CHAPTER

14 The Kakatiyas - Emergence

of a Regional Kingdom

You may have listened to many ballads and stories about the bravery and martial
skill of Brahma Naidu and Balachandrudu and the 66 heroes. You may have also
participated in Jataras dedicated to Sammakka and Sarakka. They had fought against
armies of kings to protect the rights of the tribal people. You might have enjoyed the
popular story of Katama Raju who fought with the Kings of Nellore in defence of the
right of animal herders.

Find out from your parents and We have a large number of inscriptions
elders the stories of the Palnati which tell us about the activities of the
Virulu, Sammakka-Sarakka and kings, queens, chiefs, farmers, herders and
Katama Raju. Relate these stories traders. We also have a number books
in the class. written about them in Sanskrit and Telugu.
Vidyantha wrote Prathaparudra
All these stories relate to the period Yashobhushanam during the Kakatiya rule.
from 1000 to 1350 AD. This was a very Some works were also written after the end
important period in our history. In the of their rule (Vinukonda Vallabharaya’s
previous chapter we read about the new Kridabhiramamu, Ekamranatha’s
ruling families that emerged all over India. Prataparudra Charitramu).
These rulers sought to establish small
kingdoms over agricultural villages and to
enable their herder-followers to settle
down as agriculturalists. These ambitious
warriors and kings fought against each other
constantly. Amidst this situation arose the
Kakatiya kingdom in Warangal.
This was also the time when the first
books in Telugu were written. According
to tradition, Srimad-Andhra Mahabharatam
is the first poetic work in Telugu which was
composed by Kavitrayamu, the Trinity of
Poets - Nannaya, Tikkana and Erra Pragada Fig 14.1 Kirti Torana entrance of
between 1000 and 1200 AD. Svayambhu Siva Temple - built by Kakatiya
kings in Warangal.
 Having read the above Map 1: Warangal Fort
passage can you tell which
are the two important
sources of information
about the Kakatiya kings?
Stone wall
and Moat
According to inscriptions and
literature the Kakatiyas traced
their lineage to certain Durjaya.
They also adopted Telugu as the
favoured language of the court.
Inner Rampart
Most of their inscriptions are in
Telugu and they also called
themselves as ‘Andhra Rajas’.
They also sought to bring together
Outer Rampart
the three regions in which Telugu
was being spoken - the coastal
regions, Telangana region and
Rayalaseema region. In this
manner the Kakatiya kings tried to
build a Telugu regional conciousness. To
over Anmakonda in Telangana. The
some extent they were also sucessful as
Kakatiyas emerged as independent rulers
even to this day they are remembered
after the fall of Western Chalukyas.
fondly in this region.
During Rudradeva’s rule (1158-1195
Important Kakatiya Rulers AD) the capital was shifted from
Prola II (1116 - 1157AD) Anmakonda to Orugallu (Warangal). The
new city was laid out with a plan to
Rudradeva (1158 - 1195AD) accommodate increase in city population
Ganapati Deva (1199 - 1262AD) and to address the needs of an imperial
capital. Rudradeva built a big fort, a tank
Rudramadevi (1262 - 1289AD) and a temple called Thousand Pillared
Temple in Anmakonda.
Prataparudra (1289 - 1323AD)
Look at the map of Warangal Fort. You
The early members of the dynasty began can see an outer fort wall with four gates.
their career as warriors and samanthas of This protected agricultural lands and
Rashtrakuta and Chalukya kings who were several water tanks within it. In this area
ruling in Karnataka. They were holding the were huts of many artisans like basket
posts of village heads called Rattadi and weavers. After crossing these we come to
through their military skills became army the centre where there was another moat
chiefs, samanthas etc. and gained control and a fort wall made of mud.
122 Political Systems and Governance
 If you walked further towards the centre protected their samantha subordinates
you would find another moat and fort wall from other warriors and chiefs and also
made of stone. The city buildings and took the samanthas with them when they
palaces were within this stone wall. It had went to conquer other kingdoms. Many of
four gates opening out into East, West, the samantha chiefs made attempts to
North and South. From each gate a main become independent and the Kakatiya kings
road went to the centre of the city where sent armies to subdue them.
there was a temple of Svayambhu Siva. This Rudrama Devi
temple too had four gates in the four
directions. Have you heard of a brave woman ruler
by the name of Rudramadevi? She was a
The city itself was divided into several powerful and successful ruler who
quarters or vadas. People of a profession impressed one and all with her abilities.
lived in their own distinct vadas. Rudramadevi ruled from Orugallu (modern
Warangal) and belonged to the famous
Can you draw a rough sketch map of Kakatiya family. She ruled from 1262 AD
your village or town and compare it to 1289 AD for nearly 27 years. In our
with the map of Orugallu? country there have been very few women
What are the main differences you rulers. In distant Delhi too there was a
find between modern towns and woman ruler by the name of Raziya Sultana
cities of the past like Orugallu? some years before. But her nobles did not
like to be ruled by a woman and had killed
Use the scale shown on the map to
her. A famous traveller from Italy, called
find out the breadth of the outer wall
from East to West.
Also find out the breadth of the city
within the inner stone wall from
North to South.
If you have ever been to Warangal
city, describe the city today to your
classmates.
Svayambhu Siva was the family god
of the Kakatiyas. Why do you think
they built the temple and not the
palace or a market place in the
middle of the city?

As Kakatiya kings became powerful they

were able to persuade many chiefs to accept Fig 14.2 Rudramadevi - Riding the Horse.
them as their Kings. The Kakatiyas (Modern representation in Hyderabad)

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Marco Polo visited Rudramadevi’s the opposition of many important chiefs
kingdom and he says that she was fearless, who had been under her father, but
dressed herself like a man and rode horses Rudramadevi succeeded in subduing them.
with ease. In fact in her inscriptions Rudrama and her grandson Prataparudra
Rudramadevi calls herself as Rudradeva faced many revolts and took several steps
Maharaja. Like Raziya Sultana she too faced to control these chiefs.

Fig 14.3 A segment of the inner earthern wall with its (dry) moat at right.

Fig 14.4 Aerial view of the eastern gateway in the city’s inner stone wall, showing
the ‘bent entrance’ (Vankadari) and open courtyard (anganam). The doorway at
right is the ‘great city gate’ leading to the royal avenue (raja margambu).
124 Political Systems and Governance
Nayankara System Encouragement to Agriculture
and Temples
Rudramadevi and Prataparudra
encouraged several skilled warriors who The Kakatiyas brought large tracts of
were not from any powerful family but were land under cultivation by building tanks and
very loyal to the queen and the king. They digging wells. Apart from members of royal
gave them high positions and the title of family and other feudal families the rich
Nayaka. They were given several villages sections of the society like merchants and
from where they could collect taxes. These artisans participated in expanding
villages were called their
Nayankara. Each nayaka had to
maintain a stipulated amount of
army, from the income they
derived from the nayankara, for
the service of the king. But they
did not keep these villages
permanently as they could be
transferred at the will of the king
to a new place. These Nayakas
depended upon the queen or the
king and remained loyal to them.
They were also probably used to
subdue the rebellious chiefs.
This arrangement was called Fig 14.5 The remains of the great
temple dedicated to Siva.
Nayankara system.
Read here a portion of an inscription by agriculture through construction of tanks.
a nayaka of Rudramadevi : This enabled the extension of cultivation
in the difficult terrains of Telangana and
“In the year (1270 AD) on the occasion
Rayalaseema.
of Sankranti, Bollinayaka the guardian
of the gate for Kakatiya Rudradeva The Kakatiyas also extensively
Maharaja, gave ten measures of land to patronised temples by making large
the temple servants of God Kalyana donations to them. Women members of
Keshava of Kranja village in his own royal family like Muppamamba, and
nayankaramu for the merit of his master Mailamma made land grants. Women of
Rudradeva Maharaja.” other rich sections also made gifts of land,
tanks, cash, cattle, jewellery, etc., to
Why do you think Bollinayaka was temples and brahmins. By promoting
calling Rudramadevi as Rudradeva agriculture they derived income in the form
Maharaja? of taxes and agriculture produce.

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 “This Abhaya Shasana has been granted by
Ganapatideva to sea traders going back and forth
to all continents, countries and towns. In the
past, kings forcibly seized all the cargo such as
gold, elephants, horses, jewels, etc. when sea
going vessels were caught in storms, wrecked and
cast on shore. But We for the sake of our
reputation and punya and out of pity for those
who have incurred the grave risk of a sea voyage,
give up all but the customary tax.”
Fig 14.6 Gold coin issued by Kakatiyas.
The inscription goes on to mention the
Trade tax he would collect from the traders on
different articles of trade.
Warriors, chiefs and Kings derived much
of their income by taxing traders, especially How did the kings treat the traders
those who engaged in overseas trade from earlier?
the ports. Read a portion of an inscription What was the guarantee
issued by Kakatiya king Ganapatideva in a Ganapatideva was giving them?
place called Motupalli: Why do you think he was giving
this protection to the traders?

Marco Polo who visited one of

these ports says that the exports were
diamonds, best and most delicate cloth
which looked like tissue of spider’s
web. He further says, “There is no king
nor queen in the world but might be
glad to wear them”.

The End of the Kakatiyas

Sometime around 1190 AD a new
kingdom was established in Delhi. The new
kings were called Sultans and they
originally came from Turkistan. They had a
powerful army and were able to defeat
most of the kings of north India and the
Deccan before long. Sultan Mohammad bin
Tugluq was able to defeat Kakatiya
Prataparudra in 1323 AD. Thus ended the
14.7 Motupalli Pillar Inscription Kakatiya dynasty.
126 Political Systems and Governance
 Some years later two new kingdoms were founded in Key words :
Karnataka called Bahamani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms
about which we will study in the next chapter. 1. Warriors
2. Nayankara System

Palnati Vira – Heroes who cut across Caste 3. Samantha

barriers 4. Artisans
Palanati Virula Katha written by Srinatha around Project work :
1350s helps us to understand how collectives of warriors
must have been formed. The leading character, 1. Prepare a short
Balachandrudu, has a small war band of devoted presentation of any of the
companions from diverse backgrounds. One is a
three stories in the form of
Brahmin while others – a blacksmith, a goldsmith, a
washerman, a potter and a barber – are drawn from the a play.
service and artisan communities. Balachandrudu and 2. Collect popular accounts
his cohorts are so committed to each other that they are of the origin of your village
called sodarulu (brothers). Just before they set out for or town and prepare a
battle, Balachandrudu’s mother prepares a meal for all
chart and present the same.
the “brothers” with her own hands. But she serves this
food to each one on a different kind of plate (earthern, 3. Visit an old temple of your
bronze, leaf, etc.) and is rebuked for making such area and find out who built
distinction by her son, who says that caste must be set the temple, when etc. and
aside when one goes to war. And so the “brothers” all look for any inscriptions in
eat from each others plates, in defiance of convention it.
but in recognition of their joint fate.

Improve your learning

1. Compare the warriors of those times with what you know about the armies of modern times.
What differences do you see between them?
2. Kings and chiefs built irrigation tanks to improve agriculture in the Kakatiya times.
What do they do now?
3. How do you think the Kakatiyas were able to gain control over the chiefs?
4. Why do you think the Kakatiyas did not appoint powerful chiefs as Nayakas?
5. Why was it difficult for women to rule in those days? Is it different today? How?
6. In those days powerful men had their own land and were also able to tax other farmers,
traders and artisans. Can powerful people do this now? Give reasons.

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