Kakatiya Prola II captures Taila III

01The Anumakonda record

The thousand-pillared temple inscription at Anumakonda, set up by Prola’s son Rudradeva in 1163, tells his father’s deeds. Among them it says that Prola captured Tailapa, the Chalukya king, in battle, and released him out of devotion. It also credits Prola with victories over other Chalukya feudatories who had tried to seize Kakatiya land. The record is the Kakatiyas’ own, but the decline of Chalukya authority in these years is plain from every side.

02The rise of Warangal

Prola’s capture of his overlord was the first step out of vassalage. His son Rudradeva declared full independence, built the thousand-pillared temple at Hanamkonda and began the fort of Warangal. Under Ganapati and Rudrama Devi the Kakatiyas ruled almost all the Telugu country. Taila III, meanwhile, lost his own capital to his Kalachuri general Bijjala within a few years. The Chalukya empire that had stood since 973 was coming apart from within.

Person · reigned c. 1262–1289 CERudrama DeviDaughter of Ganapatideva, Rudrama Devi ruled the Kakatiya kingdom from Orugallu (Warangal) for close to three decades, put down rebel nobles and the Seuna Yadavas, and handed a whole kingdom to her grandson Prataparudra.Read →