The Reddi kingdom or Kondavidu Reddi kingdom (1325–1448 CE)[1][2] was established in southern India by Prolaya Vema Reddi. Most of the region that was ruled by the Reddi dynasty is now part of modern-day coastal and central Andhra Pradesh.
The fall of the Kakatiya Kingdom in 1323, after being subject to seizes by the Tughlaq dynasty, led to a political vacuum in the Andhras.The Islamic conquerors failed to keep the region under effective control and constant infighting among themselves coupled with the martial abilities of the local Telugu warriors led to the loss of the entire region by 1347.[4][verification needed]
Whilst, this led to the rise of the Musunuris (initially were based in Coastal Andhra) and Recharlas in the Telangana region, the coastal belt saw the rise of a third warrior lineage—the Reddis of the Panta clan.[5][verification needed]
Established in about 1325 by Prolaya Vema Reddi,(also known as Komati Vema), his territory extended along the coast to Nellore in the south and Srisailam, in the west. He was succeeded by Anavota Reddi who consolidated the kingdom extensively and established its capital at Kondavidu in Guntur District.[5][verification needed]
By 1395, a second Reddi kingdom was established by a branch of the same lineage, with its capital in Rajahmundry, East Godavari District.[5][verification needed]
None of the Reddi lineages find any mention in Kakatiya era sources and cannot be exactly traced as to their origins. But, their inscriptions and humble genealogies suggest that they were born out of the late Kakatiya 'military milieu' and had a continuity with the local Telugu warrior culture.[5][6][verification needed]
Extent of rule
Water colour painting - Kondavidu fort, Reddi Kingdom.
The Reddi kings ruled coastal and central Andhra for over a hundred years from 1325 to 1448.[7] At its maximum extent, the Reddi kingdom stretched from Cuttack, Orissa to the north, Kanchi to the south and Srisailam to the west.[8] The initial capital of the kingdom was Addanki.[9] Later, it was moved to Kondavidu and a subsidiary branch was established at Rajahmundry.[10] The Reddis were known for their fortifications. Two major hill forts, one at Kondapalli, 20 km north west of Vijayawada and another at Kondavidu about 30 km west of Guntur stand testimony to the fort building skill of the Reddi kings.[11] The forts of Bellamkonda, Vinukonda and Nagarjunakonda in the Palnadu region were also part of the Reddi kingdom.[11] The dynasty remained in power till the middle of the 15th century. In 1424, Kondavidu was annexed to the Vijayanagara Empire and Rajahmundry was conquered by the Gajapatis some twenty five years after.[7] The Gajapatis eventually lost control of coastal Andhra after the defeat of Gajapati Prataprudra Deva by Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara. The territories of the Reddi kingdom thus came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire.[12]
The Reddi rulers played a prominent part in post-Kakatiyas of Telangana. The Kakatiya empire came to an end in 1323 after the army of the Delhi sultanate invaded Warangal and captured Kakatiya ruler Pratapa Rudra. Warangal fell to the invaders and Ulugh Khan commanded Warangal and Telangana. During this time of foreign invasion and chaos in Telugu country, seeds of revolt were sown by two princes, Annaya Mantri and Kolani Rudradeva.[13][need quotation to verify]
It was during this chaotic period in Andhra history that Prolaya Vema Reddi established the Reddi kingdom in 1325. The Reddi rulers patronised and protected Hinduism and its institutions. The Brahmins were given liberal grants by the Reddi kings and the agraharas of Brahmins were restored. Vedic studies were encouraged. The Hindu temples of Srisailam and Ahobilam were provided with more facilities. Prolaya Vema Reddi bestowed a number of agraharas on the Brahmins. He was revered by the title of Apratima-Bhudana-Parasurama.[14] He commissioned major repairs to the Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swami temple, and had a flight of steps built from the Krishna River to the temple. The Narasimha Swamy temple at Ahobilam was built during his reign. He built 108 temples for Shiva.[15]
Literature
Telugu literature blossomed under the Reddi kings. The Reddi kings also patronized Sanskrit. Several of the Reddi kings themselves were distinguished scholars and authors. Kumaragiri Reddi, Kataya Vema Reddi and Pedakomati Vema Reddi were the most outstanding among them. Errapragada (Errana), Srinatha and Potana were the remarkable poets of this period. Errapragada, the last of the Kavitraya (Trinity of Poets) was the court poet of Prolaya Vema Reddi. He completed the Telugu translation of the Mahabharata. He completed the rendition of the Aranya Parva of Mahabharata left incomplete by Nannaya Bhattu (Aadi Kavi who started the translation of Mahabharata into Telugu). He wrote Hari Vamsa and Narasimha Purana. Errana's translation of the Ramayana in Chapu form (a style of poetry) has been lost.[11]
Administration
The administration was carried according to the "Dharmasutras". One-sixth of agriculture surplus was levied as tax. Under the reign of Anavota Reddi custom duties and taxes on trade were lifted. As a result, trade flourished. Sea trade was carried through the port Motupalli. A large number of merchants settled down near it. Celebrating 'Vasantotsavalu' was revived during the rule of Anavema Reddi. The Brahmins were given liberal grants by the Reddi kings. Caste system was observed. Heavy taxes by Racha Vema Reddi made him highly unpopular.[16]
^Datta, Amaresh; Lal, Mohan (1992). "Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay-Zorgot". Sahitya Akademi. p. 4637. ISBN9780836422832. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
^Chitnis, Krishnaji Nageshrao (2003). Medieval Indian history. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. pp. 77, 83. ISBN978-81-7156-062-2. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reddy dynasty.
Farooqui, Salma Ahmed (2011), A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century, Pearson Education India, ISBN978-81-317-3202-1
Durga Prasad, G. (1988), (PDF), Guntur: P. G. Publishers, archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2019, retrieved 27 August 2018
Raghunadha Rao, P. (1994), History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh: From the earliest times to the present day, Sterling Publishers, ISBN81-207-1719-8
Rao, Velcheru Narayana (2003). "Multiple Literary Cultures in Telugu: Court, Temple and Public". In Sheldon I. Pollock (ed.). Literary cultures in history: reconstructions from South Asia. University of California Press. pp. 383–436. ISBN978-0-520-22821-4.
Rao, Velcheru Narayana; Shulman, David (2012), Srinatha: The Poet Who Made Gods and Kings, Oxford University Press, ISBN978-0199863044
Somasekhara Sarma, Mallampalli (1946), History of the Reddi Kingdoms (Circa. 1325 A.D., to circa. 144B A.D.), Waltair: Andhra University
Talbot, Cynthia (2001), Pre-colonial India in Practice: Society, Region, and Identity in Medieval Andhra, Oxford University Press, ISBN978-0-19803-123-9
January 11, 2023
reddi, kingdom, reddi, kingdom, kondavidu, reddi, kingdom, 1325, 1448, established, southern, india, prolaya, vema, reddi, most, region, that, ruled, reddi, dynasty, part, modern, coastal, central, andhra, pradesh, reddi, kingdom1325, 1448capitaladdanki, initi. The Reddi kingdom or Kondavidu Reddi kingdom 1325 1448 CE 1 2 was established in southern India by Prolaya Vema Reddi Most of the region that was ruled by the Reddi dynasty is now part of modern day coastal and central Andhra Pradesh Reddi kingdom1325 1448CapitalAddanki initial KondaviduRajahmundryCommon languagesTeluguReligionHinduismGovernmentMonarchyHistorical eraMedieval India Established1325 Disestablished1448Preceded by Succeeded byKakatiya dynasty Vijayanagara EmpireGajapati Empire Contents 1 Origin 2 Extent of rule 3 Religion 4 Literature 5 Administration 6 See also 7 Notes and references 8 Book sourcesOrigin EditReddi Kings 1325 1448 Prolaya Vema Reddi 1325 1353 3 Anavota Reddi 1353 1364 3 Anavema Reddi 1364 1386 3 Kumaragiri Reddi 1386 1402 3 Kataya Vema Reddi 1395 1414 Peda Komati Vema Reddi 1402 1420 3 Racha Vema Reddy 1420 1424 3 Allada Reddi 1414 1423 Veerabhadra Reddi 1423 1448 The fall of the Kakatiya Kingdom in 1323 after being subject to seizes by the Tughlaq dynasty led to a political vacuum in the Andhras The Islamic conquerors failed to keep the region under effective control and constant infighting among themselves coupled with the martial abilities of the local Telugu warriors led to the loss of the entire region by 1347 4 verification needed Whilst this led to the rise of the Musunuris initially were based in Coastal Andhra and Recharlas in the Telangana region the coastal belt saw the rise of a third warrior lineage the Reddis of the Panta clan 5 verification needed Established in about 1325 by Prolaya Vema Reddi also known as Komati Vema his territory extended along the coast to Nellore in the south and Srisailam in the west He was succeeded by Anavota Reddi who consolidated the kingdom extensively and established its capital at Kondavidu in Guntur District 5 verification needed By 1395 a second Reddi kingdom was established by a branch of the same lineage with its capital in Rajahmundry East Godavari District 5 verification needed None of the Reddi lineages find any mention in Kakatiya era sources and cannot be exactly traced as to their origins But their inscriptions and humble genealogies suggest that they were born out of the late Kakatiya military milieu and had a continuity with the local Telugu warrior culture 5 6 verification needed Extent of rule Edit Water colour painting Kondavidu fort Reddi Kingdom The Reddi kings ruled coastal and central Andhra for over a hundred years from 1325 to 1448 7 At its maximum extent the Reddi kingdom stretched from Cuttack Orissa to the north Kanchi to the south and Srisailam to the west 8 The initial capital of the kingdom was Addanki 9 Later it was moved to Kondavidu and a subsidiary branch was established at Rajahmundry 10 The Reddis were known for their fortifications Two major hill forts one at Kondapalli 20 km north west of Vijayawada and another at Kondavidu about 30 km west of Guntur stand testimony to the fort building skill of the Reddi kings 11 The forts of Bellamkonda Vinukonda and Nagarjunakonda in the Palnadu region were also part of the Reddi kingdom 11 The dynasty remained in power till the middle of the 15th century In 1424 Kondavidu was annexed to the Vijayanagara Empire and Rajahmundry was conquered by the Gajapatis some twenty five years after 7 The Gajapatis eventually lost control of coastal Andhra after the defeat of Gajapati Prataprudra Deva by Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara The territories of the Reddi kingdom thus came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire 12 Religion Edit Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple Srisailam Lord Narasimha Narasimha Swamy Temple Ahobilam The Reddi rulers played a prominent part in post Kakatiyas of Telangana The Kakatiya empire came to an end in 1323 after the army of the Delhi sultanate invaded Warangal and captured Kakatiya ruler Pratapa Rudra Warangal fell to the invaders and Ulugh Khan commanded Warangal and Telangana During this time of foreign invasion and chaos in Telugu country seeds of revolt were sown by two princes Annaya Mantri and Kolani Rudradeva 13 need quotation to verify It was during this chaotic period in Andhra history that Prolaya Vema Reddi established the Reddi kingdom in 1325 The Reddi rulers patronised and protected Hinduism and its institutions The Brahmins were given liberal grants by the Reddi kings and the agraharas of Brahmins were restored Vedic studies were encouraged The Hindu temples of Srisailam and Ahobilam were provided with more facilities Prolaya Vema Reddi bestowed a number of agraharas on the Brahmins He was revered by the title of Apratima Bhudana Parasurama 14 He commissioned major repairs to the Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swami temple and had a flight of steps built from the Krishna River to the temple The Narasimha Swamy temple at Ahobilam was built during his reign He built 108 temples for Shiva 15 Literature EditTelugu literature blossomed under the Reddi kings The Reddi kings also patronized Sanskrit Several of the Reddi kings themselves were distinguished scholars and authors Kumaragiri Reddi Kataya Vema Reddi and Pedakomati Vema Reddi were the most outstanding among them Errapragada Errana Srinatha and Potana were the remarkable poets of this period Errapragada the last of the Kavitraya Trinity of Poets was the court poet of Prolaya Vema Reddi He completed the Telugu translation of the Mahabharata He completed the rendition of the Aranya Parva of Mahabharata left incomplete by Nannaya Bhattu Aadi Kavi who started the translation of Mahabharata into Telugu He wrote Hari Vamsa and Narasimha Purana Errana s translation of the Ramayana in Chapu form a style of poetry has been lost 11 Administration EditThe administration was carried according to the Dharmasutras One sixth of agriculture surplus was levied as tax Under the reign of Anavota Reddi custom duties and taxes on trade were lifted As a result trade flourished Sea trade was carried through the port Motupalli A large number of merchants settled down near it Celebrating Vasantotsavalu was revived during the rule of Anavema Reddi The Brahmins were given liberal grants by the Reddi kings Caste system was observed Heavy taxes by Racha Vema Reddi made him highly unpopular 16 See also EditGadwal Samsthanam Wanaparthy Samsthanam Papannapet Samsthanam List of Reddy dynasties and statesNotes and references Edit Talbot 2001 p 202 Farooqui 2011 pp 117 118 a b c d e f Somasekahara Sarma 1946 p 47 sfn error no target CITEREFSomasekahara Sarma1946 help Talbot 2001 p 176 a b c d Talbot 2001 p 177 Reddi Kula Nirnaya Chandrika Sheshadri Ramana Kavulu a b Rao amp Shulman Srinatha 2012 p 16 Raghunadha Rao 1994 p 82 Durga Prasad 1988 p 173 Durga Prasad 1988 pp 174 177 a b c Raghunadha Rao 1994 p 83 Kulke Hermann Rothermund Dietmar 2004 A history of India Routledge p 189 ISBN 978 0 415 32919 4 Retrieved 16 August 2011 Datta Amaresh Lal Mohan 1992 Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature Sasay Zorgot Sahitya Akademi p 4637 ISBN 9780836422832 Retrieved 5 August 2011 Chitnis Krishnaji Nageshrao 2003 Medieval Indian history Atlantic Publishers amp Dist pp 77 83 ISBN 978 81 7156 062 2 Retrieved 2 September 2011 Raghunadha Rao 1994 p 89 Raghunadha Rao 1994 pp 87 88 Book sources Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reddy dynasty Farooqui Salma Ahmed 2011 A Comprehensive History of Medieval India From Twelfth to the Mid Eighteenth Century Pearson Education India ISBN 978 81 317 3202 1 Durga Prasad G 1988 History of the Andhras up to 1565 A D PDF Guntur P G Publishers archived from the original PDF on 14 February 2019 retrieved 27 August 2018 Raghunadha Rao P 1994 History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh From the earliest times to the present day Sterling Publishers ISBN 81 207 1719 8 Rao Velcheru Narayana 2003 Multiple Literary Cultures in Telugu Court Temple and Public In Sheldon I Pollock ed Literary cultures in history reconstructions from South Asia University of California Press pp 383 436 ISBN 978 0 520 22821 4 Rao Velcheru Narayana Shulman David 2012 Srinatha The Poet Who Made Gods and Kings Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0199863044 Somasekhara Sarma Mallampalli 1946 History of the Reddi Kingdoms Circa 1325 A D to circa 144B A D Waltair Andhra University Talbot Cynthia 2001 Pre colonial India in Practice Society Region and Identity in Medieval Andhra Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19803 123 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Reddi Kingdom amp oldid 1123989161, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
