History of our people II

Inscriptional evidence of Telugu was found during the rule of Renati Cholas, in the present Kadapa region, in 5th century CE. During this period the Telugu Language, emerged as a popular medium undermining the predominance of Prakrit and Sanskrit. Telugu was made the official language by the Vishnukundina Kings who ruled from their capital Vinukonda. The Vishnukundinas were a dynasty that ruled over the eastern Deccan in South India comprising of the area covered by modern day Andhra Pradesh and Kalinga (Orissa). It played an important role in the history of the Deccan during the 5th and 6th centuries AD. The early rulers of the dynasty were feudatory of the Vakatakas with whom they had marital alliances as well as with the Rashtrakutas.
In 529 A.D. a descendent, Madhava Varma, and four other clans gained independence and solidified their position by defeating the Salankayanas in coastal Andhra. They had different capitals such as Amaravati and Bezwada until they eventually settled into Vizianagaram. Over the centuries the other four clans served as feudatories to the Vizianagaram rulers as well as subsequent dynasties such as the Chalukyas. One of the forts later traditionally connected to Rajus is Kalidindi in Krishna district, which was under the Vishnukundin sway for a long time.


Before the arrival of Badami Chalukyas, the Kalachuris had carved out an extensive empire covering areas of Gujarat, Malwa, Konkan and parts of Maharashtra. However after their crippling defeat at the hands of Badami Chalukya Magalesa, they remained in obscurity for a prolonged period of time.
Historians have also pointed out that several Kalachuri kings were related to Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas by matrimonial alliances and had ruled from places like Tripuri, Gorakhpur, Ratnapur, Rajpur. By the time they are mentioned in the Telugu epic "Battle of Palnadu", they referred to as the Haihaya family of the Kona region (Amalapuram and Razole taluqs of the present East Godavari District) and the Haihaya family of Palanadu and were modest feudatories of the Chalukyas.
In the same tale the Perichedis are also mentioned also as minor feudatories of the Chalukyas. According to V. Rama Chandra Rao they have been linked to the ancient Chedi Kingdom. They had two branches with Kollipaka and Bezawada as their capitals. He also mentions that the Vastsavai dynasty of Peddapuram may be related to the Matsya dynasty as there is evidence of a branch found in the Vishakapatnam area.
All these clans were important participants in the battle and from circumstantial evidence we may be able to surmise that they were branches of a common ancestor separated

Eastern Chalukyas ruled for a long period after the decline of Vishnukundinas from their capital in Vengi. The Chalukya ruler Rajaraja Narendra ruled Rajamundry around 1022. The city has traces of 11th century fine places and fort walls. However according to surveys the city exists before 10th century.
Nannayya is the earliest known Telugu author, and the author of the first third of the Andhra Mahabharatamu, is held in high regard as the person who revived the Telugu language. He is also known as Adi Kavi in recognition of his great literary work. He also holds the titles Shabda Sasanudu and Vaganu Sasanudu (Law giver of the language) after his Telugu grammar work Andhra Shabdha Chintamani.The advanced and well developed language used by Nannayya suggests that Nannayya Mahabharatamu may not be the beginning of Telugu literature. Unfortunately, any Telugu literature prior to Nannayya is not available, except royal grants and decrees, though Telugu or Andhra language started to develop even before the Common Era. Rajaraja Narendra requested his teacher, adviser and court poet Nannayya Bhattaraka to translate Sanskrit Mahabharata into Telugu for his subjects.

The “battle of Palnadu” resulted in the weakening of Chalukyan power and emergence of the Kakatiya dynasty in the 12th and the 13th centuries CE. The Kakatiyas were the first feudatories of the Westren Chalukyas of Kalyani, ruling over a small territory near Warangal. The Kakatiya dynasty faced Muslim onslaughts from 1310 CE and came under the control of Delhi Sultanate in 1323. Delhi Sultan Ghaiaz-ud-din Tughlaq sent a large army under Ulugh Khan to conquer the Telugu country and capture Warangal. King Pratap Rudra was taken prisoner. A brief period of 50 years of independence was enjoyed under Musunuri Nayaks who rebelled and liberated Telugu land from the rule of Delhi.