[7] It was initially built as a leisure place and business center and later served as a military training base for the British rulers.

[11] The fort is located to the west of Vijayawada city in the main hill range known as Kondapalli in the Krishna district.

The forest area in this hill range abounds in a type of lightwood known as 'ponuku' పొనుకు కఱ్ఱ (Gyrocapus jacquini), which is used exclusively for the manufacture of the famous Kondpalli toys.

[12] The forest vegetation around Kondapalli fort and the nearby hills are also well known for medicinal plants and trees such as Phyllanthus amarus (Telugu local name "nela usiri" నేల ఉసిరిక చెట్టు), Phyllanthus, Andrographis paniculata (local name: "adavi mirapa" అడవి మిరప or "nelavemu" నేలవేము), Thedlapala (Wrightia tinctoria), Tephrosia purpurea, Albizia amara, Streulia urens and Chloroxylon swetenia.

[13] The hill range is mainly made up of charnockites, with some pyroxene granulites, granites, khondalites, pyroxenites and dolerites.

[14] The fort was built in 1360 CE by Anna Vemareddy of the Kondaveedu Reddy dynasty after he captured Kondapalli from Mudigonda Chalaukyas.

A treaty was also signed for restoring all land up to the southern boundary of the Krishna River to Orissa, which included Kondapalli.

This treaty was initially signed on 12 November 1766 under which the company in return for the grant of the territory agreed to garrison troops in the fort for Nizam's aid at an annual cost of 90,000 pounds.

[19][20][21] A second treaty was signed on 1 March 1768, under which the Nizam recognized the grant provided to the British by Mughal ruler Shah Alam.

But, as a gesture of friendship, the British (then the East India Company) agreed to pay an allowance of 50,000 pounds to the Nizam.

[23] The Archeological Department of Andhra Pradesh has undertaken restoration and renovation works of the fort and the structures located within its precincts.

The works cover improving link road to the fort from the National Highway, strengthening and restoring of historical walls, restoration of Jail Khana (prison house), Koneru pond and Museum, building a ropeway up to the hill, construction of inner roads, providing basic amenities such as three-phase power supply, drinking water and toilets, landscaping and setting up food courts.