Art and Architecture under Kakatiya dynasty
5.1 Do you know
Description Image Source Ganapatideva’s reign was the longest amongst all the Kakatiya rulers, starting from 1199 till 1262 CE during which he expanded his kingdom from the coastal Bay of Bengal in the east to Kanchipuram in the south. Motupalli was the famous trading sea port of the Kakatiyas. Marco Polo- the famous Venetian traveler visited Kakatiya kingdom through this port and wrote about the prosperity and power in Andhra desha in his travelogue. Yadavas of Devgiri captured Prince Ganapatideva with the help of Kakatiya feudatories when King Mahadeva was not in the fort. Mahadeva died while trying to release Ganapatideva from the Yadavas in year 1199 CE. Recherla Rudra was an exceptionally good general of Ganapatideva who crushed all the rebellions against the king. He ruled the kingdom in the absence of Ganapatideva and also constructed many temples and tanks on behalf of the king including the famous Ramappa temple and tank.
All three contemporary dynasties of Deccan i.e. Hoysalas, Yadavas and Kakatiyas were feudatories of Kalyani Chalukyas.
Most of the temple and tank construction projects took place during Ganapatideva’s rule. The reign of later two rulers- Rudramadevi and Prataprudra II went into fighting continuous battles. Tikkanna Somayaji, Prime minister of Manumasiddhi, King of Nellore and descendant of the Kakatiyas, was a poet par excellence. Famous for his translation of the epics in Telugu, he dedicated his first literary work Nirvachanottara Ramayana to Ganapatideva. All five invasions of Delhi on Kakatiya kingdom took place during King Prataprudra II’s reign of approximately 34 years.
Second sultanate invasion of Kakatiya kingdom by Malik Kafur under Alauddin Khilji was one of the deadliest as various cities of the kingdom including Hanamkonda were ravaged by the Muslim army. Prataprudra II had to plead for peace and offered Khilji the world famous Koh-i-noor diamond from the Kakatiya treasury.
5.2 Timeline
Year in CE Event Notes
870-895 Gundaya’s reign as Rashtrakuta vassal
895-940 Ereya’s reign as Rashtrakuta vassal
973 Collapse of Rashtrakutas As ruler of Annumakonda 996-1052 Beta I’s reign as Kalyani Chalukyan vassal (Hanamkonda) 1052-1076 Prola I’s reign as Kalyani Chalukyan vassal
1076-1108 Beta II’s reign as Kalyani Chalukyan vassal
1116-1158 Prola II’s reign as Kalyani Chalukyan vassal
1149 Construction of Padmakshi temple At Hanamkonda by Prola II Rudradeva (Prataparudra I) became first Independent Kakatiya dynasty 1158 independent ruler of Kakatiya dynasty founded Rudradeva started the construction of 1163 Rudresvara Swamy temple (Thousand pillar temple) at Hanamkonda 1195 Rudradeva’s death Brother of Rudradeva. Died fighting the Yadavas of Devgiri trying to free his son 1195-1199 Mahadeva’s reign Ganapatideva who had been taken captive. However Ganapatideva was later released by the Yadavas. 1199 Ganapatideva’s reign starts Construction of Orugallu completed and the 1208 capital was shifted here from Hanamkonda.
Constructed by Kakatiya general- Recharla Rudra and Construction of Ramappa temple completed designed by architect- sculptor 1213 in Palampet Ramappa who was specially called from Karnataka for this assignment. Construction of Ramappa tank, Pakala tank 1213 and Laknavaram tank, Ghanpur group of temples Ganapatideva’s reign ends. Having no male 1262 child, he hands over the throne to his elder Rudramadevi’s reign starts. daughter- Rudramadevi 1269 Ganapatideva’s demise
Inner stone wall of Orugallu completed By generals Recherla Prasaditya Strengthening and rebuilding Golconda fort Nayak, Mallikarjuna Nayak as western defense of Kakatiya Kingdom under Rudramadevi Rudramadevi died in battle along with her 1289 general Mallikarjuna Nayak Prataparudra II’s reign starts. Prataprudra II was Rudramadevi’s grandson. Having no 1289 male child, she raised her daughter’s son as her own and as her successor 1296 Allauddin Khilji plundered Devagiri 1st invasion of Deccan by Delhi Allauddin Khilji’s invasion of Kakatiya 2nd invasion of Deccan by 1309 kingdom, captures Hanamkonda. Delhi Prataprudra II sued for peace. Third Muslim invasion of Kakatiya 1318 3rd invasion of Deccan by Delhi kingdom by Sultan Mubarak Khilji Khilji dynasty ended and Tughlaqs came to 1320 power. Taking advantage, Prataprudra II reasserted his independence. Fourth invasion of Kakatiya kingdom by Attack is repulsed by 1323 Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s son Prataprudra II Mohammed bin Tughlaq Fifth invasion of Kakatiya kingdom with Prataprudra II committed larger and more determined army. Warangal suicide by drowning himself in 1323 finally falls. Prataprudra II is taken as Narmada river while being prisoner. taken to Delhi as a prisoner 1323 Kakatiya rule comes to an end Musunuri Nayakas who had served under 1336 Kakatiyas as army chiefs snatched Warangal from Delhi and ruled for another
half a century
Prataprudra II’s brother Annamdeo runs His successors ruled Bastar till away with his army to Bastar and forms his India’s independence in 1947 own kingdom there
5.3 Web links
Web links http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/111216/asi-set-to-survey-kakatiya- temples.html http://www.telanganahighway.com/2015/12/kakatiya-dynasty.html?m=1 http://telanganamuseums.in/monuments-in-warangal.html https://telanganatoday.com/architectural-magnificence-ghanpur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=552QVDhsTCQ http://www.sciencebehindindianculture.in/earthquake-resistant-construction-technology-sandbox- used-by-kakatiyas-ramappa-temple/ http://www.aishee.org/kaladarshana/sites/warangal/ http://kammasworld.blogspot.in/2015/11/kakatiya-rulers-of-bastar-princely-state.html http://www.historydiscussion.net/history-of-india/age-of-the-kakatiyas-society-economy-polity-and- culture/2024 http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2017-07-10/Immortalising-Kakatiya-temples- digitally/311329 http://m.timesofindia.com/city/hyderabad/Kakatiya-dynasty-in-the- spotlight/articleshow/40219549.cms Various articles on Shodhganga.com
Various articles on academia.com
5.4 Bibliography
Bibliography
Social and Cultural Life in Medieval Andhra By M. Krishna Kumar
Dance in Indian painting By Kapila Vatsayan
A Social History of the Deccan, 1300-1761: Eight Indian Lives, Volume 1 By Richard M. Eaton