Rise and Fall of the Vijayanagar Empire | History of Medieval India...

[dasari4kntr]

 

 

[dasari4kntr]

https://smartprep.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Vijayanagara-Samraajyam.pdf

[Battu123]

[kakatiya]

The discovery of India book explains this episode in great detail.

 

Also doordarshan adaptation

[dasari4kntr]

5 minutes ago, kakatiya said:

The discovery of India book explains this episode in great detail.

 

Also doordarshan adaptation

links vunte..post please..

[DummyVariable]

Visited Hampi all the time when I was young. Seema is more Vijayanagara than Kakatiya. 

[kakatiya]

40 minutes ago, DummyVariable said:

Visited Hampi all the time when I was young. Seema is more Vijayanagara than Kakatiya. 

Kakatiya and munusuru nayaks are more of Telangana ..and towards coast 

[Swatkat]

31 minutes ago, kakatiya said:

Kakatiya and munusuru nayaks are more of Telangana ..and towards coast 

Musunuru nayaks aka kamma kings were from krishna district and pemmasanis ruled raayalseema 

[Swatkat]

7 hours ago, dasari4kntr said:

 

 

The Musunuri Nayaka Dynasty is one of the most important in the history of the Telugu states. After the fall of the Kakatiya Empire, it was the Musunuri Nayaks that initially brought stability, peace, and Telugu rule back to the Telugu lands. However, very few Telugus, let alone the rest of India, know much or remember this great dynasty that gave Hindus self-rule and freedom from the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. This dynasty is called by historians as “a watershed [critical point] in the history of South India”, and historians believe that “their rule inspired the establishment of Vijayanagar Empire to defend Hindu dharma for the next five centuries.”[1] Such an important, yet forgotten, dynasty’s story should be told to future generations, and this is my attempt to tell their story.

I will divide this historical essay into fivesections: Origins, Path to Establishment of the Musunuri Dynasty, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka, Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, and the Demise and Legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty. Everything I have stated is sourced from published historians and scholars. Therefore, this entire historical text is as accurate as can be. I will also include footnotes and textual snippets for anyone who wants to check the sources, all of which are books published by scholars and historians.

Origins:

(Musunuru Village is roughly in the area shaded red in the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh)

The Musunuri Nayaks were Nayakas/Chieftains during the Kakatiya Empire. A nayaka or chieftain of that time period usually administered and ruled a regional area for an Empire, in this case for the Kakatiyas. The Musunuris were from the village of Musunuru in the Krishna Districtof Andhra Pradesh. Historians and Scholars, such as Durga Prasad, Lalita Iyer, P. Raghunadha, and Uppuluri Ganapati Sastry, have identified the Musunuri Nayaks as being a part of the Kamma community. [2][3][4][5]Besides their occupation, native village, and their community identity, not much else is known about the origins of the Musunuri Nayaks.

Path to the Establishment of the Musunuri Dynasty

After the Kakatiya Empire, the Telugu polity of the Kakatiyas disintegrated with the rule of the Delhi Sultanate. Significant amounts of the wealth of the Telugus and the Kakatiyas, including the prized Koh-I-Noor Diamond, was taken to Delhi. Moreover, according to the Vilasa Grant issued by Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka, who was the first Maharaja of the Musunuri Dynasty, the Delhi Sultanate had set up “adharma”. Prolaya Nayaka went on to describe the the horrid actions of the Delhi Sultanate: “Brahmanas were compelled to abandon their religious practices; theimages of the gods were overturned and broken; the agraharas of the learned were confiscated; the cultivators were despoiled of the fruits of their labour, and their families were impoverished and ruined.” [6]Perhaps these were exaggerations, but the devastation of the Telugu lands under the Delhi Sultanate is unquestionable, as evidenced by the destruction of Orugallu/Ekasila Nagaram, the capital of the Kakatiya Empire.

Seeing this devastation, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka united and led 75 other Telugu Nayaka Clans, most notably the Recherla Nayaks (Historians believed they were Velamas) and Prolaya Vema Reddy. [7]The Musunuri Nayaks, under the second Maharaja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, conquered back the former capital of the Kakatiyas in 1336 and completed the eviction of the Delhi Sultanate that was started by his cousin, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka. [8]Even before the conquest of Warangal, the Musunuri Nayaks Dynasty was firmly established in parts of Coastal Andhra, as evidenced by the Vilasa Inscription.

Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka was the first ruler of the Musunuri Dynasty, and he ruled until 1333. [9]His core biography of being a Kamma Chieftain in the Musunuru Region and his leadership of 75 Telugu Nayaka Clans, such as the Recherla Nayaks (Velamas) and Prolaya Vema Reddy, is described by Historian P. Raghunadha and Durga Prasad in the snippets below:

Source: Ancient and Medieval History of Andhra Pradesh [10]

Source: History of the Andhras[11]

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka led the initial rebellion against the Delhi Sultanate, and he was firmly able to establish his rule over parts of Coastal Andhra with his capital at Rekapalli in East Godavari District, near the modern-day Telangana border. Rekapalli’s strategic location on the Godavari River and near the Papikondalu (Papi Mountain Range) enabled him to control the area around the Godavari River. His subordinates, as attested by notable Andhra University Historian Somasekhara Sarma, liberated the areas around the Krishna River as part of a larger effort to rid the Telugu lands of the Delhi Sultanate.

Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayak’s rule was one that began to restore the glory of the Telugu lands after the devastation brought by the Delhi Sultanate. He restored the agraharas, which were important center of learning and Vedic thought. He revived, according to the Vilasa Grant, Hindu Sacrifices and Rituals that were restricted during the Delhi Sultanate. He established a new-tax systemwhere agriculturalists gave up 1/6 of their yields. These taxes helped the empire repair and solidify Military Forts, such as the Nagunur Fort near Karimnagar, and begin the task of administering many parts of the former-Kakatiya Empire.[12]

(Nagunur Fort, which was repaired and strengthened under the Musunuri Nayaks)

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka’s reign would be greatly remembered after his death, as evidenced by how a Brahmin scholar by the name of Vennaya named the agrahara that he received from Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka as Polavaram, which is the location of the ongoing Polavaram Dam Project.

Raja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka

(Artistic Depiction of Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka)

Following the death of Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka in 1333, Kapaya Nayaka took over and ruled until until 1370ish.[13] The reign of Kapaya Nayaka began with the total and complete eviction of the Delhi Sultanate from the former-Kakatiya capital of Warangal in 1336. Kapaya Nayaka was very successful in his endeavour, and he completed what his cousin-brother, Prolaya Nayaka, started.

Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka built on much of the work that was done by Prolaya Nayaka, including the construction and solidification of military forts. During his reign, the government administration established by Prolaya Nayaka reached its peak efficiency, which further secured the law and order situation in the Musunuri Dynasty. Moreover, his warrior prowess is unquestionable as he not only evicted the Delhi Sultanate from Warangal, but he reportedly went on military expeditions to Kalinga, as stated by Historian Somasekhara Sarma.[14]

(Khammam Fort, which was built by the Musunuri Nayaks)

He was also a diplomatic ruler to the Muslims and the Bahmanis, who broke away from the Delhi Sultanate, as evidenced by how he used the title “Sultan of the Andhra Country”,resided in the Kush Mahal that was built by the Delhi Sultanate in Warangal, and he gifted the Muhammad Shah I of the Bahmani Sultanate a turquoise throne. [15]Despite these incidents of calm and a show of goodwill, both Kapaya Nayaka and the Bahmani Sultans were warring with each other as the Bahmanis sought to subjugate the Hindu kingdoms of the Musunuri Dynasty and the newly founded Vijayanagara Empire. Though Kapaya lost some of these battles, he was still able to hang on to his domain, until the betrayal of the Recherla Clan, which will discussed in the next section.

(Kush Mahal, the location where Raja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka ruled from)

All in all, the greatness of the last ruler of the Musunuri Dynasty is best described Historian D. Yashoda in the following snippet:

Source: After the Kakatiyas [16]

Demise and Legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty

Despite the almost continuous warring with the Bahmanis, though Kapaya Nayaka was initially friendly to the Bahmanis, the Musunuri Dynasty held on in Telangana and parts of Andhra Pradesh. Due to some battle defeats, Kapaya had to cede several forts and territories to the Bahmanis. Sensing an opportunity for power, the Recherla Nayaks decided to ally with the Bahmanis. This betrayal cannot be understated because even the Reddy clan of Prolaya Vema Reddy didn’t go to the extent that the Recherlas went for power because Prolaya Vema Reddy continued to stay as a feudatory of the Musunuri Dynasty, though he also wanted independence.

The Recherla Nayakas killed Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka in a battle at Bhimavaram, and they brought down a great Hindu Dynasty that rid the Telugu lands of the Delhi Sultanate. Following this, the Velama Recherla Nayaks established two kingdoms in Telangana centered around Rachakonda and Devarakonda. [17]They remained initially allied to the Bahmanis, which meant that they frequently warred with the Vijayanagara Empire, though many Velama Nayaks served the Vijayanagara Empire during the Aravidu Dynasty. The Reddys became independent and established the glorious Reddy Dynasty, and they became major patrons of Hindu Dharma and literature. Many notable poets of the Telugu states, including Srinatha, received patronage by the Reddy Dynasty.

The legacy of the Musunuris would not end with the death of Kapaya Nayaka. Many historians believe that the Vijayanagara Empire’s founders, Harihara and Bukka, took inspiration from the Musunuri Dynasty in establishing the Vijayanagara Empire.Moreover, the Pemmasani Nayaks, according to Historian Muthevi Ravindranath, descend from the Musunuri Nayaks. After the collapse of the Musunuri Nayaka Dynasty, the Pemmasani Nayaks, along with the Suryadevara Nayaks, Sayapaneni Nayaks, Ravella Nayaks, and Gobburi Nayaks (among the 37 Kamma Nayaka Clans), shifted their allegiance to the Vijayanagara Empire.[18]While the Reddys and Recherla Velama Nayaks were in prominence in Coastal Andhra and Telangana, respectively, the Kamma Nayaks were in prominence in Vijayanagara’s military, court, and administration. They also had marital alliances with the Vijayanagara Royal Family. This is all attested by many historians, including B.S.L Hanumantha Rao, a notable History Professor of Telugu University, in the snippets below:

Source: Socio-Cultural History of Ancient and Medieval Andhra[19]

Specifically, the Pemmasani Nayakas, who are believed to be directly descended from the Musunuri Nayaka Clan, were very prominent in the Vijayanagara Military. For instance, Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayaka was the Chief-Commander of the Vijayanagara Army under the reign of Sri Krishnadevaraya. [20]Prior to this, the Pemmasanis established their own kingdom, under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire, when Raja Kumara Thimma Nayudu married the daughter of Mikkilineni Rama Nayudu, the ruler of the Mikkilineni Dynasty (one of the 37 Kamma Nayaka Clans). With this marital alliance, the Pemmasanis gained the domain around Gandikota, in addition to ruling Gutti, Yadiki, and Tadipatri regions of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Pemmasani clan ruled from Gandikota for nearly 282 years, while serving as Commanders for the Vijayanagara Empire. The legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty continued with the Pemmasani Nayaks.

(Gandikota Fort, the center of power for the Pemmasani Nayak Dynasty)

My next post will be about the Andhra Ikshvaku Dynasty.

[dasari4kntr]

6 minutes ago, Swatkat said:

The Musunuri Nayaka Dynasty is one of the most important in the history of the Telugu states. After the fall of the Kakatiya Empire, it was the Musunuri Nayaks that initially brought stability, peace, and Telugu rule back to the Telugu lands. However, very few Telugus, let alone the rest of India, know much or remember this great dynasty that gave Hindus self-rule and freedom from the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. This dynasty is called by historians as “a watershed [critical point] in the history of South India”, and historians believe that “their rule inspired the establishment of Vijayanagar Empire to defend Hindu dharma for the next five centuries.”[1] Such an important, yet forgotten, dynasty’s story should be told to future generations, and this is my attempt to tell their story.

I will divide this historical essay into fivesections: Origins, Path to Establishment of the Musunuri Dynasty, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka, Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, and the Demise and Legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty. Everything I have stated is sourced from published historians and scholars. Therefore, this entire historical text is as accurate as can be. I will also include footnotes and textual snippets for anyone who wants to check the sources, all of which are books published by scholars and historians.

Origins:

(Musunuru Village is roughly in the area shaded red in the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh)

The Musunuri Nayaks were Nayakas/Chieftains during the Kakatiya Empire. A nayaka or chieftain of that time period usually administered and ruled a regional area for an Empire, in this case for the Kakatiyas. The Musunuris were from the village of Musunuru in the Krishna Districtof Andhra Pradesh. Historians and Scholars, such as Durga Prasad, Lalita Iyer, P. Raghunadha, and Uppuluri Ganapati Sastry, have identified the Musunuri Nayaks as being a part of the Kamma community. [2][3][4][5]Besides their occupation, native village, and their community identity, not much else is known about the origins of the Musunuri Nayaks.

Path to the Establishment of the Musunuri Dynasty

After the Kakatiya Empire, the Telugu polity of the Kakatiyas disintegrated with the rule of the Delhi Sultanate. Significant amounts of the wealth of the Telugus and the Kakatiyas, including the prized Koh-I-Noor Diamond, was taken to Delhi. Moreover, according to the Vilasa Grant issued by Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka, who was the first Maharaja of the Musunuri Dynasty, the Delhi Sultanate had set up “adharma”. Prolaya Nayaka went on to describe the the horrid actions of the Delhi Sultanate: “Brahmanas were compelled to abandon their religious practices; theimages of the gods were overturned and broken; the agraharas of the learned were confiscated; the cultivators were despoiled of the fruits of their labour, and their families were impoverished and ruined.” [6]Perhaps these were exaggerations, but the devastation of the Telugu lands under the Delhi Sultanate is unquestionable, as evidenced by the destruction of Orugallu/Ekasila Nagaram, the capital of the Kakatiya Empire.

Seeing this devastation, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka united and led 75 other Telugu Nayaka Clans, most notably the Recherla Nayaks (Historians believed they were Velamas) and Prolaya Vema Reddy. [7]The Musunuri Nayaks, under the second Maharaja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, conquered back the former capital of the Kakatiyas in 1336 and completed the eviction of the Delhi Sultanate that was started by his cousin, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka. [8]Even before the conquest of Warangal, the Musunuri Nayaks Dynasty was firmly established in parts of Coastal Andhra, as evidenced by the Vilasa Inscription.

Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka was the first ruler of the Musunuri Dynasty, and he ruled until 1333. [9]His core biography of being a Kamma Chieftain in the Musunuru Region and his leadership of 75 Telugu Nayaka Clans, such as the Recherla Nayaks (Velamas) and Prolaya Vema Reddy, is described by Historian P. Raghunadha and Durga Prasad in the snippets below:

Source: Ancient and Medieval History of Andhra Pradesh [10]

Source: History of the Andhras[11]

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka led the initial rebellion against the Delhi Sultanate, and he was firmly able to establish his rule over parts of Coastal Andhra with his capital at Rekapalli in East Godavari District, near the modern-day Telangana border. Rekapalli’s strategic location on the Godavari River and near the Papikondalu (Papi Mountain Range) enabled him to control the area around the Godavari River. His subordinates, as attested by notable Andhra University Historian Somasekhara Sarma, liberated the areas around the Krishna River as part of a larger effort to rid the Telugu lands of the Delhi Sultanate.

Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayak’s rule was one that began to restore the glory of the Telugu lands after the devastation brought by the Delhi Sultanate. He restored the agraharas, which were important center of learning and Vedic thought. He revived, according to the Vilasa Grant, Hindu Sacrifices and Rituals that were restricted during the Delhi Sultanate. He established a new-tax systemwhere agriculturalists gave up 1/6 of their yields. These taxes helped the empire repair and solidify Military Forts, such as the Nagunur Fort near Karimnagar, and begin the task of administering many parts of the former-Kakatiya Empire.[12]

(Nagunur Fort, which was repaired and strengthened under the Musunuri Nayaks)

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka’s reign would be greatly remembered after his death, as evidenced by how a Brahmin scholar by the name of Vennaya named the agrahara that he received from Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka as Polavaram, which is the location of the ongoing Polavaram Dam Project.

Raja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka

(Artistic Depiction of Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka)

Following the death of Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka in 1333, Kapaya Nayaka took over and ruled until until 1370ish.[13] The reign of Kapaya Nayaka began with the total and complete eviction of the Delhi Sultanate from the former-Kakatiya capital of Warangal in 1336. Kapaya Nayaka was very successful in his endeavour, and he completed what his cousin-brother, Prolaya Nayaka, started.

Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka built on much of the work that was done by Prolaya Nayaka, including the construction and solidification of military forts. During his reign, the government administration established by Prolaya Nayaka reached its peak efficiency, which further secured the law and order situation in the Musunuri Dynasty. Moreover, his warrior prowess is unquestionable as he not only evicted the Delhi Sultanate from Warangal, but he reportedly went on military expeditions to Kalinga, as stated by Historian Somasekhara Sarma.[14]

(Khammam Fort, which was built by the Musunuri Nayaks)

He was also a diplomatic ruler to the Muslims and the Bahmanis, who broke away from the Delhi Sultanate, as evidenced by how he used the title “Sultan of the Andhra Country”,resided in the Kush Mahal that was built by the Delhi Sultanate in Warangal, and he gifted the Muhammad Shah I of the Bahmani Sultanate a turquoise throne. [15]Despite these incidents of calm and a show of goodwill, both Kapaya Nayaka and the Bahmani Sultans were warring with each other as the Bahmanis sought to subjugate the Hindu kingdoms of the Musunuri Dynasty and the newly founded Vijayanagara Empire. Though Kapaya lost some of these battles, he was still able to hang on to his domain, until the betrayal of the Recherla Clan, which will discussed in the next section.

(Kush Mahal, the location where Raja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka ruled from)

All in all, the greatness of the last ruler of the Musunuri Dynasty is best described Historian D. Yashoda in the following snippet:

Source: After the Kakatiyas [16]

Demise and Legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty

Despite the almost continuous warring with the Bahmanis, though Kapaya Nayaka was initially friendly to the Bahmanis, the Musunuri Dynasty held on in Telangana and parts of Andhra Pradesh. Due to some battle defeats, Kapaya had to cede several forts and territories to the Bahmanis. Sensing an opportunity for power, the Recherla Nayaks decided to ally with the Bahmanis. This betrayal cannot be understated because even the Reddy clan of Prolaya Vema Reddy didn’t go to the extent that the Recherlas went for power because Prolaya Vema Reddy continued to stay as a feudatory of the Musunuri Dynasty, though he also wanted independence.

The Recherla Nayakas killed Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka in a battle at Bhimavaram, and they brought down a great Hindu Dynasty that rid the Telugu lands of the Delhi Sultanate. Following this, the Velama Recherla Nayaks established two kingdoms in Telangana centered around Rachakonda and Devarakonda. [17]They remained initially allied to the Bahmanis, which meant that they frequently warred with the Vijayanagara Empire, though many Velama Nayaks served the Vijayanagara Empire during the Aravidu Dynasty. The Reddys became independent and established the glorious Reddy Dynasty, and they became major patrons of Hindu Dharma and literature. Many notable poets of the Telugu states, including Srinatha, received patronage by the Reddy Dynasty.

The legacy of the Musunuris would not end with the death of Kapaya Nayaka. Many historians believe that the Vijayanagara Empire’s founders, Harihara and Bukka, took inspiration from the Musunuri Dynasty in establishing the Vijayanagara Empire.Moreover, the Pemmasani Nayaks, according to Historian Muthevi Ravindranath, descend from the Musunuri Nayaks. After the collapse of the Musunuri Nayaka Dynasty, the Pemmasani Nayaks, along with the Suryadevara Nayaks, Sayapaneni Nayaks, Ravella Nayaks, and Gobburi Nayaks (among the 37 Kamma Nayaka Clans), shifted their allegiance to the Vijayanagara Empire.[18]While the Reddys and Recherla Velama Nayaks were in prominence in Coastal Andhra and Telangana, respectively, the Kamma Nayaks were in prominence in Vijayanagara’s military, court, and administration. They also had marital alliances with the Vijayanagara Royal Family. This is all attested by many historians, including B.S.L Hanumantha Rao, a notable History Professor of Telugu University, in the snippets below:

Source: Socio-Cultural History of Ancient and Medieval Andhra[19]

Specifically, the Pemmasani Nayakas, who are believed to be directly descended from the Musunuri Nayaka Clan, were very prominent in the Vijayanagara Military. For instance, Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayaka was the Chief-Commander of the Vijayanagara Army under the reign of Sri Krishnadevaraya. [20]Prior to this, the Pemmasanis established their own kingdom, under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire, when Raja Kumara Thimma Nayudu married the daughter of Mikkilineni Rama Nayudu, the ruler of the Mikkilineni Dynasty (one of the 37 Kamma Nayaka Clans). With this marital alliance, the Pemmasanis gained the domain around Gandikota, in addition to ruling Gutti, Yadiki, and Tadipatri regions of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Pemmasani clan ruled from Gandikota for nearly 282 years, while serving as Commanders for the Vijayanagara Empire. The legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty continued with the Pemmasani Nayaks.

(Gandikota Fort, the center of power for the Pemmasani Nayak Dynasty)

My next post will be about the Andhra Ikshvaku Dynasty.

Will read it..

[kakatiya]

22 minutes ago, Swatkat said:

Musunuru nayaks aka kamma kings were from krishna district and pemmasanis ruled raayalseema 

The caste system didn't show up until late 17 the century..these earlier caste names where not same as current castes names.... As per mangampalli somasekhara Sharma 

[kakatiya]

24 minutes ago, Swatkat said:

Musunuru nayaks aka kamma kings were from krishna district and pemmasanis ruled raayalseema 

 

[dasari4kntr]

8 hours ago, dasari4kntr said:

 

 

the below video is a prequel to this above video...

where..musunuru nayaks and reddys united and fight back against delhi sultans and take back the control...and eventually farmed Vijayanagar empire...

 

 

[Vuthal_Bithal]

cellfonelu, telefone lu lekunda, how they managed this huge empires.

postmans had lot of work to do then.

[JambaKrantu]

7 hours ago, Swatkat said:

The Musunuri Nayaka Dynasty is one of the most important in the history of the Telugu states. After the fall of the Kakatiya Empire, it was the Musunuri Nayaks that initially brought stability, peace, and Telugu rule back to the Telugu lands. However, very few Telugus, let alone the rest of India, know much or remember this great dynasty that gave Hindus self-rule and freedom from the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. This dynasty is called by historians as “a watershed [critical point] in the history of South India”, and historians believe that “their rule inspired the establishment of Vijayanagar Empire to defend Hindu dharma for the next five centuries.”[1] Such an important, yet forgotten, dynasty’s story should be told to future generations, and this is my attempt to tell their story.

I will divide this historical essay into fivesections: Origins, Path to Establishment of the Musunuri Dynasty, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka, Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, and the Demise and Legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty. Everything I have stated is sourced from published historians and scholars. Therefore, this entire historical text is as accurate as can be. I will also include footnotes and textual snippets for anyone who wants to check the sources, all of which are books published by scholars and historians.

Origins:

(Musunuru Village is roughly in the area shaded red in the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh)

The Musunuri Nayaks were Nayakas/Chieftains during the Kakatiya Empire. A nayaka or chieftain of that time period usually administered and ruled a regional area for an Empire, in this case for the Kakatiyas. The Musunuris were from the village of Musunuru in the Krishna Districtof Andhra Pradesh. Historians and Scholars, such as Durga Prasad, Lalita Iyer, P. Raghunadha, and Uppuluri Ganapati Sastry, have identified the Musunuri Nayaks as being a part of the Kamma community. [2][3][4][5]Besides their occupation, native village, and their community identity, not much else is known about the origins of the Musunuri Nayaks.

Path to the Establishment of the Musunuri Dynasty

After the Kakatiya Empire, the Telugu polity of the Kakatiyas disintegrated with the rule of the Delhi Sultanate. Significant amounts of the wealth of the Telugus and the Kakatiyas, including the prized Koh-I-Noor Diamond, was taken to Delhi. Moreover, according to the Vilasa Grant issued by Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka, who was the first Maharaja of the Musunuri Dynasty, the Delhi Sultanate had set up “adharma”. Prolaya Nayaka went on to describe the the horrid actions of the Delhi Sultanate: “Brahmanas were compelled to abandon their religious practices; theimages of the gods were overturned and broken; the agraharas of the learned were confiscated; the cultivators were despoiled of the fruits of their labour, and their families were impoverished and ruined.” [6]Perhaps these were exaggerations, but the devastation of the Telugu lands under the Delhi Sultanate is unquestionable, as evidenced by the destruction of Orugallu/Ekasila Nagaram, the capital of the Kakatiya Empire.

Seeing this devastation, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka united and led 75 other Telugu Nayaka Clans, most notably the Recherla Nayaks (Historians believed they were Velamas) and Prolaya Vema Reddy. [7]The Musunuri Nayaks, under the second Maharaja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, conquered back the former capital of the Kakatiyas in 1336 and completed the eviction of the Delhi Sultanate that was started by his cousin, Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka. [8]Even before the conquest of Warangal, the Musunuri Nayaks Dynasty was firmly established in parts of Coastal Andhra, as evidenced by the Vilasa Inscription.

Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka was the first ruler of the Musunuri Dynasty, and he ruled until 1333. [9]His core biography of being a Kamma Chieftain in the Musunuru Region and his leadership of 75 Telugu Nayaka Clans, such as the Recherla Nayaks (Velamas) and Prolaya Vema Reddy, is described by Historian P. Raghunadha and Durga Prasad in the snippets below:

Source: Ancient and Medieval History of Andhra Pradesh [10]

Source: History of the Andhras[11]

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka led the initial rebellion against the Delhi Sultanate, and he was firmly able to establish his rule over parts of Coastal Andhra with his capital at Rekapalli in East Godavari District, near the modern-day Telangana border. Rekapalli’s strategic location on the Godavari River and near the Papikondalu (Papi Mountain Range) enabled him to control the area around the Godavari River. His subordinates, as attested by notable Andhra University Historian Somasekhara Sarma, liberated the areas around the Krishna River as part of a larger effort to rid the Telugu lands of the Delhi Sultanate.

Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayak’s rule was one that began to restore the glory of the Telugu lands after the devastation brought by the Delhi Sultanate. He restored the agraharas, which were important center of learning and Vedic thought. He revived, according to the Vilasa Grant, Hindu Sacrifices and Rituals that were restricted during the Delhi Sultanate. He established a new-tax systemwhere agriculturalists gave up 1/6 of their yields. These taxes helped the empire repair and solidify Military Forts, such as the Nagunur Fort near Karimnagar, and begin the task of administering many parts of the former-Kakatiya Empire.[12]

(Nagunur Fort, which was repaired and strengthened under the Musunuri Nayaks)

Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka’s reign would be greatly remembered after his death, as evidenced by how a Brahmin scholar by the name of Vennaya named the agrahara that he received from Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka as Polavaram, which is the location of the ongoing Polavaram Dam Project.

Raja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka

(Artistic Depiction of Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka)

Following the death of Raja Musunuri Prolaya Nayaka in 1333, Kapaya Nayaka took over and ruled until until 1370ish.[13] The reign of Kapaya Nayaka began with the total and complete eviction of the Delhi Sultanate from the former-Kakatiya capital of Warangal in 1336. Kapaya Nayaka was very successful in his endeavour, and he completed what his cousin-brother, Prolaya Nayaka, started.

Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka built on much of the work that was done by Prolaya Nayaka, including the construction and solidification of military forts. During his reign, the government administration established by Prolaya Nayaka reached its peak efficiency, which further secured the law and order situation in the Musunuri Dynasty. Moreover, his warrior prowess is unquestionable as he not only evicted the Delhi Sultanate from Warangal, but he reportedly went on military expeditions to Kalinga, as stated by Historian Somasekhara Sarma.[14]

(Khammam Fort, which was built by the Musunuri Nayaks)

He was also a diplomatic ruler to the Muslims and the Bahmanis, who broke away from the Delhi Sultanate, as evidenced by how he used the title “Sultan of the Andhra Country”,resided in the Kush Mahal that was built by the Delhi Sultanate in Warangal, and he gifted the Muhammad Shah I of the Bahmani Sultanate a turquoise throne. [15]Despite these incidents of calm and a show of goodwill, both Kapaya Nayaka and the Bahmani Sultans were warring with each other as the Bahmanis sought to subjugate the Hindu kingdoms of the Musunuri Dynasty and the newly founded Vijayanagara Empire. Though Kapaya lost some of these battles, he was still able to hang on to his domain, until the betrayal of the Recherla Clan, which will discussed in the next section.

(Kush Mahal, the location where Raja Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka ruled from)

All in all, the greatness of the last ruler of the Musunuri Dynasty is best described Historian D. Yashoda in the following snippet:

Source: After the Kakatiyas [16]

Demise and Legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty

Despite the almost continuous warring with the Bahmanis, though Kapaya Nayaka was initially friendly to the Bahmanis, the Musunuri Dynasty held on in Telangana and parts of Andhra Pradesh. Due to some battle defeats, Kapaya had to cede several forts and territories to the Bahmanis. Sensing an opportunity for power, the Recherla Nayaks decided to ally with the Bahmanis. This betrayal cannot be understated because even the Reddy clan of Prolaya Vema Reddy didn’t go to the extent that the Recherlas went for power because Prolaya Vema Reddy continued to stay as a feudatory of the Musunuri Dynasty, though he also wanted independence.

The Recherla Nayakas killed Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka in a battle at Bhimavaram, and they brought down a great Hindu Dynasty that rid the Telugu lands of the Delhi Sultanate. Following this, the Velama Recherla Nayaks established two kingdoms in Telangana centered around Rachakonda and Devarakonda. [17]They remained initially allied to the Bahmanis, which meant that they frequently warred with the Vijayanagara Empire, though many Velama Nayaks served the Vijayanagara Empire during the Aravidu Dynasty. The Reddys became independent and established the glorious Reddy Dynasty, and they became major patrons of Hindu Dharma and literature. Many notable poets of the Telugu states, including Srinatha, received patronage by the Reddy Dynasty.

The legacy of the Musunuris would not end with the death of Kapaya Nayaka. Many historians believe that the Vijayanagara Empire’s founders, Harihara and Bukka, took inspiration from the Musunuri Dynasty in establishing the Vijayanagara Empire.Moreover, the Pemmasani Nayaks, according to Historian Muthevi Ravindranath, descend from the Musunuri Nayaks. After the collapse of the Musunuri Nayaka Dynasty, the Pemmasani Nayaks, along with the Suryadevara Nayaks, Sayapaneni Nayaks, Ravella Nayaks, and Gobburi Nayaks (among the 37 Kamma Nayaka Clans), shifted their allegiance to the Vijayanagara Empire.[18]While the Reddys and Recherla Velama Nayaks were in prominence in Coastal Andhra and Telangana, respectively, the Kamma Nayaks were in prominence in Vijayanagara’s military, court, and administration. They also had marital alliances with the Vijayanagara Royal Family. This is all attested by many historians, including B.S.L Hanumantha Rao, a notable History Professor of Telugu University, in the snippets below:

Source: Socio-Cultural History of Ancient and Medieval Andhra[19]

Specifically, the Pemmasani Nayakas, who are believed to be directly descended from the Musunuri Nayaka Clan, were very prominent in the Vijayanagara Military. For instance, Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayaka was the Chief-Commander of the Vijayanagara Army under the reign of Sri Krishnadevaraya. [20]Prior to this, the Pemmasanis established their own kingdom, under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire, when Raja Kumara Thimma Nayudu married the daughter of Mikkilineni Rama Nayudu, the ruler of the Mikkilineni Dynasty (one of the 37 Kamma Nayaka Clans). With this marital alliance, the Pemmasanis gained the domain around Gandikota, in addition to ruling Gutti, Yadiki, and Tadipatri regions of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Pemmasani clan ruled from Gandikota for nearly 282 years, while serving as Commanders for the Vijayanagara Empire. The legacy of the Musunuri Dynasty continued with the Pemmasani Nayaks.

(Gandikota Fort, the center of power for the Pemmasani Nayak Dynasty)

My next post will be about the Andhra Ikshvaku Dynasty.

Basic gaa Kammas ni ongobetti Reddys Velmas telugu lands ni panchukunnarantaav.. same thing happening now also no, AP lo Reddys TG lo Velmas TDP almost dead