Ganapati (Kakatiya dynasty)

The Kakatiya commander Recherla Rudra administered the kingdom in Ganapati's name during this period, protecting it against invaders and rebels.

Epigraphic evidence suggests that Rudra suppressed rebellions by feudatories, and repulsed invasion by an obscure king named Nagati.

The Kakatiyas conquered this region by 1201, as attested by the 1201 CE Kanaka-durga temple inscription issued by Ganapati's brother-in-law, the Natavadi chief Vakkadi-malla Rudra.

[4] The Kakatiya army led by the Malayala chief Chaunda marched to the Divi island in the Krishna River delta.

Their brother Jayapa (or Jaya) entered Ganapati's service as a commander (senapati or senani), as attested by his 1231 CE Ganapeshvaram inscription.

[9][11] By 1209, Ganapati had annexed the Vela-nadu and the Karmma-rashtra (Kamma-nadu) regions to his kingdom, as attested by the 1209 CE Chenna-keshava temple (Idupulapadu near Bapatla) inscription.

The appointment possibly happened earlier, but this is not certain, as Jayapa's Chandavolu inscription is partially built in a wall, rendering its date unreadable.

Ganapati's loyal subordinate - Opili Siddhi - a member of the Potapi branch of the Telugu Chodas, subjugated the rebels.

Earlier, around 1180 CE, the Chola king Kulottunga III had defeated the Choda ruler Manuma-siddhi I (alias Vira-Ganda-Gopala) and installed the latter's brother Nalla-siddhi on the throne.

[16][11] The 1231 CE Ganapeshvaram inscription of Jayapa states that he subdued several countries including Chola, Kalinga, Seuna, Brihat-Karnata, and Lata; he also annexed Vela-nadu and Dvipa (Divi).

[18] Tikka appointed Gangaya-sahini, who eventually entered Ganapati's service, as the governor of Upper Paka-nadu region within his kingdom.

[22] His Ganapeshvaram, Upparapalli, and Moupalli inscriptions suggest that he made several attempts to subjugate Kalinga and Vengi from 1212 CE onwards.

[13] Ananga Bhima III established his control over the Trikalinga or Trayi-vasundhara region, as attested by his 1217-1218 Bhimeshvara temple inscription.

[24] By 1230 CE, the Eastern Ganga forces had arrived at Draksharamam, where their commander Jesrajaka commissioned repairs to the Bhimeshvara temple.

[25] Ananga Bhima III also invaded Vengi, where petty chiefs, such as the Chalukyas of Pithapuram and the Manniyas accepted his suzerainty.

Epigraphic evidence attests to Eastern Ganga presence in this region: Keshava-deva may have received military assistance from Ananga Bhima III or may have accepted his suzerainty.

[27] A 1231 CE Paleshvara temple (Iragavaram) inscription confirms the Kakatiya conquest of Kolanu in Vengi region in that year.

[19] Historian M. Somasekhara Sarma speculates that Bhima - the Telugu Choda chief of Eruva, also participated in Ganapati's campaign.

[23] Ananga Bhima III's son and successor Narasimha I, who ascended the throne in 1238 CE, invaded the Godavari region.

[28] The 1257 CE Nandaluru inscription of the Telugu Choda king Manuma-siddhi II refers to the Kalinga expedition of the Kakatiyas, which was probably aimed at repulsing Narasimha's invasion.

[23] Epigraphic evidence suggests that Ganapati's subordinate Padikamu Boppa-deva of Chalukyan family, who held the titles patta-sahini and sakala-senadhipati, killed a prince named Godavari Gonturi Naga-deva.

[34] The undated Nayanipalli (Guntur district) inscription states that the Kakatiya army burnt Nellore, and played a game of ball with the heads of the rebels Bayyana and Tikkana.

Although the Kakatiya army played an important role in this victory, Manuma-siddhi II's court poet Tikkana gives the entire credit to his master.

The Yadava prince Permadi-deva, a son of Simhana, was a subordinate of Ganapati, as attested by the 1159 CE Peruru inscription which records his gifts of lands to brahmanas.

Both Kakatiya and Seuna inscriptions dated 1250 CE have been found at Eleshvaram (near Devarakonda), suggesting that the kingdoms fought indecisive battles over this area.

[38] The Pandya allies appear to have invaded the Kakatiya territory, as suggested by Tripurantakam inscriptions of Rajendra III and Kopperunijinga.

Apparently in an attempt to form alliance with the king of Kalinga, Kopperunijinga advanced as far as Draksharamam in the north, but Ganapati defeated him.

The Pandya records claim that the dead bodies of the Kakatiya and Seuna soldiers lay all over the land, as far as the banks of Peraru, while the Banas fled to the jungle.

[2] Continuing his predecessor Rudra-deva's project of moving the capital from Anumakonda to Orugallu, he built a new fortification with 75 bastions, each protected by a nayaka (chief).

This inscription calls Rudrama the "chosen royalty" (pattoddhati, a mistake for pattodhrti), which suggests that officially, she was still a queen-designate and not a queen.