Study guides
Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis
c. 1323–1518 CE
This guide organises pages on this site; every fact is on the linked pages with its sources.
In brief
The Delhi army captured Warangal in 1323 and ended the Kakatiya kingdom. For nearly two centuries afterwards no single power ruled the whole Telugu country, but Telugu chiefs drove out the Delhi garrisons within twenty years. The Reddi kings then ruled the coast, local chiefs held the hill forts of Telangana, and the Gajapatis of Orissa pressed south along the coast. Inland, the Bahmani sultanate slowly took over, and its province of Telingana became the Qutb Shahi kingdom of Golconda.
Key dates
Each date links to the page it comes from. "About" and "or" are kept where the page gives them.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1323, or 1321 | Ulugh Khan captures Warangal on his second siege and renames it Sultanpur. The Imperial Gazetteer dates the end of Kakatiya power to 1321. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1324 | The Delhi army reaches the coast. A mosque inscription at Rajahmundry records that Muhammad Tughluq built it in this year. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1325 | N. Ramesan gives this date for the earliest Reddi inscription, of Prolaya Vema at Mallavaram. The Godavari gazetteer had given 1344. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| about 1330 | The Vilasa grant of Prolaya Nayaka credits him with driving the Delhi garrisons from the Telugu country. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1336 | The usual date for the founding of the city of Vijayanagara on the Tungabhadra. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| about 1336–37, or 1343–44 | Kapaya Nayaka, identified with Barani's Kanya Naik, takes Warangal from the Delhi governor. Yashoda Devi gives about 1336–37 and Ferishta 1343–44. Kapaya Nayaka |
| 1347 | The Bahmani sultanate is founded after the Deccan officers rebel against Delhi. Gribble says the ruler of Warangal sent 15,000 men to help. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1357 | An inscription at Pillalamarri calls Kapaya Nayaka lord of the Andhra country and of Anumanamgallu. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1364 | The Raja of Warangal gives up the fort of Golconda and a jewelled throne to the Bahmani sultan, in the Imperial Gazetteer's date. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| August 1365 | Three inscriptions at Rachakonda record the stone walls, wells and tank built there by the Recherla chief Anapota. Recherla Velamas |
| 1368, or 1369 | Anapota and his brother Mada overthrow Kapaya Nayaka. Yashoda Devi dates Kapaya's death to 1368, and Epigraphia Telanganica to 1369. Recherla Velamas |
| 1424 | Warangal falls to the Bahmani sultan Ahmad Shah, in Gribble's date, and Telingana becomes a Bahmani province. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1448 | Somasekhara Sarma takes an inscription of this year at Penugonda, which names the Gajapati's rule, as the end of Reddi rule at Rajahmundry. Reddis of Rajahmundry |
| by 1454 | The Gajapati king Kapilesvara of Orissa is recognised as overlord as far south as Kondavidu. Gajapatis of Orissa |
| 1459 | A Bahmani army sent against the hill fort of Devarakonda is defeated by the Raja of Orissa. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1470–71 | During a quarrel over Orissa's throne, the Bahmanis gain Rajahmundry and Kondapalli. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 21 January 1504 | Sitapati, called Shitab Khan in Persian, takes Warangal fort, according to his pillar inscription there. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
| 1512, or 1518 | Sultan Quli becomes a king as the Bahmani kingdom breaks up. Ferishta gives 1512, but Sultan Quli's mosque inscription of 1518 still names the Bahmani king as sovereign. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis |
Main points
From the era page: Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis
- The Delhi army captured Warangal in 1323, ending the Kakatiya kingdom. For nearly two centuries afterwards, no single power ruled the whole Telugu country. Telugu chiefs drove out the Delhi garrisons within twenty years.
- Older sources name the leader of the revolt differently: Kanya Naick, Krishna Naik or Virabhadraya. Twentieth-century historians identified him with the Musunuri chief Kapaya Nayaka. The Vilasa grant credits his cousin Prolaya Nayaka with driving out the Delhi garrisons.
- The Bahmani sultanate was founded in 1347 and slowly took over the interior. Warangal fell to Ahmad Shah in the 1420s, and Telingana became a Bahmani province. On the coast, the Reddis ruled from Addanki and later Kondavidu.
- Sultan Quli, a Persian, was the Bahmani governor of Telingana with his seat at Golconda. Ferishta dates his rise as a king to 1512. But his mosque inscription of 1518 still names the Bahmani king as sovereign.
From other pages of the period
- Between 1303 and 1323 the Khalji and Tughluq sultans sent five armies against Prataparudra's Warangal. Two failed, two ended in tribute, and the last, under Prince Ulugh Khan, took the city and the king. Delhi Sultanate in the Telugu country
- Prolaya's Vilasa grant of about 1330 describes the country in the darkness of the Turushkas (Turks) after Prataparudra's death, and Prolaya driving them from their forts. He made his capital at Rekapalli on the Godavari. Musunuri Nayakas
- Errapragada, who completed the Telugu Mahabharata, dedicated his Harivamsa to Prolaya Vema. The poet Srinatha held office under Peda Komati Vema, the reputed author of the Sringaradipika. Reddis of Kondaveedu
- The king Singabhupala, son of Anapota, wrote the Rasarnavasudhakara, a book in three chapters on the theory of drama. Recherla Velamas
- The Bahmani kingdom began in 1347 with a revolt of the Delhi sultan's officers in the Deccan and lasted until 1527. It was ruled first from Gulbarga and, from the 1420s, from Bidar. Bahmanis
- The Godavari gazetteer records that by 1454 Kapilesvara was recognised as overlord as far south as Kondavid. A minister of his was ruling at Rajahmundry in 1458. Gajapatis of Orissa
- Under Peda Komati Vema of Kondavidu he held the office of vidyadhikarin. H. Krishna Sastri compared it to a president of the board of examiners. Srinatha also composed the king's grants and inscriptions. Ramayya wrote that he then seems to have gone to Rajahmundry, where the Reddis Vema and Virabhadra supported him. Srinatha
- Bammera Potana translated the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana into Telugu. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao called him the outstanding poet of the first half of the fifteenth century and dated him about 1400 to 1475. His Bhagavata is dedicated to the god Rama. Bammera Potana
- His inscription says that he restored the image of Krishna as Panchalaraya and the Kakatiya family goddess, which the Muslims had removed. A Telugu poem of his time praises him and his Brahmin minister Peddanna. Shitab Khan of Warangal
- Bilgrami used the inscription to argue that Sultan Quli stayed loyal until 1518 and declared independence only after his master's death. Mahmud Shah died on 7 December 1518. Other writers give earlier dates: Gribble 1510, and T. W. Haig 1512. Jami Masjid inscription, Golconda fort
Key terms
- yavanas యవనులు
- foreigners; also foreign Muslim rulers
- mlechchha మ్లేచ్ఛ
- foreign
- andhradesadhisvara ఆంధ్రదేశాధీశ్వర
- lord of the Andhra country
- nayaka నాయకుడు
- military chief
- amir అమీర్
- commander; also nobles
- tarafdar తరఫ్దార్
- provincial governor
- suzerain సర్వాధిపతి
- overlord
- maharajadhiraja మహారాజాధిరాజు
- king of great kings
- vidyadhikarin విద్యాధికారి
- officer of learning
- viramantapa వీరమండపం
- heroes' hall
- asthana-mandapa ఆస్థాన మండపం
- hall of audience
- Komati కోమటి
- merchant
- ghazi ఘాజీ
- holy warrior
- kaifiyat కైఫీయతు
- village record; also village history
- kavitraya కవిత్రయం
- the three poets of the Telugu Mahabharata
- dharmasasana ధర్మశాసనం
- charitable edict
- sultanate సుల్తానత్
- a Muslim monarchy whose ruler holds the title of sultan
People, places, monuments and inscriptions to know
Dynasties
- Delhi Sultanate in the Telugu country
- Musunuri Nayakas
- Reddis of Kondaveedu
- Reddis of Rajahmundry
- Recherla Velamas
- Bahmanis
- Gajapatis of Orissa
- Vijayanagara Empire
- Shitab Khan of Warangal
People
- Prolaya Nayaka
- Kapaya Nayaka
- Prolaya Vema Reddi
- Anapota Nayaka (Recherla)
- Peda Komati Vema
- Errapragada
- Srinatha
- Bammera Potana
- Kapilendra (Kapilesvara)
- Ahmad Shah I
- Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk
Places
Monuments
Inscriptions
Maps and the timeline
- The Delhi Sultanate and the Telugu country, 1303–1336
- The Musunuri Nayakas
- The Reddi kingdoms of Kondavidu and Rajahmundry
- The Recherla Velamas
- The Bahmanis in the Telugu country
- The Gajapatis of Orissa in the Telugu country
- The Deccan, 1336–1570
- Shitab Khan of Warangal (c. 1504–1516)
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Each bar is a ruling power in its region; time runs left to right. Dashed = approximate dates. Select a bar for details.
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Kakatiyas 1163–1323 CE
- Telangana
- Kakatiyas (c. 1163–1323 CE)
- Coastal Andhra
- Eastern Gangas of Kalinga (c. 537–1434 CE) · Haihayas of Kona and Palnadu (c. 1073–1364 CE) · Kotas of Dharanikota (c. 1100–1276 CE) · Telugu Chodas of Pottapi and Nellore (c. 1106–1316 CE) · Cholas of Tanjore (c. 1135–1264 CE) · Kakatiyas (c. 1185–1323 CE) · Pandyas (c. 1260–1264 CE)
- Rayalaseema
- Cholas of Tanjore (c. 985–1268 CE) · Pandyas (1285–1293 CE) · Telugu Chodas of Pottapi and Nellore (c. 1120–1268 CE) · Hoysalas (c. 1178–1342 CE) · Kakatiyas (c. 1250–1323 CE)
Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis 1323–1518 CE
- Telangana
- Musunuri Nayakas (c. 1336–1368 CE) · Gajapatis of Orissa (c. 1459–1461 CE) · Adil Shahis of Bijapur (c. 1489–1686 CE) · Delhi Sultanate (Tughluqs) (c. 1323–1336 CE) · Bahmani Sultanate (c. 1347–1518 CE) · Recherla Velamas (Padmanayakas) (c. 1361–1475 CE) · Shitab Khan (Sitapati) of Warangal (c. 1504–1516 CE)
- Coastal Andhra
- Eastern Gangas of Kalinga (c. 537–1434 CE) · Gajapatis of Orissa (c. 1446–1571 CE) · Haihayas of Kona and Palnadu (c. 1073–1364 CE) · Reddis of Rajahmundry (c. 1386–1448 CE) · Bahmani Sultanate (c. 1471–1489 CE) · Delhi Sultanate (Tughluqs) (c. 1323–1326 CE) · Vijayanagara Empire (c. 1350–1579 CE) · Reddis of Kondaveedu (c. 1325–1424 CE) · Musunuri Nayakas (c. 1325–1346 CE)
- Rayalaseema
- Vijayanagara Empire (c. 1336–1646 CE) · Reddis of Kondaveedu (c. 1346–1386 CE) · Hoysalas (c. 1178–1342 CE)
Vijayanagara & the Qutb Shahis 1336–1687 CE
- Telangana
- Musunuri Nayakas (c. 1336–1368 CE) · Gajapatis of Orissa (c. 1459–1461 CE) · Adil Shahis of Bijapur (c. 1489–1686 CE) · Bahmani Sultanate (c. 1347–1518 CE) · Vijayanagara Empire (c. 1563–1565 CE) · Recherla Velamas (Padmanayakas) (c. 1361–1475 CE) · Qutb Shahis of Golconda (c. 1518–1687 CE) · Shitab Khan (Sitapati) of Warangal (c. 1504–1516 CE)
- Coastal Andhra
- Eastern Gangas of Kalinga (c. 537–1434 CE) · Gajapatis of Orissa (c. 1446–1571 CE) · Haihayas of Kona and Palnadu (c. 1073–1364 CE) · Reddis of Rajahmundry (c. 1386–1448 CE) · Bahmani Sultanate (c. 1471–1489 CE) · Qutb Shahis of Golconda (c. 1524–1687 CE) · Vijayanagara Empire (c. 1350–1579 CE) · Reddis of Kondaveedu (c. 1325–1424 CE) · Musunuri Nayakas (c. 1325–1346 CE)
- Rayalaseema
- Vijayanagara Empire (c. 1336–1646 CE) · Reddis of Kondaveedu (c. 1346–1386 CE) · Adil Shahis of Bijapur (c. 1568–1686 CE) · Hoysalas (c. 1178–1342 CE) · Qutb Shahis of Golconda (c. 1579–1687 CE)
Kingdoms and empires
Kakatiyas
Open page- Telangana: c. 1052–1162 CE (c. 110 years)
Partial: feudatory chiefs of Anumakonda (Hanamkonda) under the Chalukyas of Kalyani. Prola I received the Anumakonda district as a permanent fief from Someshvara I (record of 1053); Prola II's last record as a subordinate is of 1149; Rudradeva subdued the other Telangana chiefs c. 1157–62 (Parabrahma Sastry). Earlier members served the Rashtrakutas (Mangallu grant, c. 956) according to Parabrahma Sastry, a link rejected by Venkataramanayya and Somasekhara Sarma (1960).
- Telangana: c. 1163–1323 CE (c. 160 years)
Sovereign from Rudradeva's Anumakonda inscription of January 1163; capital moved to Orugallu (Warangal) under Ganapatideva. Warangal taken by Ulugh Khan in 1323 (Parabrahma Sastry, after Isami); Barani and the Imperial Gazetteer give 1321.
- Coastal Andhra: c. 1185–1323 CE (c. 138 years)
Rudradeva subdued the Kotas of Dharanikota and the Kondapadumatis (Tripurantakam grant 1185); Ganapatideva annexed Divi (1203) and Velanadu (records from 1209; Jaya governor 1213) and held the coast from the Godavari to the Penna; Kakatiya records at Draksharama from 1212, but the Eastern Gangas held the region north of the Godavari c. 1230–33 and again c. 1262–78; the Telugu Chodas of Nellore were allies; Nellore was lost to the Pandyas c. 1263 and recovered under Prataparudra.
- Rayalaseema: c. 1250–1323 CE (c. 73 years)
Through the Kayastha chiefs (Gangaya Sahini, bahattara-niyogadhipati c. 1250, capital Valluru in Cuddapah); Ambadeva independent c. 1272–1291, until Prataparudra's armies retook Tripurantakam (between 13 June and 11 August 1291) and the Kayastha lands within about eight years.
Rulers (11)
Capitals
Monuments (16)
Inscriptions (36)
- Kazipet Dargah pillar inscription
- Matedu inscription of Vemabola Malle-nayaka
- Gudur pillar inscriptions of the Viriyala family
- Thousand Pillar Temple inscription of Rudradeva
- Karimnagar inscription of Gangadhara
- Warangal fort inscription of Rudradeva
… and 30 more
- Pillalamarri inscription of Recherla Nami-reddi
- Kondaparti inscription of Malyala Chaunda
- Inugurti pillar inscription of Natavadi Rudra
- Bayyaram tank inscription of Mailama
- Chebrolu inscription of Jaya
- Palampet pillar inscription of Recherla Rudra
- Ganapavaram inscription of Devapala
- Warangal toll inscription of Ganapatideva
- Ganapesvaram inscription of Jaya
- Upparapalli pillar inscription of Kataya
- Motupalli pillar inscription of Ganapatideva
- Pakhal lake inscription of Jagadala Mummadi
- Rayaparti fragment of Saka 1169
- Ekamranatha temple inscription of Ganapati
- Nayanapalle inscription of Ganapatideva
- Durgi inscription of Gangaya-sahini
- Sarngapuram plates of Sarngadhara
- Bothpur tank inscription of Malyala Gunda
- Garavapadu plates of Ganapatideva
- Malkapuram pillar inscription of Rudramadevi
- Kotagiri plates of Viryala Sura
- Kolanupaka inscription of Rudramadevi's reign
- Chandupatla inscription
- Panugallu inscription of Immadi Mallikarjuna-nayaka
- Tripurantakam inscription of Ambadeva
- Raichur fort inscription of Gona Vithala
- Mellacheruvu inscription of Prataparudra's reign
- Srirangam inscription of Prataparudra
- Dharmasagar inscription of the minister Malla
- Hanamkonda inscription of Gangadhara
Sources (7)
Kingdoms and empires
Musunuri Nayakas
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1325–1346 CE (c. 21 years)
Prolaya Nayaka recovered the coast from Delhi in 1325-26 and ruled from Rekapalli on the Godavari (Vilasa grant, about 1330); latest dated Musunuri records on the coast are Kapaya's Guraja grant (February 1346) and his Ganapesvaram inscription (1346-47). Partial: the Reddis of Addanki and the Korukonda chiefs held parts of the coast as Kapaya's kinsmen and subordinates
- Telangana: c. 1336–1368 CE (c. 32 years)
Kapaya Nayaka took Warangal about 1336-37 (Ferishta: 1343-44) and ruled as "lord of the Andhra country" (Pillalamarri inscription, 1357); ceded Kaulas and then Golconda (1364-65) to the Bahmanis; overthrown by the Recherla chief Anapota about 1368 (Kapaya named in the Akkalapundi grant of 1368; Anapota ruling Orugallu in July 1369)
Rulers
Capitals
Inscriptions
Sources (9)
Kingdoms and empires
Gajapatis of Orissa
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1446–1571 CE (c. 125 years)
Kapilendra (Kapilesvara, r. 1434-35 to 1469-70) took the Reddi kingdom of Rajahmundry between 1444 and 1448 and held Kondavidu by 1454 through his kinsman Ganadeva; the Bahmanis took Rajahmundry and Kondapalli or Kondavidu in 1470-71 and Purushottama had recovered the Godavari-Krishna country and the Ongole taluk by 1489; the country south of the Krishna passed to Saluva Narasimha after 1470 and, with Udayagiri, Kondavidu and Kondapalli, to Krishnadeva Raya in 1513-16; Golconda took the Godavari-Krishna doab from about 1522 and Rajahmundry in 1571-72. The northern coast (Srikurmam, Simhachalam) stayed Gajapati throughout.
- Telangana: c. 1459–1461 CE (c. 2 years)
Brief: Orissan troops relieved Devarakonda from the Bahmanis in 1459, and Kapilendra's son Hamvira and nephew Raghudeva took Warangal on 2 February 1460 (two gateway inscriptions); in 1461-62 the Orissan army and the zemindars of Telangana marched on Bidar. How long Warangal was held is not recorded
- Telangana: c. 1497–1516 CE (c. 19 years)
Partial: the uplands of Khammam and the Kondapalli-Nelakondapalli country, held by Prataparudra until Krishnadeva Raya's campaigns (Banerji; Nizam's Archaeological Department)
Rulers
- Kapilendra (Kapilesvara) (c. 1434–1470 CE)
- Purushottama (Gajapati) (c. 1470–1497 CE)
- Prataparudra (Gajapati) (c. 1497–1540 CE)
- Kalua Deva (c. 1540–1541 CE)
- Kakharua Deva (c. 1541 CE)
Inscriptions (8)
Sources (10)
Sultanates
Adil Shahis of Bijapur
Open page- Telangana: c. 1489–1686 CE (c. 197 years)
After the Bahmani break-up part of Mahbubnagar district went to Bijapur (the rest to Golconda) and stayed with it until Aurangzeb annexed Bijapur in 1686; the Raichur district article likewise passes Raichur (which then included the Alampur taluk and Gadwal) from the Bahmanis to the Adil Shahis.
- Rayalaseema: c. 1568–1686 CE (c. 118 years)
Partial, the western uplands only. Adoni taken by Ali Adil Shah's general Ankus Khan in 1568 after a failed siege in 1535-37; Penukonda besieged in the 1570s (dates disputed) and taken in 1652 (Mackenzie MS); Kurnool taken from Gopala Raja early in the 17th century and governed by Abdul Wahab (d. 1618) and later deputies, Siddi Jauhar holding it as his jagir about 1660; the Bellary and Anantapur uplands held through governors and tributary poligars; Bijapur's rights there passed to Shivaji in 1677-80 (Francis); Bijapur fell to Aurangzeb on 12 September 1686, but Siddi Masud held Adoni until 1688 (Sarkar) or 1687 (Bellary gazetteer)
Rulers (9)
Capitals
Monuments
Sources (11)
Sultanates
Delhi Sultanate (Tughluqs)
Open page- Telangana: c. 1323–1336 CE (c. 13 years)
Province of Tilang after Ulugh Khan (Muhammad bin Tughluq) took Warangal and renamed it Sultanpur (1321 by Barani's date for the campaign, 1323 in Haig and the editors of the Vilasa grant). Earlier Khalji campaigns (1303, 1309-10, 1318) ended in failure or tribute and are not drawn. Lost to a Hindu rising under Kanya Naik (Kapaya Nayaka) soon after the cholera of 1335 (Barani), about 1336-37 (modern historians) or in 1343-44 (Ferishta)
- Coastal Andhra: c. 1323–1326 CE (c. 3 years)
Brief hold on the Godavari delta and the coast: mosque at Rajahmundry built in 1324 by Ulugh Khan's servant Salar Ulwi; the coast retaken by Prolaya Nayaka and his allies between 1325 and 1326
Rulers
Sources (7)
Sultanates
Bahmani Sultanate
Open page- Telangana: c. 1347–1518 CE (c. 171 years)
Western Telangana from 1347 (Kaulas taken or ceded; Bhongir taken late in Bahman Shah's reign, the province of Bidar reaching east to Bhongir); Golconda ceded under Muhammad Shah I (1362 Bilgrami; 1364-65 Haig, IG); Warangal taken in AH 828 (end of 1424 per Haig, 1422 per IG, 1425 per the Kistna Manual) and the rayas of Devarakonda and Rachakonda made tributary. Partial afterwards (Telugu chiefs regained districts under Ahmad I; Devarakonda relieved by Orissa 1459; Warangal held by the Gajapatis 1460 and by Shitab Khan from 1504). Governed for Mahmud Shah by Sultan Quli from 1495-96 until his independence (1512 per Haig; 1518 per Bilgrami, from the Golconda mosque inscription of AH 924)
- Coastal Andhra: c. 1471–1489 CE (c. 18 years)
Rajahmundry and Kondapalli (Ferishta) or Kondavidu (Haig, Burhan-i Ma'asir) taken by Malik Hasan Bahri in AH 876 (1471-72), on the invitation of a claimant to the Orissan throne (the Godavari gazetteer says Purushottama ceded the two districts); Muhammad Shah III at Rajahmundry for nearly three years after his Orissa campaign of 1478, and raided Masulipatam and Kanchi in 1481; Telingana split into the provinces of Rajahmundry and Warangal; Rajahmundry still Bahmani in 1486; the Godavari-Krishna country recovered by the Gajapati Purushottama by 1489
Rulers (18)
- Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahman Shah (1347–1358 CE)
- Muhammad Shah I (1358–1375 CE)
- Mujahid Shah (1375–1378 CE)
- Daud Shah (1378 CE)
- Muhammad Shah II (1378–1397 CE)
- Ghiyas-ud-din (1397 CE)
… and 12 more
- Shams-ud-din Daud (1397 CE)
- Firuz Shah (1397–1422 CE)
- Ahmad Shah I (1422–1435 CE)
- Ala-ud-din Ahmad Shah II (1435–1458 CE)
- Humayun Shah (1458–1461 CE)
- Nizam Shah (Bahmani) (1461–1463 CE)
- Muhammad Shah III (1463–1482 CE)
- Mahmud Shah Bahmani (1482–1518 CE)
- Ahmad Shah (c. 1518–1521 CE)
- Ala-ud-din (c. 1521–1523 CE)
- Wali-ullah Shah (c. 1523–1525 CE)
- Kalim-ullah Shah (c. 1525–1527 CE)
Inscriptions
Sources (12)
Kingdoms and empires
Vijayanagara Empire
Open page- Rayalaseema: c. 1336–1646 CE (c. 310 years)
Founded c. 1335-36; Bukka I held Penukonda and Gooty (records of 1352 and a Gooty rock inscription) and his minister built the Bukkarayasamudram tank near Anantapur in 1364; Cuddapah in the 14th century; Kurnool wholly annexed under Krishnadeva Raya. After Talikota (1565) the kings ruled from Penukonda, which held out against Bijapur in 1577 and Golconda in 1589; the country north of Penukonda was lost after Sriranga I's capture (c. 1579-80); Venkatapati II moved to Chandragiri c. 1592; Golconda held the Cuddapah district and took Chandragiri (Chittoor) in 1646. Bijapur and Golconda took most of the region piecemeal after 1565
- Coastal Andhra: c. 1350–1579 CE (c. 229 years)
Vijayanagara officers kept Guntur (Kondavidu, Vinukonda, Bellamkonda) and the governor of Udayagiri kept Nellore after Talikota; Golconda took Kondavidu in April 1579 (Kistna Manual) or 1580 (a Guntur record of 1592 cited by Sewell), though Sewell thinks Guntur was already under Muslim rule by 1576 and the Nellore Manual says the Muslims held Nellore from 1565.
- Telangana: c. 1563–1565 CE (c. 2 years)
To end the confederate invasion of Golconda, Ibrahim Qutb Shah let Rama Raja keep the forts of Ghanpur and Panagal (Mahbubnagar) until Talikota; Ferishta places this after the Kalyani campaign of the early 1560s, the Kistna Manual dates it to 1557.
Rulers (24)
- Harihara I (Vijayanagara) (c. 1336–1355 CE)
- Bukka I (Vijayanagara) (1355–1377 CE)
- Harihara II (Vijayanagara) (1377–1404 CE)
- Bukka II (Vijayanagara) (1404–1406 CE)
- Deva Raya I (Vijayanagara) (1406–1422 CE)
- Vijaya Raya (Bukka III) (1422 CE)
… and 18 more
- Deva Raya II (Vijayanagara) (1422–1446 CE)
- Mallikarjuna (Vijayanagara) (1446–1465 CE)
- Virupaksha (Vijayanagara) (1465–1485 CE)
- Saluva Narasimha (1485–1492 CE)
- Immadi Narasimha (1492–1505 CE)
- Narasa Nayaka (c. 1505 CE)
- Vira Narasimha (Tuluva) (1505–1509 CE)
- Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529 CE)
- Achyuta Raya (1529–1542 CE)
- Venkata I (Vijayanagara) (1542 CE)
- Sadasiva Raya (c. 1542–1569 CE)
- Tirumala (Aravidu) (c. 1569–1572 CE)
- Sriranga I (Vijayanagara) (1572–1586 CE)
- Venkatapati II (Vijayanagara) (1586–1614 CE)
- Sriranga II (Vijayanagara) (1614 CE)
- Rama Deva Raya (1614–1630 CE)
- Pedda Venkata (Vijayanagara) (1630–1642 CE)
- Sriranga III (Vijayanagara) (c. 1642–1670 CE)
Monuments (7)
- Penukonda fort and Gagan Mahal
- Kalahastisvara temple, Srikalahasti
- Virabhadra temple, Lepakshi
- Chandragiri fort and Raja Mahal
- Gooty fort
- Narasimha temples, Ahobilam
… and 1 more
Inscriptions (14)
- Penukonda fort inscription (1354)
- Gooty rock inscription of Bukka I
- Bitragunta grant of Sangama II (1356)
- Bukkarayasamudram tank inscription (1364)
- Tirumala inscriptions of Krishnadeva Raya and his queens (1513–1514)
- Amaravati inscription of Krishnadeva Raya (1515)
… and 8 more
- Mangalagiri and Kaza pillar inscriptions (1515–1518)
- Simhachalam inscriptions of Krishnadeva Raya (1516–1519)
- Srikalahasti inscription of Krishnadeva Raya (1516)
- Kondavidu pillar inscription of Nadindla Gopa (1520)
- Lepakshi temple inscriptions of Achyuta Raya's reign (1533–1538)
- Kanuma grant of Sadasiva (1548)
- Penukonda inscription of Channappa Nayudu (1577)
- Ahobilam inscription of Sriranga I (1584)
Sources (20)
Kingdoms and empires
Recherla Velamas (Padmanayakas)
Open page- Telangana: c. 1361–1475 CE (c. 114 years)
Anapota at Rachakonda (Rajukonda) and Mada at Devarakonda after their victories of 1361 (family chronicle); Rachakonda fortified in August 1365; Warangal, Bhongir and Rachakonda ruled by July 1369 (Inavolu inscription). The rayas of Devarakonda and Rachakonda paid tribute to Ahmad Shah Bahmani after his capture of Warangal (end of 1424); Devarakonda routed a Bahmani army with Orissan help in 1459; last dated record of the Rachakonda line 1464. End about 1475 per the list of rulers in Epigraphia Telanganica; no source dates the annexation
Rulers (7)
- Singama Nayaka (Recherla) (c. 1336–1361 CE)
- Anapota Nayaka (Recherla) (c. 1361–1384 CE)
- Mada Nayaka (Recherla) (c. 1361–1384 CE)
- Singabhupala (Recherla) (c. 1384–1399 CE)
- Peda Vedagiri (Recherla) (c. 1384–1410 CE)
- Lingama Nayaka (Recherla) (c. 1427–1475 CE)
… and 1 more
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions
Sources (7)
Sultanates
Qutb Shahis of Golconda
Open page- Telangana: c. 1518–1687 CE (c. 169 years)
Sultan Quli governed Telingana for the Bahmanis from 1493-95 and declared independence in 1512 (Ferishta, Haig, IG Hyderabad) or 1518 (Bilgrami, from the Golconda mosque inscription of AH 924); he took the forts of the Telugu chiefs, among them Rachakonda, Devarakonda and, from Shitab Khan, Warangal and Khammam (1519-1525 per Bilgrami). Tributary to the Mughals from 1635-36 (khutba and coins in Shah Jahan's name; two lakhs of huns a year). Hyderabad taken by the Mughals in 1656 and 1685; Golconda surrendered on 21 September 1687 (Old Style) and was annexed
- Coastal Andhra: c. 1524–1687 CE (c. 163 years)
Sultan Quli took Kondapalli and fixed the Godavari as his frontier with Orissa (Ellore ceded) some time before his 1530 campaign, and a 1524 record shows him granting villages near Kondapalli and Bezwada; the Godavari gazetteer and IG Madras date the Krishna-Godavari doab to c. 1540 or 'before 1543', and the IG Madras Kistna article to after 1565.
- Rayalaseema: c. 1579–1687 CE (c. 108 years)
Partial; the sources disagree on when Golconda's hold began. IG Madras says Kurnool and Cuddapah were overrun soon after 1565. The Kurnool Manual dates the campaigns that took Gurramkonda (1579) and Gandikota, Nandyal and Musalimadugu (c. 1590). The Cuddapah gazetteer says Golconda only turned to Cuddapah in the early 17th century and never really conquered it. Chandragiri fell to Golconda in 1646.
Rulers (8)
Capitals
Monuments (13)
Inscriptions (7)
- Epitaph of Sultan Quli, Golconda (1543)
- Makka Darwaza inscription, Golconda (1559)
- Jami Masjid inscription, Hyderabad
- Epitaph of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Golconda (1612)
- Ma Saheba tank inscriptions (1625)
- Musa Burj inscription, Golconda fort (1666–67)
… and 1 more
Sources (23)
Kingdoms and empires
Shitab Khan (Sitapati) of Warangal
Open page- Telangana: c. 1504–1516 CE (c. 12 years)
Partial (Warangal, Khammam and other hill forts, with Bellamkonda south of the Krishna; probably Nalgonda). A former Bahmani officer, Shitab Khan or Sitapati, took Warangal fort from the Muslims on 21 January 1504 by his pillar inscription, and held it until Sultan Quli Qutb Shah defeated him and his Gajapati allies; the Kistna manual calls him apparently a vassal of Orissa. The end is uncertain: Sastri allows him six or seven years (to 1512), the Hyderabad archaeological report of 1925-26 dates the loss of Warangal to 1513-1516, the Kistna manual places the war after 1516, and Bilgrami gives 1519-1525
Rulers
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions
Sources (6)
Kingdoms and empires
Eastern Gangas of Kalinga
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 537–1434 CE (c. 897 years)
Partial: only the far north coast (the old Ganjam and Vizagapatam districts, now Srikakulam-Vizianagaram- Visakhapatnam), capital Kalinganagara (Mukhalingam). Earliest dated grant: Jirjingi, near Tekkali, Ganga year 39 (c. 537 on Mirashi's epoch of 498; Fleet put the early grants in the 7th century and Sewell used an epoch of 877-78; the Imperial Gazetteer, the 7th century). Later line in power from the end of the 9th century (Vizagapatam gazetteer): Vajrahasta III crowned 1038; Anantavarman Chodaganga 1078-1146, with records at Mukhalingam, Srikurmam, Simhachalam and Visakhapatnam. South of the Godavari only records and raids (Draksharama 1128-1274; Bendapudi). Ended 1434, when the minister Kapilesvara founded the Gajapati line
Rulers (15)
- Vajrahasta III (Eastern Ganga) (1038–1070 CE)
- Rajaraja I (Eastern Ganga) (1070–1078 CE)
- Anantavarman Chodaganga (c. 1078–1146 CE)
- Madhu-Kamarnava (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1146–1152 CE)
- Raghava (c. 1152–1166 CE)
- Rajaraja II (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1166–1192 CE)
… and 9 more
- Aniyanka-Bhima (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1192–1202 CE)
- Anangabhima III (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1219–1253 CE)
- Narasimha I (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1253–1256 CE)
- Bhanudeva I (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1256–1275 CE)
- Narasimha II (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1275–1306 CE)
- Bhanudeva II (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1306–1323 CE)
- Narasimha III (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1323–1346 CE)
- Bhanudeva III (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1346–1378 CE)
- Narasimha IV (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1378–1397 CE)
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions (8)
Sources (10)
Kingdoms and empires
Haihayas of Kona and Palnadu
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1073–1364 CE (c. 291 years)
Partial. Kona chiefs of Konamandala (the Godavari delta, Amalapuram taluk), with records at Draksharama and Palakol from Saka 995 (1073) to 1364–65, dependent on the Chola–Chalukya kings and the Velanati Chodas, later on the Kakatiyas; Haihaya chiefs of the Chagi family in the Palnadu (Macherla 1111, Gurazala 1129) as feudatories of the Chalukyas of Kalyani; the Palnadu war of the ballads is undated (proposals 1080–1386).
Rulers
Inscriptions
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Reddis of Rajahmundry
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1386–1448 CE (c. 62 years)
Partial: the Godavari delta and the coast north to Simhachalam, capital Rajahmundry. Kataya Vema, minister of Kumaragiri, received "the eastern country" by 1386 (Ramayya; Sewell c. 1380); after his death (c. 1414-16) Allada Reddi, then Allada's sons Allaya Vema and Virabhadra (records 1423-1437, a record of 1444). Godavari gazetteer: family in the Draksharama inscriptions until 1447; a Gajapati record of 1448 at Penugonda marks the end (Somasekhara Sarma); Kapilesvara's minister ruling at Rajahmundry in 1458
Rulers
Capitals
Inscriptions
Sources (6)
Kingdoms and empires
Kotas of Dharanikota
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1100–1276 CE (c. 176 years)
Partial (the Six-thousand country, Konnatavadi, south of the Krishna about Amaravati–Dharanikota and the Sattenapalle taluk). Line from Bhima I (c. 1100, Sewell); Keta II from about 1182; subdued by the Kakatiya Rudradeva about 1185 and thereafter Kakatiya subordinates and relatives by marriage (Ganapamba, widow of Kota Beta, ruled in the 1250s); last record of a Kota Rudra 1275–76.
Rulers
Capitals
Inscriptions
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Telugu Chodas of Pottapi and Nellore
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1106–1316 CE (c. 210 years)
Konidena branch in the Guntur country from 1106 to about 1150; the main line at Nellore (Vikramasimhapura) from Tammusiddhi's anointment in 1205-06, under the Cholas and then the Kakatiyas, who restored Manumasiddhi II; held Kanchi under Tikka I (1209/1223-1248/1250) and Manmasiddhi III. Last date 1316 (Sewell); the Nellore gazetteer finds no Telugu Choda record in Nellore after 1305.
- Rayalaseema: c. 1120–1268 CE (c. 148 years)
Pottapinadu (Pullampet country of Cuddapah), seat of the Madhurantaka Pottapi-Cholas under the Chola emperors: Betta 1120-21, Vimaladitya c. 1125; Pottapi remained their seat until Tikka I moved to Nellore; Manumasiddhi II recorded at Pottapi 1258-59; the country passed to the Kayastha Ambadeva after 1268.
Rulers
Capitals
Inscriptions
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Reddis of Kondaveedu
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1325–1424 CE (c. 99 years)
Capital Addanki, then (from Anavema, after 1361) Kondavidu. Coast south of the Krishna and at times the Godavari delta (Anavema's grants at Vanapalli, Nadupuru, Palivela, Draksharama 1374-81). Start: Mallavaram record of 1325 (Somasekhara Sarma); the Kistna manual says 1328, the Godavari gazetteer has the earliest record in 1344. End disputed: Vijayanagara conquest by 1424 (Somasekhara Sarma), Racha Vema killed 1428 (Kistna manual), overthrown 1427 (Sewell 1884), a Gajapati conquest c. 1420 (village chronicles). From c. 1386 the Godavari country belonged to the separate Rajahmundry kingdom
- Rayalaseema: c. 1346–1386 CE (c. 40 years)
Partial: the Srisailam plateau and the Markapur taluk (records at Tripurantakam, 1346 and 1347; Anavema's Viramantapa at Srisailam, 1378); Prolaya Vema's steps at Srisailam and Ahobilam
Rulers
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions (8)
Sources (8)
Kingdoms and empires
Cholas of Tanjore
Open page- Rayalaseema: c. 985–1268 CE (c. 283 years)
Rajaraja I (from 982/985) claims Nulambapadi and had the Vaidumbas of Cuddapah as feudatories. Chola inscriptions in Kurnool are dated 1108 and 1123. The east of Cuddapah (Pottapi-nadu) stayed under Chola suzerainty through the Telugu Chodas until Rajendra III's death in 1268. IG Madras has Cuddapah Chola from the 11th to the 13th century.
- Coastal Andhra: c. 999–1135 CE (c. 136 years)
Overlords of the Eastern Chalukya kings from 999; Kulottunga I's sons ruled Vengi as viceroys 1077-1118; Vengi was lost to the Western Chalukyas after Vikrama-Chola left in 1118, and his records reappear at Chebrolu (1127) and Nidubrolu (1135). Nellore stayed under Chola suzerainty into the 13th century (IG Madras)
- Coastal Andhra: c. 1135–1264 CE (c. 129 years)
Partial (Nellore). After Vengi was lost, Nellore stayed under the Cholas until their 13th-century decline: Rajaraja III is recognised there in 1237 and Rajendra III in 1253, with the Telugu Choda chiefs ruling locally as their vassals. A Tamil record at Punjulurupadu, in the Gudur country, is still dated in the 20th year of Rajendra III, Saka 1185 (1263-64).
Rulers (14)
- Rajaraja I (Chola) (985–1016 CE)
- Rajendra I (Chola) (1012–1043 CE)
- Rajadhiraja I (Chola) (1018–1052 CE)
- Rajendradeva (1052–1063 CE)
- Virarajendra (Chola) (1063–1070 CE)
- Adhirajendra (1070 CE)
Capitals
Inscriptions (10)
Sources (9)
Kingdoms and empires
Pandyas
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 1260–1264 CE (c. 4 years)
Partial (Nellore). Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I beat the Telugus at Mudugur, drove them to the Krishna and was crowned at Nellore (Aiyangar, from his records); Sewell dates the march to 1260, Parabrahma Sastry the battle to 1263. Aiyangar says the conquest was not permanent and the Nellore gazetteer says Ganapati recovered Nellore almost at once, so the span is short. A later Jatavarman Sundara Pandya, crowned at Nellore after 1276 (Nellore gazetteer), endowed a hall in the Ranganayaka temple there; no source gives the length of this second hold, so it has no span.
- Rayalaseema: 1285–1293 CE (8 years)
Partial (Nandalur, east Cuddapah). Jatavarman Sundara Pandya II has dated records at Nandalur in 1285, 1286 and 1293, six in all from 1286-1293, as Pandya power spread north after the Chola collapse.
Rulers
- Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I (c. 1251–1268 CE)
- Maravarman Kulasekhara I (1268–1311 CE)
- Jatavarman Sundara Pandya II (c. 1276–1293 CE)
Inscriptions
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Hoysalas
Open page- Rayalaseema: c. 1178–1342 CE (c. 164 years)
Partial (south and west Anantapur: Hemavati, Madakasira, Penukonda, Gooty claim; Rayachoti taluk in the later 13th century). A record at Parigi (Hindupur taluk) of Saka 1100 (1178) shows Ballala II ruling at Dorasamudra; he took Nolambavadi, and his inscription of 1205-06 is at Hemavati. A record at Kodigepalle of 1328 shows Ballala III's minister ruling at Penugonda. Ballala III's inscriptions in Anantapur district run from 1317 through 1320 and 1323 to 1340. He was killed fighting the Sultan of Madurai on 8 September 1342.
Rulers
- Ballala II (Hoysala) (1173–1220 CE)
- Narasimha II (1220–1235 CE)
- Somesvara (Hoysala) (1233–1254 CE)
- Narasimha III (1254–1291 CE)
- Ballala III (Hoysala) (1291–1342 CE)
- Ballala IV (Hoysala) (1342–1343 CE)
Capitals
Sources (6)
Where historians disagree
These questions are still open. Each line links to the section of the page that gives both sides with their sources. They are useful for essay answers.
- The Vilasa grant gives Prolaya Nayaka the credit for freeing the country, another grant was cited for Kapaya, and the Persian histories name only a leader at Warangal. Musunuri Nayakas
- The recapture of Warangal is dated about 1336–37 by Yashoda Devi, 1343–44 by Ferishta and 1345–46 by Somasekhara Sarma in 1931. Musunuri Nayakas
- The end of the Kondavidu kingdom is put anywhere from a Gajapati conquest in 1420 to a Vijayanagara conquest by 1424 or a Muslim overthrow about 1427. Reddis of Kondaveedu
- Traditions make Harihara and Bukka officers of the Warangal treasury, Venkataramanayya made them men of Telugu descent from Kampila, and Heras made them Hoysala officers. Vijayanagara Empire
- From his inscription Sastri held that Shitab Khan was a Hindu, while an older book called him the first Muslim conqueror of Warangal. Shitab Khan of Warangal
Practise
For teachers
Lesson outline
Period 1: Driving out Delhi (40 minutes)
Read the opening and the first two sections of the era page (15 minutes). Then read the Vilasa grant page. Put the names Kanya Naick, Krishna Naik, Virabhadraya and Kapaya Nayaka on the board, and ask why the sources give the leader different names.
Read: Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis → Vilasa grant of Prolaya Nayaka → Musunuri Nayakas
Period 2: Reddis, Velamas and Gajapatis (40 minutes)
Divide the class into three groups. Each group reads one dynasty page and reports its capital, its best-known king and one poet or book linked with it. Finish with the map work below.
Read: Reddis of Kondaveedu → Recherla Velamas → Gajapatis of Orissa → Srinatha
Period 3: The Bahmanis and the road to Golconda (40 minutes)
Read the sections "The Bahmanis in Telingana", "Chiefs of the hill forts" and "Towards Golconda" on the era page. Then read the page on Sultan Quli. End with the inscription activity below, which shows how one inscription can correct a chronicle.
Read: Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis → Bahmanis → Shitab Khan of Warangal → Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk
Activities
- Map work: mark Addanki, Kondavidu, Rajahmundry, Rachakonda, Devarakonda and Golconda. Colour each by the power that held it, and note which places changed hands. The Reddi kingdoms of Kondavidu and Rajahmundry · The Recherla Velamas · The Gajapatis of Orissa in the Telugu country
- Read a real inscription: this rubbing is of the inscription over the mosque doorway in Golconda fort. Find on the inscription page the year it gives, and explain why it matters for the date Sultan Quli became king. Inscription over the doorway of Masjid Safa, Golconda Fort (Bilgrami 1927, p. 110) · Jami Masjid inscription, Golconda fort
- Make a timeline from the key dates in two colours: one for the Telugu chiefs and kings, and one for the sultans and the Gajapatis. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis
- Short debate: who deserves the credit for freeing the Telugu country from Delhi, Prolaya Nayaka or Kapaya Nayaka? Use only what the page says each source claims. Musunuri Nayakas
- Compare the two kinds of source described in "About the sources": Persian chronicles and Telugu inscriptions. List one thing each kind tells us that the other does not. Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis
Discussion questions
Every question can be answered from the page linked after it.
- What happened to Warangal and its king in 1323? (Answer on: Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis)
- What does the Vilasa grant say about the years after Prataparudra's death? (Answer on: Vilasa grant of Prolaya Nayaka)
- Who were the Reddis, and where did they rule from? (Answer on: Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis)
- Which poets were linked with the Reddi courts, and what did they write? (Answer on: Reddis of Kondaveedu)
- How did the Bahmanis gain Golconda, and when did Warangal fall to them? (Answer on: Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis)
- What did Shitab Khan claim to have restored at Warangal in 1504? (Answer on: Shitab Khan of Warangal)
- Why do the Persian chronicles and the Telugu inscriptions give the leaders of this period different names? (Answer on: Nayakas, Reddis & Bahmanis)
- What did Bammera Potana translate, and to whom did he dedicate it? (Answer on: Bammera Potana)