Palnadu is a small but interesting kingdom. The kingdom existed for less than 100 years, it’s a petty kingdom which glorified it’s cattle raids, but the events took place there are momentous in the whole of Indian history.
There were many Haihaya clans in South India in all the three main empires – Haihayas of Panchadharala(Kalinga), Haihayas of Konamandala(Chola Empire) and the Gonas of Vardhamanapura(Chalukya Empire) – the main links being Rajendra Chola-Gangeya Deva Alliance and
Chalukyan vassalage of Kalachuri kingdom and Yashahkarna’s Vengi raid. All of them called themselves Lords of Mahishmati and descendants of Kartyaviryarjuna. However, going by the overt use of Kannada in their inscriptions from day one and declaring their allegiance to Chalukyas,
it is more possible that Haihayas of Palnadu came from Chalukya Empire and are possibly linked to the Haihaya Sarasvatideva referred in the 1055 Somasila Inscription. The oldest reference to Palnati Haihayas is of Betaraja in the 1103 Satrasala Inscription.
The inscription mentioned a Mandadi Revanayaka, a vassal of Beta who called himself Haihaya-rajya-pratishthapanacharya and Mahishmati-desa-rattadi clearly indicating that the Palnadu country is a conquest or a restoration. Going by the fact he identifies himself as a devotee of
Kakolani Kesaavadeva (Srikakulandhra Maha Vishnu), it is possible that they formed a part of the Chalukyan army raiding Vengi. Ruling from Gurazala or Madhavipattana, the Haihayas of Palnadu occupied a very critical area on the borders between Chalukyas and Cholas,
controlling the access from the interior towards Vengi. The next inscription of Beta identifies him as Chagi-Beta. The same inscription mentions Avahamalla Nrpati prominently and incidentally is a Sanskrit-Kannada inscription, further confirming their Chalukyan origins.
It is understood that a line of the family represented by Rajaraja and Birudankara Beta or Betabhupa II ruled from the other side of Krishna river as vassals of Chalukyas at least till 1165. Palnati Vira Charitra mentions Anuguraja, who ruled Jambhanapuri
(Mudigonda Veerabhadrudu called the place name as Jabalapuram – clearly, a modern influence) migrated South in search of a place to cleanse himself of the sins of his ancestors, a direct link to Haihayas of Tripuri is established.
However, alternate versions mention the place name as Palamachapuri. Rajaraja is assumed to be a brother of Beta I who rebelled against his nephew Anuguraja after Beta died. This can be the basis of Anuguraja’s migration to a better place –
in fact, it’s his own place which he took back. Anuguraja/ Anugu-Kama/Virakama II ascended the throne around 1113 but lost the kingdom to his uncle Rajaraja by 1118. The timing suspiciously matches with the Chalukyan invasion and it is possible Chalukyas affected the coup.
Palnati Vira Charitra mentions Anuguraja made his brother Biruduraja the ruler at Jambhanapuri and left on his pilgrimage. Going by the fact that his brother(Rajaraja’s son) is Birudankara Beta or Betabhupa II, this closes the gap between Anuguraja’s ejection and his pilgrimage.
In fact, we would see Anuguraja leave the kingdom with his retinue and the idol of Lord Chennakesava, an indication that he is never to return back. A 1129 inscription of Betabhupa II from Gurazala in 1129 declares him to be a Chalukyan vassal.
It is possible that Anuguraja was noticed by the Velanati Chodas who saw an opportunity to extend the frontiers west by making Anuguraja the ruler of Palnadu. The war between Anuguraja and the Raja of Chandolu according to Palanati Vira Charitra can be Battle of Godavari itself
where Anuguraja possibly fought in the train of Kanduru Chodas. Velanati Gonka married his daughter Mailamma to Anuguraja and gave the lands which he seized from Palnadu during the course of the war to Anuguraja to rule as a counterweight to Betabhupa.
Anuguraja seems to have taken control of his territory immediately after. The wars of Anuguraja mentioned in Palnati Vira Charitra against the king of Vurakota and other areas can be his independent attempt to take back Palnadu and neighbouring territories.
Gonka would have noticed him in one such wars. Anuguraja’s presence in Palnadu is first noticed in 1134. It is possible that Velanati Chodas still maintained a presence as is seen from the 1154 inscription in Karempudi in the core Palnadu.
Anuguraja didn’t have children for long and adopted Badanayudu, the son of his minister Doddanayudu. But, his marriage to Velanati princess Mailamma and her children snatched him of his opportunity. Anuguraja died of an ulcer, according to some versions through some incantations
by Brahmanna, Doddanayudu’s son, who placed Anuguraja’s son Nalla-kama on the throne against his own wishes. Other versions say that an angry Brahmanna attacked his father when he chided him for disrespecting Anuguraja but the stick he threw hit Anuguraja, killing him.
Doddanayudu died of remorse. It is possible that the rift in the family came because Anuguraja was pressed to nominate Mailamma’s son Pedda Mallideva as the king due to his Velanadu connections but Brahmanna and others took the side of Nalla-kama, Anuguraja’s eldest son.
It is possible that Anuguraja’s selection of Nalagama is a direct snub to the Velanati Chodas whose dominating influence he tried to resist. As we would see, even when he was alive, the Velanati Chodas recognised Pedda Mallideva as his successor and not Nalagama.
In fact, none of Nalagama’s known inscriptions mention vassalage to Velanati Chodas. Also, the 1147 Velanati inscription in Pedakondamagundla in the core Palnadu mentions the ruler as Kamadevarajula Mallidevaraju, clearly hinting that
Velanadu Chodas supported Pedda Mallideva as the ruler. Some versions of Palnati Vira Charitra mention that Mailama Devi committed Sati and Velanati Rajendra Choda II didn’t press for the claims of his nephew. Parallel to this, the rise of Nagamma as the advisor to Nalagama
and her sidelining of Brahmanna forced Brahmanna to stake the claim in the name of Pedda Mallideva and demand a partition – with the new court ruling from Macherla. Brahmanna’s Padmanayaka movement also played it’s part –
the casteless Padmanayaka movement and the throwing open of main temples of Palnadu to the low castes created an open rift in the society. This is contemporaneous to Basava’s Veerasaiva Movement and became as devastating as Basava’s movement.
Another aspect of the duel is Brahmanna’s tilt to Vaishnavism while Nagamma being a Saivite. The ballad mentions that Nagamma suffered in the hands of Haihayas of Palnadu and swore revenge against the dynasty – precipitating the rift, but that can be a later interpolation.
Going by the fact that Velanati Chodas upheld the claims of Pedda Mallideva, it is possible that Brahmanna cast his lot with them when he sensed he is being sidelined. Another version states that the Macherla tract was actually Brahmanna’s personal estate and
he gave it to the sons of Mailamma to prevent any harm from Nalagama. Again, it’s a redux of what happened with Anuguraja. Kalachuri Sovideva(Virasoma of Kalyana who gave his daughter to Pedda Mallideva) sided Pedda Mallideva against Nalagama.
Sovideva is himself losing the grip over his Empire to Chalukyas and it’s possible he was also scouting for allies. One can conjecture, Peda Mallideva is the route through which he can solicit help from Velanati Chodas against the resurging Chalukyas.
On the other hand, it is possible that a son of Sovideva, Kommaraja fled Kalyani during these troubling times and found shelter in Palnadu. He married his sister to Pedda Mallideva, possibly in a quest for a fightback. Alternately, one can see it as Brahmanna’s attempts to
counterbalance Velanati Chodas who are exerting massive influence on Macherla – there is already a fight going on between Kalachuris of Kalyana and Velanati Chodas. It’s a matter of time cattle raids will start between both the kingoms – Gurazala and Macherla –
first leading to attempts to reconciliation and then, open war. When Brahmanna came to Gurazala to remonstrate and buy a promise that the raids won’t happen, Nagamma engineered a manipulated cock-fight where Pedda Mallideva lost his kingdom for seven years.
He and his followers crossed Krishna and settled at Mandadi, which was also raided by Nagamma. They shifted to Medapi near Tripurantakam where they spent the rest of their exile. It is important to note that these two places are in territories controlled by the Kalachuris.
When Macherla was demanded after the expiry of seven years, the demand was refused and the emissary, Alaraja or Ala-Rachamalla, the son of Kommaraja is killed. We would see Nalagama supported by Kakatiyas, Hoysalas and Velanati Chodas(Chagis were Velanati Choda vassals)
while Pedda Mallideva was supported by Kalachuris of Kalyana. Thus, one would see this fight as an extension of Chalukyas and their vassals trying to take down the Kalachuris of Kalyana.
The presence of Kalachuri Kommana(who died in the battle) and Velanati Gonka III in person in the battle is a clear indication of the importance of the battle. On the other hand, we would see only Kakatiya Rudradeva is interested in the area and
the presence of Kommaraja is more due to chance than through any plan. Kakatiya Rudradeva was already raiding Velanati Choda territory and Palnadu would be a comfortable add on to his territories, though he sided with Velanati Chodas through the Kotas of Dharanikota.
In 1181, he killed Doddabhima of Dharanikota and made his son Keta II the ruler. It is possible the same expedition force joined the war on Nalagama’s side. By 1185, Rudradeva conquered Palnadu. The next year, Velanati Gonka III is killed and it’s a matter of time Velanadu is
taken by Kakatiyas. The loss of Velanadu suddenly shrunk the Chola Empire by half, resulting in a Pandyan resurgence and destruction of Chola Empire. The war, which took place around 1182 led to the victory of Brahmanna and Pedda Mallideva, but Pedda Mallideva died in the war.
The only one of the family standing was Nalagama, who was allowed to continue as the king. Nagamma was pardoned and Brahmanna withdrew forever. On the other hand, Brahmanna making Nalagama king simply can be read as Brahmanna conceding defeat.
Some versions mention Brahmanna is also killed in the war. Thus, one would see that the Battle of Palnadu is a civil war, a Kalachuri-Chalukyan War in which Kakatiyas, though they didn’t accept the Chalukyan vassalage, fought against the Kalachuris and Kakatiyan wars of expansion
in which there is no clear winner but which drained the area of it’s fighting capabilities, making the path for the Kakatiyas simpler – Palnadu fell to Kakatiyas in less than five years. It is not known when Nalagama died but no Haihaya is heard of,
at least till 1235 when an Anugudevamaharaja is heard of. However, by this time, the kingdom is firmly in the hands of Kakatiyas and if they are related to the Palnadu Haihayas, they would have been nothing more than petty chieftains.
