great deal of controversy regarding the identity of
these rulers and the location of their territories.
4.Rudradeva (1158-1195 A.D.)
Rudradeva who succeeded his father Prola II in 1158 A.D. was a great fighter. His exploits are
described in his famous inscription in the Rudresvara temple at Anumakonda. From this
inscription it is evident that he had defeated a large number of Chalukyan feudatories round his
kingdom. He was also engaged in numerous wars with the rulers of Velanadu in the east and
Yadavas in the west.
Rudradeva was a great patron of art literature. He constructed the majestic Rudresvara temple
in Anamakonda. He was the author of the Sanskrit work `Nitisara. He extended his patronage
to Saivite divines like Palkurki Somanatha
King Mahadeva ruled for only 3 years between 1195 and 1198 AD.
5.Ganapathideva (1198-1262 A.D.)
Ganapathideva was the greatest of all the Kakatiyas. He accompanied his father Mahadeva when
the latter besieged Devagiri, the Yadava capital. Mahadeva was killed before the walls of
Devagiri and Ganapathideva was taken prisoner by the Yadavas. The news of the death of
Mahadeva and the arrest of Ganapathideva created great commotion in the Kakatiya kingdom.
Many feudatories of the Kakatiyas rose in revolt and tried to assert their independence, but the
loyal general of the Kakatiyas, Recherla Rudra, put down these revolts and looked after the
kingdom. Ganapathideva was released in 1202 and allowed to return to his kingdom.
In the course of his long reign extending over sixty years Ganapathideva brought a great part of
the present Andhra Pradesh under his control. He first turned his attention towards Velanadu
and Vengi regions of coastal Andhra and brought them under his control. He conquered
Kalinga. He helped Manumasiddi the ruler of Nellore in regaining his kingdom
The greatest triumph of the Ganapathideva was the conquest of Kanchi and the subjugation of
the Yadavas of Devagiri.

In spite of his engagements in numerous wars, Ganapathideva did not neglect the
administration. In fact, he constructed many temples and improved irrigational facilities. He
had also improved trade and commerce.
Ganapathideva had no son but two daughters only. The elder daughter was Rudramba and the
younger Ganapamba. Rudramba was actively associated in the administration of the kingdom.
Ganapathideva passed away in 1262 A.D. after a glorious reign of 64 years. He is undoubtedly
the greatest emperor of the Kakatiya dynasty. He brought a large part of the Telugu-speaking
area under his control and laid the foundation for its development in agricultural, commercial
and other spheres. He had the foresight to train his daughter in the art of administration by
associating her in the government as early as 1240 A.D.
6.Rani Rudrama Devi (1262 1296 A.D.)
Rani Rudrama Devi was the daughter of Ganpathideva. She was one of the most influential
women personality in Indian History. Infact, She was the only woman to rule over Andhra. She
was declared Queen and given the male name Rudradeva.
Rani Rudrama Devi became the ruler of the Kakatiya Empire after the death of her Father. She
was the daughter of Ganpathideva. She was the first and the only woman to rule over Andhra.
Ganpathideva did not had any son. After his death, his elder daughter, Rani Rudrama Devi, was
coronated as the Queen of Kakatiya Dynasty and assumed the male name Rudradeva.
Warangal was the Capital of Kakatiya Empire.
Her reign was marked by the uprising of her feudatories who did not like the succession of a
woman to the throne. Rani Rudrama overcame all the difficulties and maintained the integrity
of the empire. She was married to Veera Bhadra but lost him early. This incident gave her severe
grief.
She is known for defending her empire from the Cholas and Yadavas. She also completed the
contruction of Warangal Fort and and even captured many other forts. She had faith in
religious beliefs and worshipped many goddesses.The administrative system of Rani Rudrama
was efficient and the general people led a happy life.
7.Prataparudra (1296-1323 A.D.)

Prataparudra ascended the throne after the death of his grandmother, in 1296. He began his
reign with a series of reforms in the administration. During the reign of Ganapathideva the
governors of different areas of the empire known as Nayaks were appointed from the members
of different castes. This was known as the Nayamkara system. Prataparudradeva reorganized
this system appointing only Padmanayaks to these officers. He dismissed Nayaks belonging to
other communities.
His reforming activity ended in 1303 when the empire had to face the first shock of a Muslim
invasion from the north. From 1303 to 1323 the Muslim rulers of Delhi invaded five times and
finally annihilated the Kakatiya Empire.
End of the Empire
The king of Delhi Sultanate Ala-ud-din Khilji the famous ruler send his army for defeating the
empire in AD 1303. Upparhalli which the Prataparuda District overpowered them. Again in AD
1310 Malik Kafur sent his army to capture Warangal and invade it. Another major invasion of
Muslims in Kakatiya Dynasty took place in order to capture Tilling, Ghiaz-ud-din Tughlaq the
ruler of Tughlaq Dynasty sent his huge army under the leadership of Ulguh Khan during AD
1321. How ever due to some blockades faced by him due to some internal rebellions withdrew
the army and left to Delhi. He only went back to return in a very short while and came back with
huge army against Prataparuda where he was defeated and forced to surrender and then
Prataparuda was taken as a prisoner. This marked an end to the Kakatiya Dynasty.

Society, religion and culture

The age of kakatiya marks a distinct phase in the cultural history of Telugus. They not only
inherited the cultural heritage of the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi , but also substantially
enriched and developed it.
SOCIETY :
In the social framework, the caste system continued to be the basis for the social organisation.
Though, the Brahmins continued to enjoy the privileged position, the chaturdhavarna rose to
prominance . The reddy, kamma, velama, balija and naidus emerged as a ruling class.

The process of sankritisation (social phenomenon by which lower castes emulate the socioreligious practices of the upper caste to gain a higher heiarchy in the social position) continued.
As a result , new sub-castes like the vishwa-brahmins and veerapanchalas emerged in the society
The amalagamation of the tribes into the mainstream of the socity continued. The forest tribes
like the lenkas entered into the mainstream of the society to render services to the upper
castes.
As the economy under the kakatiyas flourished well, the social evils cropped up . Vinukonda
Vallabha raya in his Kreedabhiramam, an illustrated work on contemporary society talks
about the prostitution, gambling, sati etc of this age.
The social conflict called Idangai(right handed castes- agriculturalists) and vedangai(left
handed castes- professionals) entered the telugudesa began . The kakatiyas could strike a
balance and maintain social harmony by accomodating all the sections in their administrative
system

Religion:
This age witnessd the virtual elimination of Jainism from the telugudesa. According to the
Siddheswara charitra , Ganapatideva under the influence of Tikkanna , somayaji and his
master Viswesawarasiva destroyed the jain settlements.
saivism continued to flourish as the popular sect. The saiva sects like the pashupathas,
agamanthas and kalamukhas were well estblished. Vishweshwarasiva , an ardent follower of
agamantaha sect founded golaki mathas to promote saivism.
veer shaivism of brahannaidu fluotished in tirupati, simhachalam, srikakulam, nandaluru. Due
to its impact, a new community called padmanaikas was founded.
The sectarian conflict between saivism and vaishnavism continued. The great poet tikkana
made an attempt to end the conflict in his Harihara aaradhana and by reviving smartha
system which permitted worshipping of nay God.

Cultural development :

The great cultural development under the kakatiyas influenced each and every sphere of the
social life. Infact cultural development has witnessed its last stage in telugudesa under
kakatiyas.
In the field of literature, both sanskrit and telugu were given due patronage. Kakati rudra wrote
the neetisaara on the basis of the sanskrit text neetisaara(same name) .
Vidyanath , most popular poet in the court of prataparudra wrote prataparudra
yashobhushanam, a text on alankarashastra.
Agastya wrote balabhratam and nalakeerthikaumudi.
In the telugu literature, desa kavitha movement started with palkuriki somana. He wrote
vipadhakavyas like panditarajya charitra and basavapuranam. He also contributed for the
sataka literature with his vrishadeepa satakam.
Kethana wrote dashakumara charite, the first khandhkavya in telugu literature.
Bodhena enriched the telugu literature with his sumati satakam.
The art of wrtiting plays was perfected by tripurantaka wgo wrote the street play
premabhiramama. On the basis of this text Vinukonda Vallaba raya wrote kreedabiramam .
Music and Dance :
Classics were composed during this age. jayapasenani was the celebrated author of
vijayaratnavali, nrutyaratnavali and geetharatnavali. The literary works bear a testimony
to the development of the fine arts.
Painting :
Machaladevi was an accomplished painter in the court of prataparudra. She founded a school for
promoting painting called chitrashala at warangal. The text pratapacharite tells us that there
were around 1500 painters in warangal .

Art and literature of Kakatiya dynasty

A distinct kakatiya school of architecture was developed. Its unique aspects were, the city
entrance pillars called nagara toranas, extensive use of stone pillars with richly carved designs
and structures and templed grafted platforms(Adishtanas).
kakati prola constructed the siddeshwara and padmakshi temples in hanamakonda,
swayambhu and kesava temples in warangal.
He constructed the magnificent 1000 pillar temple in hanamakonda
The Kakatiya dynasty expressed itself best through religious art. Kakatiya art preserved the
balance between architecture and sculpture, that is, while valuing sculpture, it laid emphasis on
architecture where due.

Ramappa temple

The Kakatiya temples, dedicated mostly to Siva, reveal in their construction a happy blending of
the styles of North India and South India which influenced the political life of the Deccan.The
most important of these temples are those at Palampeta, Hanamkonda and the incomplete one
in the Warangal fort.
The temple at Palampeta, described as the `brightest gem in the galaxy of Medieval Deccan
temple architecture, was constructed by Recherla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya Ganapati, in
S.1135 (A.D.1213).
The figures in the temple are of a heterogeneous character comprising gods, goddesses,
warriors, acrobats, musicians, mithuna pairs in abnormal attitudes and dancing girls. The

sculptures, especially of the dancing girls, possess the suggestion of movement and pulsating
life. A striking peculiarity of this temple is the figure-brackets which spring from the shoulders
of the outer pillars of the temple. The figure-brackets are mere ornaments and represent the
intermediate stage between their earlier analogues at Sanchi and the later examples at
Vijayanagara.

The Thousand-Pillared Temple at Hanamkonda,

built by the Kakatiya king Rudra in A.D.1162, is similar in style and workmanship to the
Ramappa temple. This temple, dedicated to Siva, Vishnu and Surya, is star-shaped. The Nandi
pavilion, in which a huge granite bull still stands, the beautiful entrances to the shrine, the
pierced slabs used for screens and windows, and the elegant open work by which the bracketshafts are attached to the pillars are the other most interesting features of this temple.

The temple in the Warangal fort, believed to have been built by Kakatiya Ganapati, was
constructed making use of large slabs. The floor of the shrine is beautifully polished and shines
like a mirror. An interesting feature of this temple is the

Ruins of Warangal Fort

four gateways called `Kirti Stambhas which face the four cardinal points of the compass. In
their design the gateways are reminiscent of the `toranas of the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The

architecture and sculpture of these temples are thus conventional to a degree but no one can
deny their magnificence nor can any one fail to see the rich imagination, patient industry and
skilful workmanship of the builders of the temples of the Kakatiya period.

The Rulers of Kakatiya Dynasty had great patronage for art and literature. They took initiative to
promote Sanskrit and during this period there was revival of Sanskrit literature. Among the
rulers, Prataparuda had good writing flair which is interesting to note. He even promoted
literature. The rulers had a treasure for the religious art. They also built temples of Lord Shiva
which were perfect examples of blending between the style forms of northern and southern
India.
During AD 1162, the Thousand-Pillared Temple at Hanamkonda was built by the Kakatiya
Dynasty. King Rudramba built this in is similar style and workmanship to the Ramappa temple.
This temple is dedicated to Siva, Vishnu and Surya, and is star-shaped. The Nandi pavilion is
also famous in which a huge granite bull still stands, which has the beautiful entrances to the
shrine with pierced slabs used for screens and windows and an elegant open work by which the
bracket-shafts are attached to the pillars are the other most interesting features of this temple.

Warangal Fort
Warangal fort temple had been built by Kakatiya Ganapati, which was constructed making use
of large slabs. Floor of the temple shrine is beautifully polished and twinkles like a mirror. An
interesting feature of Warangal fort temple is there are four gateways called Kirti Stambhas

which face the four cardinal points of the compass.

The design of the gateways is redolent like the toranas of the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The
architecture and sculpture of these temples are magnificent as no one can fail to see the rich
imagination, patient industry and skilful workmanship of the builders of the temples of the
Kakatiya period.
.

Though Saivism continued to be the religion of the masses, intellectuals favoured revival of
Vedic rituals. They sought to reconcile the Vaishnavites and the Saivites through the worship of
Harihara. Arts and literature found patrons in the Kakatiyas and their feudatories. Tikkana
Somayaji, who adorned the court of the Telugu Chola ruler Manumasiddhi II, wrote the last 15
cantos of the Mahabharata which was lying unfinished. Sanskrit, which could not find a place in
the Muslim-occupied north, received encouragement at the hands of the Kakatiyas.
Prataparudra was himself a writer and he encouraged other literature.