Kakatiya Dynasty 083 CE to 1323 CE

The Kakatiya dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that ruled most of the Telugu speaking lands covered by current day Andhra Pradesh, India from 1083 CE to 1323 CE,with Orugallu, now Warangal, as its capital. Originally Jain but later Shaivite Hindu in nature, it was one of the great Telugu empires that lasted for centuries until the conquest by the Delhi Sultanate.

The most prominent ruler in this dynasty was Rani Rudrama Devi 1262–1289 CE, one of the few queens in Indian history.Rudrama died in November 1289 when in battle with Ambadeva, a rebel Kayastha chief. she was succeeded by her grandson, Prataparudra, whom she had adopted as her son and heir on the advice of her father, Ganapatideva.

The glory and wealth of the Kakatiya kingdom especially the fabled Goloconda mines attracted the attention of Khilji . The first foray into the Telugu kingdom was made in 1303 and was a disaster due to the resistance of the Kakatiya army in the battle at Upparapalli. A second attempt was made in 1309 by Malik Kafur(converted Hindu:transgender enuch); he managed to capture the forts of Siripur and Hanumakonda and thens. Warangal fort was taken after a prolonged siege.Kafur indulged in murder and mayhem around Warangal and this prompted Prataparudra to make a pact and offer an enormous amount of tribute(some refer it as thousands of elephants carrying treasure).

Prataparudra asserted his independence in 1320 when there was a change of power in Delhi. The Khilji dynasty ended and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq ascended the Delhi throne. In 1323, Tughlaq sent his son, Ulugh Khan, to defeat the defiant Kakatiya king. Khan’s raid was repulsed but he returned a month later with a larger and determined army. The unprepared and battle-weary army of Warangal was finally defeated, and Prataparudra with Hakka,Bukka and Gannama Nayaka were taken as prisoners. Prataparudra committed suicide by drowning himself in the Narmada River due to humiliation and prospective conversion, while being taken to Delhi. Harihara Raya and Bukkaraya with Gannama Nayaka, treasurers in the court of Warangal were converted to Islam. Warangal was placed under the control of Burhanuddin, governor of Daulatabad. The rebellion led by Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka resulted in the liberation of large parts of Telugu country in 1326 CE.

The demise of Kakatiya dynasty resulted in confusion and anarchy under alien rulers for sometime.Musunuri Nayaks, who served as army chiefs for the Kakatiya kingdom, united the various Telugu clans and recovered Warangal from the Delhi Sultanate and ruled for half a century.Three new fledgling kingdoms arose out of the ruins of the Kakatiya empire: the Reddy kingdom, Padma Nayaka Velama kingdom and the Great Vijayanagara empire.

It is worth notable that that the great Vijayanagara Empire of Hampi was raised from the ashes of Kakatiyas by Hakka and Bukka brothers. These two brothers were reconverted back to Hinduism by Acharya Vidyaranya after they escaped from Delhi.But Gannama Nayaka the erstwhile minister of Prataparudra surrendered to his fate by remaining as muslim by name Malik Maqbul.Subsequently, by making himself indispensable in the Delhi durbar (court), he became the finance minister and finally, the Wazir, of the Delhi Sultanate.Maqbul was paid annually 13 lakh tankas over and above the expenses of his army and servants and separate allowances for his sons and sons-in-law. Maqbul also maintained a retinue of 2000 concubines.