Medieval Trade Routes in the Kadapa Basin: A Study of Chitvel Taluka Meghna Desai1 and Arvin Raj Mathur2 1. National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore ‐ 560 012, Karnataka, India (Email:
[email protected]) 2. West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio, USA (Email:
[email protected]) Received: 26 August 2017; Revised: 21 September 2017; Accepted: 06 November 2017 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5 (2017): 343‐356 Abstract: Chitvel village (Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh) is situated in between two centres of intense political and economic activity during medieval times: the Vijayanagar capital at Hampi and the port cities of the south eastern coast. The village sits between the Sheshachalam Hills and the Velikondas the southern portion of the Kadapa basin. This location, extending from the Chatravathi River to the Cheyyeru River is known historically as “Renadu” (7,000 villages). The Telugu Cholas incorporated Renadu, but were eventually driven out by the Pallavas. The Chola‐descended Matli chiefs maintained administrative control in Renadu and eventually formed a dependency of the Vijayangar Empire. The Matli chiefs sought to profit from the trade connecting Nellore district and Ballari. Trade in the eastern coastal region known as Rayalseema led to intense struggles to control the eastern coast. The resultant construction of Siddhavattam Fort provided the Matli ruler of Chitvel with a strategic vantage point along this trade route. Present‐day roads connecting Kadapa to Nellore pass through Chitvel village and cross the Velikondas. Although this road was constructed by the Public Works division of the Madras Presidency, the presence of a Vijayanagar Gopuram in the village’s temple to Varadaraja Swamy may indicate the possibility of an older route connecting Chitvel to the densely‐populated Nellore district, allowing for the smooth passage of trade goods from Siddhavattam Fort to the coastal ports of Krishnapatnam.