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Ganapati Deva's Coastal Andhra Campaign

Ganapati Deva's Coastal Andhra campaign was a campaign launched by the Kakatiya monarch Ganapatideva to conquer the fertile and resource-rich Vengi region, which was under the control of the Velanati Chodas. Recognizing the decline in the power of the Velanati Cholas after the death of Choda II, Ganapati Deva seized the opportunity to expand his dominion towards the east. In A.D. 1201, he led a powerful force, supported by his subordinate chiefs such as the Kotas, Natavadis, and Malyalas.[1]

Coastal Andhra Campaign
Part of Ganpati Deva's Campaigns
Date1201 -1209 AD
Location
Andhra Pradesh, India
Result

Kakatiya Victory

Belligerents

Kakatiya Dynasty

Velanati Chodas

  • Ayya Chiefs
Commanders and leaders
Ganapatideva
Recherla Rudra
Vakkadamalli Rudra
Tikka I
Malyala Chaunda		 Pruthviswara †
Ayya Pinna Chodi Surrendered
Jayapa Senani Surrendered

Background

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Prola II and Rudradeva of the Kakatiya dynasty harbored imperial ambitions, aiming to extend their control beyond Telangana and establish dominance over the entire Andhra region. While they succeeded in subjugating Telangana, their efforts to expand southward and eastward faced stiff resistance from the Velanati chiefs.[2] These chiefs ruled the coastal districts as representatives of the Chalukya-Chola emperors. Despite their initial strength, the Velanati power began to wane after the death of Choda II around 1181 AD. Pruthviswara, Choda II's grandson, still held some authority over the ancestral kingdom, but his reign was marked by instability, with internal turbulence and forces of fragmentation proving too difficult for him to overcome. This decline of the Velanati chiefs opened a path for the Kakatiyas to assert their influence over the region.[3]

Campaign

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Capture of Bezawada

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In AD 1201, Ganapati Deva, the Kakatiya monarch, saw an opportunity to expand his dominion and launched an invasion of the coastal districts. Accompanied by his vassals, including the Kotas, Natavadis, and Malyalas, he marched with strong forces. His first target was the strategic city of Bezawada (modern-day Vijayawada), which marked the eastern frontier of the Kakatiya kingdom. A significant inscription from the Natavadi prince, Vakkadimalla Rudra, found at the Kanakadurga Mandapa near the Indrakila hill, dated to the same year, provides evidence of Natavadi and Kakatiya forces in the city. The successful capture of Bezawada marked a key victory in Ganapati's campaign to assert Kakatiya dominance over the coastal regions.[4]

Capture of Divi

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After capturing Bezawada, the Kakatiya army, led by Ganapati Deva, advanced eastward to the island of Divi near the mouth of the Krishna River, the stronghold of the Ayya chiefs who ruled over the fertile delta regions. The Ayya chiefs put up fierce resistance, relying on the fortified defenses of their island fortress. However, despite their efforts, they were eventually forced to surrender, and their capital was plundered by the Kakatiya forces.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]Ganapati, in recognition of the bravery and service of his vassal Malyala Chaunda, awarded him the title "Divi Churakara" or "Dvipi-Lumtaka," meaning the plunderer of Divi Island, as noted in the Kondiparti inscription from 1203 AD. Rather than annexing the conquered territory, Ganapati employed a strategy of diplomacy, restoring the Ayya chiefs' lands and even strengthening ties through marriage. He married Naramba and Peramba, the daughters of Ayya Pina Chodi, and brought their brother, Jayapa Senani, into his service.[12][13][14][15] These alliances helped consolidate Kakatiya power, and as a result of these victories, not only Divi but also the broader region of Velanadu came under Ganapati’s influence, as reflected in the Ganapesvaram inscription of 1211 AD.[16][17][18]

Death of Pruthviswara

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Pruthviswara, in a bid to reclaim the territories of Divi and other regions previously conquered by Ganapati Deva, led an expedition that ended in disaster. According to contemporary Telugu literature and inscriptions, Pruthviswara met a gruesome fate on the battlefield. Choda Tikka, the Telugu Choda king of Nellore, is said to have desecrated Pruthviswara’s severed head, playing ball with it after the battle. Interestingly, other figures such as Mahamandaleswara Ballaya Choda of Kammanadu and Ganapati Deva of the Kakatiyas also claimed to have similarly treated Pruthviswara’s head, each asserting their role in his death.[19][20][21][22][23][24] This suggests that Ganapati, Choda Tikka, and Ballaya Choda may have formed an alliance against Pruthviswara, although the exact circumstances of their union remain unclear. It is likely that Pruthviswara's invasion of coastal Andhra united these forces against him, and in the ensuing battle, he was slain. His death marked the collapse of the Velanati dynasty, with their territories subsequently falling into the hands of the Kakatiya monarch, further consolidating Ganapati's power in the region.[25][26]

Aftermath

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By A.D. 1209, Ganapatideva, the Kakatiya monarch, had successfully annexed the regions of Kammanadu and Velanadu into his expanding kingdom. This is evidenced by the earliest record of his reign in the Idupulapadu inscription located in the Chennakesava temple, situated in the Bapatla taluk. The full consolidation of these regions into the Kakatiya realm was further affirmed by A.D. 1213, when Ganapatideva appointed Jayapa Senani as the governor of Velanadu, as recorded in the Chebrolu inscription.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 602.
  2. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 601-602.
  3. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 602.
  4. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 602.
  5. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 602.
  6. ^ Dr. P.v. Parabrahma Sastry (1978). The Kakatiyas (of Warangal). p. 107.
  7. ^ Alekhya Punjala (2016). Rani Rudrama Devi. p. 11.
  8. ^ Yashoda Devi (1933). The History Of Andhra Country 1000 A D 1500 A D. p. 63.
  9. ^ Sharma, R. S. (1957). A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 4 Part 1. p. 212.
  10. ^ Raghunadha Rao, P. (1993). Ancient and medieval history of Andhra Pradesh. Internet Archive. New Delhi : Sterling Publishers. p. 62. ISBN 978-81-207-1495-3.
  11. ^ M N Sarma And M V Sastry (1995). History Culture Of The Andhras. p. 73.
  12. ^ N G Ranga (1984). Kakatiya Nayaks Their Contribution To Dakshinapathas Independence 1300 1370 Ad. p. 29.
  13. ^ Yashoda Devi (1933). The History Of Andhra Country 1000 A D 1500 A D. p. 63.
  14. ^ Raghunadha Rao, P. (1993). Ancient and medieval history of Andhra Pradesh. Internet Archive. New Delhi : Sterling Publishers. p. 62. ISBN 978-81-207-1495-3.
  15. ^ M N Sarma And M V Sastry (1995). History Culture Of The Andhras. p. 73-74.
  16. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 602.
  17. ^ Sharma, R. S. (1957). A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 4 Part 1. p. 212.
  18. ^ Dr. P.v. Parabrahma Sastry (1978). The Kakatiyas (of Warangal). p. 107-108.
  19. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 603.
  20. ^ Sharma, R. S. (1957). A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 4 Part 1. p. 212.
  21. ^ Dr. P.v. Parabrahma Sastry (1978). The Kakatiyas (of Warangal). p. 108.
  22. ^ Alekhya Punjala (2016). Rani Rudrama Devi. p. 12.
  23. ^ Raghunadha Rao, P. (1993). Ancient and medieval history of Andhra Pradesh. Internet Archive. New Delhi : Sterling Publishers. p. 62. ISBN 978-81-207-1495-3.
  24. ^ M N Sarma And M V Sastry (1995). History Culture Of The Andhras. p. 74.
  25. ^ Yazdani, G. (1960). Early History of the Deccan pts.7 to 11. p. 603.
  26. ^ Yashoda Devi (1933). The History Of Andhra Country 1000 A D 1500 A D. p. 63.
  27. ^ Dr. P.v. Parabrahma Sastry (1978). The Kakatiyas (of Warangal). p. 108.
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