History of the Andhras: Upto 1565 A.D
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History of the Andhras upto 1565 A. D. DURGA PRASAD P. G. PUBLISHERS GUNTUR-10 Copies can be had from College Book Centre Guntur-4 Price Rs.40/- Pnnted at : Don Bosco Technical School Press, Ring Road. Guntur - 522 007 A.P. PREFACE I have made an earnest attempt, in this book, to present a concise and clear account of the History of the Andhras upto A.D. 1565. ! do not claim that this is an original contribution on my part in the field of historical research. I have simply tried to give a dependable compendium of the best works on the subject covering all aspects. This is neither a text book nor a guide. But I hope it serves the purpose of both the under-graduate and in particular the Post-graduate students of History as a study-material for the concerned paper in their examinations. Repetition of material is unavoidable keeping in view the nature of topic-wise treatment of the subject. I express my deep sense of gratitude to all those writers whose publications ! have made use of with great profit. Also ! extend my grateful thanks to all those who have been behind me in providing the necessary spirit and enthusiasm in my en devour and those who have seen the book through the press. April, 1988. Guntur. J. DURGA PRASAD CONTENTS Pages CHAPTER I —INTRODUCTION 1. Sources of History of Andhras till 1565 A.D. 1 -5 2 Aryanization of the Andhra country and its condition in the pre-Mauryan and Mauryan periods 6-8 CHAPTER II—THE SATAVAHANAS 1. Identity of the Satavahanas 9-12 2 Homeland of the Satavahanas 12-17 3- Chronology of the Satavahanas 17-23 4. Later Sstavahana Chronology 23 - 31 5 Political History of the Satavahanas 32-36 8. The Satavahana—Western Kshtrapa Relations 36-40 7. Cultural condition under the Satavahanas 40 - 45 CHAPTER III —SUCCESSORS OF THE SATAVAHANAS 1. The Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri 46-53 2. The Brihatphalayanas 53-54 3 The Ananda Gotras 55-56 4 The Salankayanas 57-60 5. The Early Pallavas 60-70 6. The Vishnukundins 70 - S4 CHAPTER IV—THE EASTERN CHALUKYAS 1. Circumstances under which the Eastern Chslukyan rule was established 85 - 91 2, political history of the Eastern Chalukyas 91-96 3. Relationship between the Eastern Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas 97 - 102 4. The relations between the Eastern Chalukyas and the Cholas (The interference of the Western Chalu- kyas of Kalyani in the affairs of the Vengi Chalukyas) 102- 108 5 General conditions of the Eastern Chalukyan period 108-112 CHAPTER V —THE AGE OF THE CHALUKYA-CHOLAS 1. The condition of Andhra under the Chatukya-Cholas 113-118 2 The Chodas (Durjayas) of Velanadu 119-128 3 The Telugu Choda families 128-132 Pages CHAPTER VI —THE KAKATIYAS 1. Early Feudatory Rulers 133-135 2 Rudradeva 135-137 3. Ganapathideva 137-142 4. Rudramadevi 142-146 5 Prataparudra II 146 -151 5- Prataparudra and the Muslim Invasions (The Muslim Invasions on Andhra) 151 - 156 7. General conditions of the Kakatiya period 156-164 CHAPTER VII —THE AGE OF THE MUSUNURl CHIEFS AND THE REDDIS 1. The Musunuri Chiefs 165-172 2. The Reddis of Kondavidu and Rajahmundry 172-180 3- The relations between the Reddis and the Reyas of Vijayanagara 180-187 CHAPTER VIII —THE VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE 1. The origin of the Vijayanagara empire 189-198 ?- Circumstances under which the Vijayanagara empire was established 193 - 205 3 The Sangamas 205-219 4. The Saluvas 219-226 5 Tuluva Dynasty 226 - 255 G. Vijayanagara after the battle of Bannihatti (1565 A.D.) (Aravidu Dynasty) 255-258 7 General features of the Vijayanagara empire 258 - 273 Appendix A Note on the Raya Bahmani Relations 274 - 275 ILLUSTRATIONS 1st Cover Page: Sculpture from Nagarjunakonda 3rd Century 3rd Cover Page : Monolithic Car, Hampi - 15th Century. 4th Cover Page : Telugu Thalli CHAPTER Introduction 1. Sources of History of Andhras till 1565 A.D. 'History as a subject of study is more or less completely at the mercy of its sources'. It is a fact that we have no ancient or medieval literature created in Andhra which can be classified as truly historical. So it is but natural one has to depend heavily on 'Primary source material of incidental nature, created not for the purpose of communicating the history of contemporary times chronologically set forth, but to record events and impressions for political, legal and religious purposes like the epigraphs of medieval times, the quasi- historical literary works and so forth'. Just like ancient Indian history, the history of the Andhras is still in the formative stage. Though the available source material is vast, it is incomplete and at the same time diverse in nature and variety. In the last 70 years, yeomen service was rendered by eminent scholars and organisations in recover- ing the records of the past with sustained effort and in re- constructing the history of the Andhras with judicious nature. Of course, the work is still going on. The source material for the writing of ancient and medieval Andhra history can conveniently be classified under (i) archaeo- logy including epigraphs and numismatics apart from monu- ments and other ancient relics, (ii) literature, native as well as foreign, and (iii) foreign notices. 2 HISTORY OF THE ANDHRAS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES. Among the available archaeological source materials, epi- graphs or inscriptions are more copious for the ancient end medieval Andhra history. With Asokart edicts, our authentic history begins. This royal sage's rock edicts in Brahmi script at Erragudi, Rajulamandagiri, Amaravati and Kottam in Andhra reveal the extension of the Mauryan authority and its admini- strative system over the Andhra area. Bhattiprolu relic casket inscriptions datable to 200 B.C. reveal the fact that Buddhism spread far and wide in our province in that remote age. The Prakrit inscriptions in the Kanheri, Karle and Nasik caves, Naganika's Nanaghat record, Balasri's Nasik inscription and Kharavela's Guntupalli records help us a lot for the Satavahana history. Among the post-Satavahana dynasties of Andhradesa, the Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri occupy an important place. Their Nagarjunakonda, Jaggayyapeta, Amaravati and Ramireddipalle Ayaka stone pillar inscriptions constitute the sole source of information for the political, religious and social conditions of the times. The Kondamudi copper plate grant gives information about the Brihatphalayanas. Most of the inscriptions of the early Pallavas, Anandagotras, Salankayanas, Vishnukundins, Matharas, Eastern Gangas and the Eastern Chalukyas are only copper plate grants. These records gave importance to the Sanskrit language. The Brahmi script underwent transforma- tion and the Telugu script emerged. The Telugu language also found a place in the inscriptions. From the time of the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, the number of stone inscriptions increased. Inspite of some drawbacks on the part of all these inscriptions, these are the records which form the most authentic sources for the rulers, their dynastic succession, their chronology, extent of their respective kingdoms and the economic, social and cultural conditions more or less till 11th century A.D. The inscriptions in Brahmi and Vengi characters of the Hindu and the Buddhist Andhras who migrated to the South-East Asian regions from the Kalinga and Andhra coasts indicate that they established only our cultural traditions there. For the medieval Introduction 3 period of Andhra history, one can conveniently depend upon the inscriptions of the Chalukya-Cholas, Kakatiyas, Musunuris, Reddis and Vijayanagara rulers and their chieftains. Though not to the extent of epigraphs, numismatics also helps us for our history reconstruction. Coins made of several metals like gold, silver, copper or other baser metals of dif- ferent periods are available. Of the available coins of almost ail the Satavahana rulers, the number of potin (coins of a mixed character) and lead coins is more. These coins bearing the figures of an elephant, a horse, a camel etc. indicate the probable means of conveyance commonly used in that period. The ship-mast coins of Yajnasri Satakarni reveal the brisk maritime trade of the Satavahana period. From the gold coins of the Roman emperors unearthed in some parts of Andhra datable to the Satavahana-lkshvaku period, it may be concluded that the Romans carried on commerce with Andhra and paid gold dinars. Similarly some gold coins of the Eastern Chalukyan rulers Chalukya Chandra Saktivarma I and Rajaraja Narendra were discovered in Burma. The coins of the Kakatiyas were in Nandi-Nagari script while the Vijayanagara were in Nagari characters. Coins of different metals in different denominations issued in different periods help us only to some extent in knowing about the rulers, about the extent of the kingdom, and about the religious sentiments of the age. The archaeological finds of the past include stone tools, pottery, bricks, megaliths, Buddhist structural remains, Jain relics, constructions of temples, forts and palaces, sculptures and paints. A careful study of these finds throws a flood of light on the religious beliefs, the social life and the artistic excellence attained by the Andhras in the past. They reveal the evolutionary process of the Telugu culture. LITERARY SOURCES. The literary sources for ancient and medieval Andhra history may be divided into indigenous and foreign. Early references to the Andhras were found in indigenous literature which includes sriti and smriti works like the Aitareya Brahmana, 4 HISTORY OF THE ANDHRAS the Epics, the Puranas, the early Buddhist and Jain works. Gunadhya's Brhatkatha, Hala's Gathasaptasati and Vatsyayana's Kamasutras reflected the social and cultural life of the Sata- vahana period. Mention was made to the details of the Rashtrakuta-Eastern Chalukya conflicts in poet Pampa's Gade- yuddha and Vikramarjuna Vijaya, both Kannada Kavyas, His- torical data relating to the Kakatiya, Reddi and Vijayanagara times was obtained from the Sanskrit and Telugu literary works dedicated by poets and scholars to their royal and princely patrons.