Jayapa or Jaya was a military commander (senani) under the Kakatiya king Ganapati-deva (r. c. 1199-1262 CE), whose core territory included the Telugu-speaking region in present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
[1][2] Ganapati appointed Jayapa of Ayya family as the governor of the newly-conquered Vela-nadu region, as attested by his 1213 CE Chebrolu inscription.
The appointment possibly happened earlier than 1213 CE, but this is not certain, as Jayapa's Chandavolu inscription is partially built in a wall, rendering its date unreadable.
[1] The 1231 CE Ganapesvaram 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).
[7] Jayapa composed Nrutta Ratnavali (IAST: Nṛtta Ratnāvalī), a Sanskrit-language treatise on dancing and choreography.
In the first chapter the author deals with discussion of the differences between Marga and desi, tandava and lasya, Natya and nritta.