During Qutb Shahi, Mughal and Nizam rule it was referred in official records with name Rājmandrī[4] and the same name was anglicized in the British colonial era as Rajahmundry or Rajamundry.
Circar was the English spelling of sarkar, a Mughal term for a district (a subdivision of a subah or province), which had been in use since the time of Sher Shah Suri (1486–1545).
[3] The southern limit was bounded by Ellore circar with the Godavari river demarcating the boundary.
The Northern Circars were five in number: Chicacole (Srikakulam), Rajmandri (Rajahmundry), Ellore (Eluru), Mustaphanagar (Kondapalli) and Murtuzanagar (Guntur).
During Vengi Chalukya era, Rajahmundry was the capital from the reign of Rajaraja Narendra, and later during Kakatiya rule it was a fort.
Vilasa grant of Prolaya Nayaka discovered near Pithapuram[note 1] gave valuable insight into the situation of Telangana (including Andhra Pradesh)[note 2] aftermath of the fall of Kakatiyas and mentions the ordeals faced by the people during Tughluq rule.
Rajahmundry was retroceded by Srikrishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire to the Hindu rulers in Orissa, the Gajapatis as part of a peace treaty after his successful conquest of eastern provinces in 1512.
After a martial alliance with Gajapatis, Krishandevaraya returned all the lands that the Vijayanagara Empire had captured north of the Krishna River; this made the Krishna River the boundary between the Vijayanagara Empire and Gajapati Kingdom.
[12] During Gajapati era, Rajahmundry was then organized as a Daṇḍapāṭa (Telugu: దండపాట)[note 3] with 21 Sthalās (rough equivalent to Parganas).
[1] The Mughals annexed the Golconda Sultanate during the late seventeenth century in 1687 and organized it as Subah of Deccan.
The latter was popularly referred to as Carnatic during the British Raj and was further divided into Balaghaut and Painghaut regions.
[note 5] Information about the list of the parganas are available from Sawānih-i-Deccan, a Persian work compiled by Munīm Khan, a military commander during the era of Asaf Jah II.
[23] During Mughal and Nizam rule the word Haveli implied capital or headquarters of a Circar.
[26] The British assumed direct administration of the Northern Circars in 1769 which was later merged within the Madras Presidency.
The British records mention that the Rajahmundry Circar had 17 Parganas when they have acquired but many additional territorial dependencies were added either by conquest or policy.
[27] A partial list of parganas mentioned by English resident at Injeram during 1794 include Mandapeta, Nidadavolu, Biccavolu, Tuni, Vellakota, Changalnanda, Cadeam, Pithapuram,[28] Itakota, Catrevukona, Moomidivaram, Peruru, Tatipaka, Peravaram, Vanapally, Achanta, Aravilly, Injaram and Narasapuram.
Rajahmundry town was made the headquarters of Godavari District but the Collector shifted to Kakinada in 1859.
[30] An alphabetical list of villages and Taluks were prepared during British era for whole Madras presidency.