Siege of Warangal (1318)

01The second siege

After Alauddin Khalji’s death the Deccan kingdoms tried to throw off their tribute. Mubarak Shah first crushed Harapaladeva of Devagiri, then sent his favourite Khusrau Khan against Warangal. Amir Khusrau and Barani describe how the Delhi army stormed the outer earthen wall of the city. Prataparudra, holding the inner stone fort, sent envoys and agreed to pay tribute in treasure, elephants and horses, and to cede five districts to the Sultanate.

02Between two sieges

The siege of 1318 was the second of three. Malik Kafur had besieged Warangal in 1310, and in 1323 the Tughluq prince Ulugh Khan, the future Muhammad bin Tughluq, would come again, take the city, and send Prataparudra captive toward Delhi. The ceded districts of 1318 gave the Sultanate its first permanent foothold in the Telugu country, and Prataparudra spent his last free years rebuilding his strength for a fight he could not win.

Dynasty · c. 1163–1323 CEKakatiyasFeudatories of the Kalyani Chalukyas who became the first kings to unite the Telugu-speaking land. They built Warangal, hundreds of irrigation lakes and the Ramappa temple.Read →