Kamma or Kammavaru or Karma Nayaka or Kamma Nayaka are a social group found largely in the Southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Kamma population was about 65 lacs. [1]
Buddist Origin
The theory is that the people who lived in the Krishna river valley, came from Indus Valley settlements between 5ooo BC and 2000 BC due to many reasons, where Buddhism prevailed, got the name from the Theravada Buddhist concept of Karma (in Sanskrit).[5] This region was once known as Karma rastram / Kammarattam / Kammanadu, Inscriptions mentioning Kammanadu are available since 3rd century C.E.
According to a Genetic sample survey .....
The social group Kamma is identified as consisting of haplogroup R2 DNA . They may be migrated from Indus Valley to Andhra Pradesh between 5000BC and 2000 BC. Interestingly, the other social groups with highest concentration of R2 DNA are
| Jaunpur Kshatriya | Uttar Pradesh | India | 87.23% | |||
. | Kamma Nayaka/Nayudu | Andhra Pradesh | India | 73.3% | ||
. | Kappu Naidu | Andhra Pradesh | India | 72.2% | ||
. | Komati | Andhra Pradesh | India | 70% | ||
. | Sinte Romany | Uzbekista | 53% | |||
. | Bihar Yadav | Bihar | India | 50% | ||
. | Khandayat | Orissa | India | 46% | ||
. | Kurmanj | Georgia | 44% | |||
. | Kallar | Tamil Nadu | India | 44% | ||
. | Lodha | India | 43% | |||
. | Gaibunda | Bangladesh | 40% | |||
. | Sinhalese | Sri Lanka | 38.46% | |||
. | Jaunpur | Uttar Pradesh | India | 36.17% | ||
. | Bihar Baniya | Bihar | India | 36% | ||
. | Gounder | Tamil Nadu | India | 35% | ||
. | Bhargavas (North India) | India | 32.29% | |||
. | Chaturvedis (North India) | India | 31.8% | |||
. | Vanniyar | Tamil Nadu | India | 30% | ||
. | Lingayat | Karnataka | India | 30% |
. | Dhangar | Maharashtra | 29% | |||||||
. | Newar | 25.8% | ||||||||
. | Reddy | Andhra Pradesh | 25% | |||||||
. | Kota(South India) | 25% | ||||||||
. | Punjab Brahmin | Punjab | 25% |
Population status
Seemandra = 45 lacs
(Sarcar Seema = 27 lacs, Arcot Nawab Seema 12 lacs, Rayalaseema = 6 lacs)
Telangana = 3 %
Karnataka state = 2%
Tamil Nadu = 3%
Tamil Nadu = 3%
Kammas even though warriers, landlords, farming community found some dynasties , rulers during the course of time. The dynasties identified as kammas by some historians are as follows, (These dynasties are found in recent past i.e. 1 C.E. to 2000 C.E. Before 1 C.E. the history of Kammas is still unknown).
Vishukudian, Kakatiyan, Vijayanagar Sri Krishna Devaraya family, Musunuri Nayakas, Palnati Rajus, Kota Rajas, Vasireddy Rajas, Ravella Nayaks, Samineni Rajas, Suryadevara Rajas, Yarlagadda Rajas, Pemmasani Rajas, Manchikonda Rajas, Bollini Rajas, etc.
Famous personalities in Kammas
Yugandar - Malik Maqbul (Priminister of Delhi), Kakati Pratap Rudra I & II, Krishna Deva Raya, Anguraju, Ravella Timma Nayaka, Vasireddy Vekatadri Nayaka, Vishnukundian Madhava Varman, Betharaja, Kakati Ganapathideva etc.
Some Historical Heroes :
Malik Maqbul :
Gannama Nayaka, also known as Yugandhar or Nagaya Ganna is General of Warangal Kakatiya army. After the fall of Kakatiya kingdom Yugandhar was converted to Islam and given the name Malik Maqbul[4]. Malik Maqbul was initially made the governor of Multan and sent to administer Punjab[6]. He ruled Multan as his fief. After that he return to Delhi after sometime, Maqbul earned the trust of Tughlaq. He accompanied the sultan on an expedition to Gujarat to subdue the rebels in Broach. He put all the rebels to death and captured enormous amount of wealth[8]. Subsequently, by making himself indispensable in the Delhi durbar (court), he became the finance minister and finally, the Wazir, of the Delhi Sultanate under Feroz Shah Tughlaq[9]. When Feroz Shah was away on a Campaign to Sind and Gujarat for six months and no news was available about his whereabouts Maqbul ably protected Delhi[10]. He was the most highly favoured among the significant number of the nobles in Feroz Shah's court and retained the trust of the sultan[11]. Feroz Shah used to call Maqbul as 'brother'. The sultan even remarked that Khan-i-Jahan was the real ruler of Delhi. The fiscal and general administration were entirely left to Maqbul. On his part, Maqbul never exceeded his powers, and kept the sultan fully informed. He was also scrupulously honest. Although he did take presents from the governors of the provinces, he entered them in the royal treasury. He was also strict in collecting government dues. His powers, however, were restricted by the auditor (mustaufi) and by the Accountant-General (mushrif). Sometimes it led to bitter disputes in which the sultan mediated[12]. On one occasion, Maqbul threatened to leave for Mecca when he came into conflict with Ain-i-Mahru, the Accountant General. Sultan had to retrench Ain-i-Mahru. 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[13].
Kota Vamsa
Kota Vamsam in Telugu means Fort Dynasty and is used to refer to the medieval dynasty which ruled over a small region of Andhra Pradesh (Guntur district) with Dharanikota as their capital from around 8th century AD to the mid 12th century AD. Kota Kings were of Dhananjaya Gotra and are considered to be the ancestors of Kammas.
From the Chalukya period (around 7th century AD), there were small dynasties ruling over parts of Andhra. Amongst them were the Parichedis, Chagis, Kalachuris and the Kota Kings (Kota Vamsa). Kota Kings initially patronised Jainism and later on they also patronised Hinduism like the Chalukyas. They favoured Shaivism and their family god was Amareswara of Amaravati. They built several Hindu temples during their reign.
Some historians mention that Dhanunjaya gotra of Kota Kings might have come from there ancestor Prince Dhananjaya who ruled Madhyadesa.[8], but the exact origin of this semi mythical Prince Dhananjaya is still contradicted by different historians due to lack of more information[9].
Kota Kings most of the time of their reign enjoyed independent rule, while in their later stage of their reign they became subordinates of Kakatiyas. Kota Kings had lot of political successes during their reign. Kota Vamsa was closely connected by marriage ties with the Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Paricchedis, Chagis and Kalachuris. Kota Betaraja married Ganapamba, daughter of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva. Kota Betaraja was the last ruler of the Kota Dynasty which ended in 1268 AD.
Much information about the initial Kota Kings is not exactly known, Kota Hariseemakrishna was said to be the founder of the Kota dynasty [3][10]. Basing on inscriptions of later Kota kings, Kota Bhimaraja ruled in 11th century AD.
List of the later Kota Kings (rulers): [13]
Kota Bhimaraja I - 1100 AD.
Kota Keta - 1130 AD.
Kota Bhimaraja II.
Kota Keta II - 1182 AD to 1232 AD
Kota Rudraraju.
Kota Betaraja - 1268 AD.
Two Kamma chieftains, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka and Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka lead the Kakatiya kingdom with Prataparudra. After the fall of Warangal they united the Nayaka chieftains, wrested Warangal from the Delhi Sultanate and ruled for 50 years (2).
Kammas empowered the Vijayanagar kingdom. During the Vijayanagar rule they concured half of indian land from Tamilnadu, Andhra, Karnataka upto upper Orissa, Madhyapradesh and sustained Hidu culture fighting against Bahamany sulthans. Kamma Nayaks formed the bulwark of Vijayanagara army and were Governors in Tanjore, Madurai and Coimbatore areas of Tamil Nadu. The famous Kamma emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya flourished the glory of Vijayanagara kingdom to a wide region. He is very wise and organized. All leaders of Vijayanagara are so brave, deterministic, hard working and honest patriots.
In medieval times the region now known as Palnadu, which was named after the Pallavas that ruled there, was called Kammanadu, indicating that they may have been present for a very long time (2). The famous Kamma kings among palnadu are Bhrammanaidu, Nalagama raju, Balachandradu.
One of the well-known provinicial rajas that is linked to the Kamma community is the Vasireddy dynasty in Amaravati, established around 1413 AD. The prominent ruler was Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu
Kakatiya Dynasty
The Kakatiya Dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that ruled parts of what is now Andhra Pradesh, India from 1083 to 1323. They were one of the great Telugu kingdoms that lasted for centuries.
Origins
During the 10th and 11th centuries the Vengi region came under the rule of Kalyani chalukyas and the Chola at differnt times. The time period between 1000CE and 1118CE saw repeated wars between these two powerful kingdoms for control of Vengi. The Kakatiya dynasty ruled as Chalukya feudatories over parts of present day Andhra Pradesh during this time. After the death of Chalukya Vikramaditya VI in 1126AD, The 12th and the 13th centuries saw the emergence of the Kakatiyas. They were at first the feudatories of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyana, ruling over a small territory near Warangal. A ruler of this dynasty, Prola II, who ruled from A.D.1110 to 1158, extended his sway to the south and declared his independence. His successor Rudra (A.D.1158--1195) pushed the kingdom to the north up to the Godavari delta. He built a fort at Warangal to serve as a second capital and faced the invasions of the Yadavas of Devagiri. The next ruler Mahadeva extended the kingdom to the coastal area. In A.D.1199, Ganapati succeeded him. He was the greatest of the Kakatiyas and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire Telugu area under one rule. He put an end to the rule of the Velanati Cholas in A.D.1210. He forced the Telugu Cholas of Vikramasimhapura to accept his suzerainty. He established order in his vast dominion and encouraged trade.
As Ganapati Deva had no sons, his daughter Rudramba succeeded him in A.D.1262 and carried on the administration. Some generals, who did not like to be ruled by her, rebelled. She could, however, suppress the internal rebellions and external invasions with the help of loyal subordinates. The Cholas and the Yadavas suffered such set backs at her hands that they did not think of troubling her for the rest of her rule.
Prataparudra succeeded his grandmother Rudramba in A.D.1295 and ruled till A.D.1323. He pushed the western border of his kingdom up to Raichur. He introduced many administrative reforms. He divided the kingdom into 75 Nayakships, which was later adopted and developed by the Rayas of Vijayanagara. In his time the territory constituting Andhra Pradesh had the first experience of a Muslim invasion. In A.D.1303, the Delhi Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji sent an army to plunder the kingdom. But Prataparudra defeated them at Upparapalli in Karimnagar district. In A.D. 1310, when another army under Malik Kafur invaded Warangal, Prataparudra yielded and agreed to pay a large tribute. In A.D.1318, when Ala-ud-din Khilji died, Prataparudra withheld the tribute. It provoked another invasion of the Muslims. In A.D.1321, Ghiaz-ud-din Tughlaq sent a large army under Ulugh Khan to conquer the Telugu country then called Tilling. He laid siege to Warangal, but owing to internal dissensions he called off the siege and returned to Delhi. Within a short period, he came back with a much bigger army. In spite of unpreparedness, Prataparudra fought bravely. For want of supplies, he surrendered to the enemy who sent him to Delhi as a prisoner, and he died on the way. Thus ended the Kakatiya rule, opening the gates of the Telugu land to anarchy and confusion yielding place to an alien ruler.
The Kakatiya period was rightly called the brightest period of the Telugu history. The entire Telugu speaking area was under the kings who spoke Telugu and encouraged Telugu. They established order throughout the strife torn land and the forts built by them played a dominant role in the defence of the realm. Anumakonda and Gandikota among the 'giridurgas', Kandur and Narayanavanam among the 'vanadurgas', Divi and Kolanu among the 'jaladurgas', and Warangal and Dharanikota among the 'sthaladurgas' were reckoned as the most famous strongholds in the Kakatiya period. The administration of the kingdom was organized with accent on the military.
Though Saivism continued to be the religion of the masses, intellectuals favoured revival of Vedic rituals. They sought to reconcile the Vaishnavites and the Saivites through the worship of Harihara. Arts and literature found patrons in the Kakatiyas and their feudatories. Tikkana Somayaji, who adorned the court of the Telugu Chola ruler Manumasiddhi II, wrote the last 15 cantos of the Mahabharata which was lying unfinished. Sanskrit, which could not find a place in the Muslim-occupied north, received encouragement at the hands of the Kakatiyas. Prataparudra was himself a writer and he encouraged other literature.
The Kakatiya dynasty expressed itself best through religious art. Kakatiya art preserved the balance between architecture and sculpture, that is, while valuing sculpture, it laid emphasis on architecture where due. The Kakatiya temples, dedicated mostly to Siva, reveal in their construction a happy blending of the styles of North India and South India which influenced the political life of the Deccan.
The most important of these temples are those at Palampeta, Hanamkonda and the incomplete one in the Warangal fort. The temple at Palampeta, described as the 'brightest gem in the galaxy of Medieval Deccan temple architecture', was constructed by Recherla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya Ganapati, in S.1135 (A.D.1213). The figures in the temple are of a heterogeneous character comprising gods, goddesses, warriors, acrobats, musicians, mithuna pairs in abnormal attitudes and dancing girls. The sculptures, especially of the dancing girls, possess the suggestion of movement and pulsating life. A striking peculiarity of this temple is the figure-brackets which spring from the shoulders of the outer pillars of the temple. The figure-brackets are mere ornaments and represent the intermediate stage between their earlier analogues at Sanchi and the later examples at Vijayanagara.
The Thousand-Pillared Temple at Hanamkonda, built by the Kakatiya king Rudra in A.D.1162, is similar in style and workmanship to the Ramappa temple. This temple, dedicated to Siva, Vishnu and Surya, is star-shaped. The Nandi pavilion, in which a huge granite bull still stands, the beautiful entrances to the shrine, the pierced slabs used for screens and windows, and the elegant open work by which the bracket-shafts are attached to the pillars are the other most interesting features of this temple.
The temple in the Warangal fort, believed to have been built by Kakatiya Ganapati, was constructed making use of large slabs. The floor of the shrine is beautifully polished and shines like a mirror. An interesting feature of this temple is the four gateways called 'Kirti Stambhas' which face the four cardinal points of the compass. In their design the gateways are reminiscent of the 'toranas' of the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The architecture and sculpture of these temples are thus conventional to a degree but no one can deny their magnificence nor can any one fail to see the rich imagination, patient industry and skilful workmanship of the builders of the temples of the Kakatiya period.
Fall of the dynasty
The queen Rudramadevi was succeeded by her grandson Prataparudra (1295-1323). Prataparudra expanded borders towards the west, whilst introducing many administrative reforms, some of which were also later adopted in the Vijayanagar empire. However, the empire was under threat from the Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji. Despite defeating the first wave of attack from the Delhi Sultanate in 1303, in 1310 the invading army defeated the King. After agreeing to a large tribute the kingdom was spared. However, after Khilji's death the tribute was withheld which provoked the final and fatal attack on the Kingdom in 1323. Prataparudra was captured by Ulugh Khan (later known as Muhammad bin Tughluq) and died en route to Delhi.
The Kakatiya dynasty ended and resulted in confusion and anarchy under alien rulers for sometime.Two cousins belonging to Musunuri clan kapayya nayudu and prola nayudu who served as army chiefs for Kakatiya kingdom later united the Telugu people and recovered Warangal from the Delhi Sultanate and ruled for half a century.
Legacy
The Kakatiya dynasty is regarded as one of the golden ages in Telugu history. The kingdom was ruled by Telugu speaking hindu rulers who encouraged literature, art and architecture. The Thousand-pillar Temple in Hanmakonda (now merged with Warangal) stands as testimony to this. And the famous Kohinoor diamond which was unearthed near the Golconda fort during their reign, was among the booty carried.
Jayapa Nayudu or Jayapa Senani was the military commander under Ganapatideva, the Kakatiya king who ruled Andhra Pradesh during the medieval period from his seat in Warangal.
The defeat of Velanati Chodas at the hands of Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva (1241 CE) led to many Nayaka warriors migrating to Warangal and joining the Kakatiya army. Jayapa Nayudu, a valiant commander from Kammanadu, was made the chief of the elephant wing in the army.[1] Emperor Ganapatideva married Naramma and Peramma, sisters of Jayapa.
Jayapa belonged to Ayya Vamsa (clan) of Durjaya lineage. He was the son of Pinna Choda whose father Narappa was the governor of the estuary region of river Krishna, also known as Diviseema. Narappa had four sons Choda, Pina Choda, Bhima and Brahma. All the brothers served as commanders in the army of Velanati Choda kings.
Jayapa participated in the Kalinga conquest of Ganapatideva and was honoured with the title “Vairigodhuma Gharatta”. He built a temple (Ganapeswara) in the honour of Ganapatideva and made a grant of many villages to the temple (1231 CE). He built another temple (Chodeswara) in the name of his father Pinna Choda in Chebrolu (Guntur district) and made a grant of Modukuru village to meet the temple expenses. According to the Chebrolu inscription (1235 CE, April 21) he also built two-storied quarters in two rows for Devadasis (Temple dancers) in front of the temple. Jayapa must have been an accomplished master of dance because his Sanskrit treatise “Nritya Ratnavali” is an authoritative text on Indian dance.
Jayapa is the first person who wrote about the dances prevalent in Andhra Pradesh. Both Desi and Margi forms of dances have been included in Nritya Ratnavali. It contains eight chapters. Folk dance forms like Perani, Prenkhana, Suddha Nartana, Carcari, Rasaka, Danda Rasaka, Shiva Priya, Kanduka Nartana, Bhandika Nrityam, Carana Nrityam, Chindu, Gondali and Kolatam are described. In the first chapter the author deals with discussion of the differences between Marga and desi, tandava and lasya, Natya and nritta. In the 2nd and 3rd chapters he deals with angikabhinaya, caris, Sthanakas and mandalas. In the 4th Chapter Karnas, angaharas and recakas are described. In following chapters he described the local dance forms i.e. desi nritya. In the last chapter he deals with art and practice of dance.
In recent times N.T. Rama Rao created a history for Kammas. He is a legend forever and ever in the democratic yug. He is the first kamma ruler in this Democratic Yug.
The biggest deceiver of Kamma community is none other than great Ramoji Rao ? who is said to be cheating kammas with Margadarsi finance? (as said by congress MP Undavalli). Most of the important positions in his organisations are also giving to hated Brahmins depriving of Kammas. He used kammas to earn crores of rupees and feeding brahmins with higher salaries and posts. Kammas were kicked off from his organisation with brahmins as said by some former employees. Kammas in his organisation are treated as slaves and insulted very much. Some women were also exploied by this Ravanji family? as said by his keen observers.
If Nara Chandra Babu should protect the kammas from this Ravanji Family other wise his TDP party may loose kamma vote bank forever! and go to Bangalakatham. Because Kammas are not slaves to TDP Party!.
Kamma people and settlers of Telangana already started leaving TDP nd joining BJP in recent times. Kamma people were so much angry for Ramoji 's anty kamma policies.
Famous personalities in Kammas
Yugandar - Malik Maqbul (Priminister of Delhi), Kakati Pratap Rudra I & II, Krishna Deva Raya, Anguraju, Ravella Timma Nayaka, Vasireddy Vekatadri Nayaka, Vishnukundian Madhava Varman, Betharaja, Kakati Ganapathideva etc.
Some Historical Heroes :
Malik Maqbul :
Gannama Nayaka, also known as Yugandhar or Nagaya Ganna is General of Warangal Kakatiya army. After the fall of Kakatiya kingdom Yugandhar was converted to Islam and given the name Malik Maqbul[4]. Malik Maqbul was initially made the governor of Multan and sent to administer Punjab[6]. He ruled Multan as his fief. After that he return to Delhi after sometime, Maqbul earned the trust of Tughlaq. He accompanied the sultan on an expedition to Gujarat to subdue the rebels in Broach. He put all the rebels to death and captured enormous amount of wealth[8]. Subsequently, by making himself indispensable in the Delhi durbar (court), he became the finance minister and finally, the Wazir, of the Delhi Sultanate under Feroz Shah Tughlaq[9]. When Feroz Shah was away on a Campaign to Sind and Gujarat for six months and no news was available about his whereabouts Maqbul ably protected Delhi[10]. He was the most highly favoured among the significant number of the nobles in Feroz Shah's court and retained the trust of the sultan[11]. Feroz Shah used to call Maqbul as 'brother'. The sultan even remarked that Khan-i-Jahan was the real ruler of Delhi. The fiscal and general administration were entirely left to Maqbul. On his part, Maqbul never exceeded his powers, and kept the sultan fully informed. He was also scrupulously honest. Although he did take presents from the governors of the provinces, he entered them in the royal treasury. He was also strict in collecting government dues. His powers, however, were restricted by the auditor (mustaufi) and by the Accountant-General (mushrif). Sometimes it led to bitter disputes in which the sultan mediated[12]. On one occasion, Maqbul threatened to leave for Mecca when he came into conflict with Ain-i-Mahru, the Accountant General. Sultan had to retrench Ain-i-Mahru. 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[13].
Firoz Shah gave an undertaking that the position of Wazir will be inherited by Maqbul's son. After the death of Maqbul in 1369 CE, his son Jauna Khan became the Wazir[14]. Jauna Khan was as competent as his father but he was no military leader. He failed in the conflict for succession, which began even during the lifetime of Feroz Shah. Jauna Khan was captured and executed.
Kota Vamsa
Kota Vamsam in Telugu means Fort Dynasty and is used to refer to the medieval dynasty which ruled over a small region of Andhra Pradesh (Guntur district) with Dharanikota as their capital from around 8th century AD to the mid 12th century AD. Kota Kings were of Dhananjaya Gotra and are considered to be the ancestors of Kammas.
Some historians mention that Dhanunjaya gotra of Kota Kings might have come from there ancestor Prince Dhananjaya who ruled Madhyadesa.[8], but the exact origin of this semi mythical Prince Dhananjaya is still contradicted by different historians due to lack of more information[9].
Kota Kings most of the time of their reign enjoyed independent rule, while in their later stage of their reign they became subordinates of Kakatiyas. Kota Kings had lot of political successes during their reign. Kota Vamsa was closely connected by marriage ties with the Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Paricchedis, Chagis and Kalachuris. Kota Betaraja married Ganapamba, daughter of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva. Kota Betaraja was the last ruler of the Kota Dynasty which ended in 1268 AD.
Much information about the initial Kota Kings is not exactly known, Kota Hariseemakrishna was said to be the founder of the Kota dynasty [3][10]. Basing on inscriptions of later Kota kings, Kota Bhimaraja ruled in 11th century AD.
List of the later Kota Kings (rulers): [13]
Kota Bhimaraja I - 1100 AD.
Kota Keta - 1130 AD.
Kota Bhimaraja II.
Kota Keta II - 1182 AD to 1232 AD
Kota Rudraraju.
Kota Betaraja - 1268 AD.
Two Kamma chieftains, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka and Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka lead the Kakatiya kingdom with Prataparudra. After the fall of Warangal they united the Nayaka chieftains, wrested Warangal from the Delhi Sultanate and ruled for 50 years (2).
Kammas empowered the Vijayanagar kingdom. During the Vijayanagar rule they concured half of indian land from Tamilnadu, Andhra, Karnataka upto upper Orissa, Madhyapradesh and sustained Hidu culture fighting against Bahamany sulthans. Kamma Nayaks formed the bulwark of Vijayanagara army and were Governors in Tanjore, Madurai and Coimbatore areas of Tamil Nadu. The famous Kamma emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya flourished the glory of Vijayanagara kingdom to a wide region. He is very wise and organized. All leaders of Vijayanagara are so brave, deterministic, hard working and honest patriots.
In medieval times the region now known as Palnadu, which was named after the Pallavas that ruled there, was called Kammanadu, indicating that they may have been present for a very long time (2). The famous Kamma kings among palnadu are Bhrammanaidu, Nalagama raju, Balachandradu.
One of the well-known provinicial rajas that is linked to the Kamma community is the Vasireddy dynasty in Amaravati, established around 1413 AD. The prominent ruler was Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu
Kakatiya Dynasty
The Kakatiya Dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that ruled parts of what is now Andhra Pradesh, India from 1083 to 1323. They were one of the great Telugu kingdoms that lasted for centuries.
Origins
During the 10th and 11th centuries the Vengi region came under the rule of Kalyani chalukyas and the Chola at differnt times. The time period between 1000CE and 1118CE saw repeated wars between these two powerful kingdoms for control of Vengi. The Kakatiya dynasty ruled as Chalukya feudatories over parts of present day Andhra Pradesh during this time. After the death of Chalukya Vikramaditya VI in 1126AD, The 12th and the 13th centuries saw the emergence of the Kakatiyas. They were at first the feudatories of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyana, ruling over a small territory near Warangal. A ruler of this dynasty, Prola II, who ruled from A.D.1110 to 1158, extended his sway to the south and declared his independence. His successor Rudra (A.D.1158--1195) pushed the kingdom to the north up to the Godavari delta. He built a fort at Warangal to serve as a second capital and faced the invasions of the Yadavas of Devagiri. The next ruler Mahadeva extended the kingdom to the coastal area. In A.D.1199, Ganapati succeeded him. He was the greatest of the Kakatiyas and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire Telugu area under one rule. He put an end to the rule of the Velanati Cholas in A.D.1210. He forced the Telugu Cholas of Vikramasimhapura to accept his suzerainty. He established order in his vast dominion and encouraged trade.
As Ganapati Deva had no sons, his daughter Rudramba succeeded him in A.D.1262 and carried on the administration. Some generals, who did not like to be ruled by her, rebelled. She could, however, suppress the internal rebellions and external invasions with the help of loyal subordinates. The Cholas and the Yadavas suffered such set backs at her hands that they did not think of troubling her for the rest of her rule.
Prataparudra succeeded his grandmother Rudramba in A.D.1295 and ruled till A.D.1323. He pushed the western border of his kingdom up to Raichur. He introduced many administrative reforms. He divided the kingdom into 75 Nayakships, which was later adopted and developed by the Rayas of Vijayanagara. In his time the territory constituting Andhra Pradesh had the first experience of a Muslim invasion. In A.D.1303, the Delhi Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji sent an army to plunder the kingdom. But Prataparudra defeated them at Upparapalli in Karimnagar district. In A.D. 1310, when another army under Malik Kafur invaded Warangal, Prataparudra yielded and agreed to pay a large tribute. In A.D.1318, when Ala-ud-din Khilji died, Prataparudra withheld the tribute. It provoked another invasion of the Muslims. In A.D.1321, Ghiaz-ud-din Tughlaq sent a large army under Ulugh Khan to conquer the Telugu country then called Tilling. He laid siege to Warangal, but owing to internal dissensions he called off the siege and returned to Delhi. Within a short period, he came back with a much bigger army. In spite of unpreparedness, Prataparudra fought bravely. For want of supplies, he surrendered to the enemy who sent him to Delhi as a prisoner, and he died on the way. Thus ended the Kakatiya rule, opening the gates of the Telugu land to anarchy and confusion yielding place to an alien ruler.
The Kakatiya period was rightly called the brightest period of the Telugu history. The entire Telugu speaking area was under the kings who spoke Telugu and encouraged Telugu. They established order throughout the strife torn land and the forts built by them played a dominant role in the defence of the realm. Anumakonda and Gandikota among the 'giridurgas', Kandur and Narayanavanam among the 'vanadurgas', Divi and Kolanu among the 'jaladurgas', and Warangal and Dharanikota among the 'sthaladurgas' were reckoned as the most famous strongholds in the Kakatiya period. The administration of the kingdom was organized with accent on the military.
Though Saivism continued to be the religion of the masses, intellectuals favoured revival of Vedic rituals. They sought to reconcile the Vaishnavites and the Saivites through the worship of Harihara. Arts and literature found patrons in the Kakatiyas and their feudatories. Tikkana Somayaji, who adorned the court of the Telugu Chola ruler Manumasiddhi II, wrote the last 15 cantos of the Mahabharata which was lying unfinished. Sanskrit, which could not find a place in the Muslim-occupied north, received encouragement at the hands of the Kakatiyas. Prataparudra was himself a writer and he encouraged other literature.
The Kakatiya dynasty expressed itself best through religious art. Kakatiya art preserved the balance between architecture and sculpture, that is, while valuing sculpture, it laid emphasis on architecture where due. The Kakatiya temples, dedicated mostly to Siva, reveal in their construction a happy blending of the styles of North India and South India which influenced the political life of the Deccan.
The most important of these temples are those at Palampeta, Hanamkonda and the incomplete one in the Warangal fort. The temple at Palampeta, described as the 'brightest gem in the galaxy of Medieval Deccan temple architecture', was constructed by Recherla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya Ganapati, in S.1135 (A.D.1213). The figures in the temple are of a heterogeneous character comprising gods, goddesses, warriors, acrobats, musicians, mithuna pairs in abnormal attitudes and dancing girls. The sculptures, especially of the dancing girls, possess the suggestion of movement and pulsating life. A striking peculiarity of this temple is the figure-brackets which spring from the shoulders of the outer pillars of the temple. The figure-brackets are mere ornaments and represent the intermediate stage between their earlier analogues at Sanchi and the later examples at Vijayanagara.
The Thousand-Pillared Temple at Hanamkonda, built by the Kakatiya king Rudra in A.D.1162, is similar in style and workmanship to the Ramappa temple. This temple, dedicated to Siva, Vishnu and Surya, is star-shaped. The Nandi pavilion, in which a huge granite bull still stands, the beautiful entrances to the shrine, the pierced slabs used for screens and windows, and the elegant open work by which the bracket-shafts are attached to the pillars are the other most interesting features of this temple.
The temple in the Warangal fort, believed to have been built by Kakatiya Ganapati, was constructed making use of large slabs. The floor of the shrine is beautifully polished and shines like a mirror. An interesting feature of this temple is the four gateways called 'Kirti Stambhas' which face the four cardinal points of the compass. In their design the gateways are reminiscent of the 'toranas' of the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The architecture and sculpture of these temples are thus conventional to a degree but no one can deny their magnificence nor can any one fail to see the rich imagination, patient industry and skilful workmanship of the builders of the temples of the Kakatiya period.
Fall of the dynasty
The queen Rudramadevi was succeeded by her grandson Prataparudra (1295-1323). Prataparudra expanded borders towards the west, whilst introducing many administrative reforms, some of which were also later adopted in the Vijayanagar empire. However, the empire was under threat from the Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji. Despite defeating the first wave of attack from the Delhi Sultanate in 1303, in 1310 the invading army defeated the King. After agreeing to a large tribute the kingdom was spared. However, after Khilji's death the tribute was withheld which provoked the final and fatal attack on the Kingdom in 1323. Prataparudra was captured by Ulugh Khan (later known as Muhammad bin Tughluq) and died en route to Delhi.
The Kakatiya dynasty ended and resulted in confusion and anarchy under alien rulers for sometime.Two cousins belonging to Musunuri clan kapayya nayudu and prola nayudu who served as army chiefs for Kakatiya kingdom later united the Telugu people and recovered Warangal from the Delhi Sultanate and ruled for half a century.
Legacy
The Kakatiya dynasty is regarded as one of the golden ages in Telugu history. The kingdom was ruled by Telugu speaking hindu rulers who encouraged literature, art and architecture. The Thousand-pillar Temple in Hanmakonda (now merged with Warangal) stands as testimony to this. And the famous Kohinoor diamond which was unearthed near the Golconda fort during their reign, was among the booty carried.
Jayapa Nayudu or Jayapa Senani was the military commander under Ganapatideva, the Kakatiya king who ruled Andhra Pradesh during the medieval period from his seat in Warangal.
The defeat of Velanati Chodas at the hands of Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva (1241 CE) led to many Nayaka warriors migrating to Warangal and joining the Kakatiya army. Jayapa Nayudu, a valiant commander from Kammanadu, was made the chief of the elephant wing in the army.[1] Emperor Ganapatideva married Naramma and Peramma, sisters of Jayapa.
Jayapa participated in the Kalinga conquest of Ganapatideva and was honoured with the title “Vairigodhuma Gharatta”. He built a temple (Ganapeswara) in the honour of Ganapatideva and made a grant of many villages to the temple (1231 CE). He built another temple (Chodeswara) in the name of his father Pinna Choda in Chebrolu (Guntur district) and made a grant of Modukuru village to meet the temple expenses. According to the Chebrolu inscription (1235 CE, April 21) he also built two-storied quarters in two rows for Devadasis (Temple dancers) in front of the temple. Jayapa must have been an accomplished master of dance because his Sanskrit treatise “Nritya Ratnavali” is an authoritative text on Indian dance.
Jayapa is the first person who wrote about the dances prevalent in Andhra Pradesh. Both Desi and Margi forms of dances have been included in Nritya Ratnavali. It contains eight chapters. Folk dance forms like Perani, Prenkhana, Suddha Nartana, Carcari, Rasaka, Danda Rasaka, Shiva Priya, Kanduka Nartana, Bhandika Nrityam, Carana Nrityam, Chindu, Gondali and Kolatam are described. In the first chapter the author deals with discussion of the differences between Marga and desi, tandava and lasya, Natya and nritta. In the 2nd and 3rd chapters he deals with angikabhinaya, caris, Sthanakas and mandalas. In the 4th Chapter Karnas, angaharas and recakas are described. In following chapters he described the local dance forms i.e. desi nritya. In the last chapter he deals with art and practice of dance.
In recent times N.T. Rama Rao created a history for Kammas. He is a legend forever and ever in the democratic yug. He is the first kamma ruler in this Democratic Yug.
The biggest deceiver of Kamma community is none other than great Ramoji Rao ? who is said to be cheating kammas with Margadarsi finance? (as said by congress MP Undavalli). Most of the important positions in his organisations are also giving to hated Brahmins depriving of Kammas. He used kammas to earn crores of rupees and feeding brahmins with higher salaries and posts. Kammas were kicked off from his organisation with brahmins as said by some former employees. Kammas in his organisation are treated as slaves and insulted very much. Some women were also exploied by this Ravanji family? as said by his keen observers.
If Nara Chandra Babu should protect the kammas from this Ravanji Family other wise his TDP party may loose kamma vote bank forever! and go to Bangalakatham. Because Kammas are not slaves to TDP Party!.
Kamma people and settlers of Telangana already started leaving TDP nd joining BJP in recent times. Kamma people were so much angry for Ramoji 's anty kamma policies.
