Rudrama Devi Vigraham

Rudrama Devi (reigned 1262–November 1289), also known by her regnal name Rudra-deva Maharaja, was a Kakatiya Queen regnant who ruled substantial parts of present-day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in southern India. She was among the few successful female rulers in Indian history.

Rudrama's father and predecessor Ganapati, who had no son, appointed her as his co-regent around 1260. By 1263, Rudrama became the sole ruler, although she was not formally anointed as a sovereign at least until 1269. Early during her reign, Rudrama appears to have faced a revolt, which she was able to suppress with the support of her loyalists. She recovered some of the territories that the Kakatiyas had lost during the late 1250s and the early 1260s to their southern neighbours - the Pandyas. She also repulsed invasions by the Seunas (Yadavas) from the north-west, and the Gajapatis from the north-east. In the 1270s and the 1280s, Rudrama lost much of her southern territory to a revolt by the Kayastha chief Amba-deva, and likely lost her life in a conflict against him in 1289. Her grandson Prataparudra succeeded her on the Kakatiya throne.

The reign of Rudrama was remarkable for the rise of several non-aristocratic warriors in the Kakatiya service. She strengthened the Warangal Fort by raising its inner wall and constructing an outer wall surrounded by a moat.

Early life

Rudrama-devi, also known as Rudramba, was a daughter of her predecessor King Ganapati-deva. Kumara-svami Somapithi, in his commentary on Vidyanatha's ''Prataparudra-yashobhushanam'', states that Rudrama was a daughter of Ganapati by queen Somamba. However, at another place in the same text, he incorrectly names Rudrama as the chief queen of Ganapati. Some other sources also incorrectly describe Rudrama as a wife of Ganapati, including the Venetian traveler Marco Polo (who visited the Kakatiya kingdom around 1293 CE), and the 17th-century text ''Pratapa-charitra''. However, contemporary epigraphic evidence makes it clear that Rudrama was a daughter of Ganapati, not his wife.

Rudrama married Vira-bhadra, a son of Indu-shekhara, the Chalukya samanta of Nidadavolu. There are several instances of Kakatiya monarchs reinstating defeated families to power and establishing marital relations with them: it is possible that Ganapati had subjugated this Chalukya branch during his conquest of Vengi in 1240. He probably arranged Rudrama's marriage shortly after, in order to secure the political allegiance of the Chalukyas of Nidadavolu.

Ascension

Ganapati apparently retired after suffering defeats at his southern frontier, against the Pandyas, in the late 1250s. He had no male heir, and nominated Rudrama as his successor. She began to rule as a co-regent from c. 1260 under the regnal name Rudra-deva ''Maharaja''. Ganapati probably became too old and weak to govern, and assigned Rudrama to run the government. She appears to have become the sole ruler in 1263.

The 1266 CE Tripuranthakam inscription of the Kakatiya ''maha-pradhana'' Pedda Mallaya Preggada mentions ''Maharaja'' Ganapati-deva as the ruling sovereign, not Rudrama. The 1269 CE Duggi inscription of the Kakatiya subordinate Janniga-deva describes Rudrama as ''pattoddhati'' (a mistake for ''pattoddhrti'', meaning "chose royalty"). This suggests that in 1269, Ganapati was alive and Rudrama had not formally been anointed as a sovereign: officially, she was still a queen designate.

Epigraphic evidence suggests that in the 1260s, the Kakatiyas lost control of several territories that were part of Ganapati's kingdom at its greatest extent. The southernmost territories were lost to the Pandyas, parts of coastal Andhra in the east were lost to the Gajapatis, and parts of Telangana in the north-west were lost to the Seunas (Yadavas). In the Vengi region, no Kakatiya records have been found for the period 1262–1278, which suggests that their former vassals - the Kona Haihaya and the Chalukya chiefs - no longer acknowledged the Kakatiya suzerainty. It is possible that the Kakatiya monarch granted autonomy to the Chalukyas of Nidadavolu, because Vira-bhadra of this family was Rudrama's husband; however, this is not certain.

Revolts

It appears that some nobles and Rudrama's own relatives did not approve of a woman being nominated to the throne. The 17th-century text ''Pratapa-charitra'' states that two men named Hari-hara and Murari-deva revolted against Rudrama. The text describes them as Ganapati's sons from his junior queens. It states that they captured the Kakatiya capital Warangal, and ousted Rudrama from there. Rudrama then rallied her supporters, recaptured the fort, and had her half-brothers killed. This account is not supported by any other evidence, and no other source mentions these purported sons of Ganapati, or Ganapati having any sons. According to the Tripurantakam inscription of Ganapati's sister Mailama, Hari-hara was actually a paternal uncle of Ganapati. Though the historicity of the ''Pratapa-charitra'' account is doubtful, it probably preserves the memory of a rebellion against Rudrama.

''Pratapa-charitra'' states that Prasaditya assumed the titles ''Kakatiya-rajya-sthapan-acharya'' (Sanskrit for "a pillar of support for the Kakatiya kingdom") and ''Raya-pitamahanka'', highlighting his role in the re-establishment of the Kakatiya power. It is Prasaditya's family chronicle, so it exaggerates his role in suppressing the rebellion against Rudrama. Several other chiefs assumed similar titles, which suggests that they may have also helped Rudrama suppress the rebellion. For example:

* The following Kakatiya subordinates assumed the title ''Raya-sthapan-acharya'' in their inscriptions dating from 1275 to 1290 CE:
** ''Maha-pradhana'' Kannara-nayaka (or Kandara-nayaka)
** ''Maha-pradhana'' Ganapati-deva (or Ganapad-deva) ''Maharajulu''
** Nisshanka Mallikarjuna ''Nayaka''
** Amba-deva of Kayastha family
* The Malayala chief Gundaya-nayaka and Madaya-nayaka assumed the epithets (''biruda'') ''svami-drohara-ganda''
* Machaya Nayaka bore the epithet ''svami-drohara-ganda'' and ''svami-vamchakara-ganda''

Some early 14th-century chiefs, such as Devari Nayadu (fl. 1313–1317) and Kachaya Reddi, also bear similar titles, but they likely did not fight for Rudrama; they probably assumed these titles after fighting against the invasions from the Delhi Sultanate.

Reign

Conflict with the Gajapatis in coastal Andhra

Epigraphic evidence suggests that during much of the 1260s and 1270s, the Gajapatis from the north-east maintained a presence in the coastal Andhra region, which was a part of Ganapati's kingdom at its greatest extent. For example, a 1262 CE Draksharamam inscription mentions ''Nara-simha-naradhipa'' ("Narasimha, the lord of men"), who was most probably the Gajapati king Narasimha I. Bhanudeva I, the son of Narasimha, invaded Vengi around 1274 CE, as attested by his two inscriptions at Draksharamam. Arjuna-deva, the Matsya chief of Oddadi, as well as other chiefs, accompanied him.

Rudrama sent an army led by the brothers Poti Nayaka and Proli Nayaka against the Gajapati forces. The two brothers assumed the titles ''Gajapati-matta-matanga-simha'' ("lion to the rutting elephant") and Oddiyaraya-manamardana ("the destroyer of the pride of the Odia king"). This suggest that they repulsed the Gajapati invasion. Their army appears to have re-established the Kakatiya authority in much of the coastal Andhra region, with the Gajapati power restricted to the north of the Godavari River.

The Kakatiya rule in the region is attested by a 1278-1279 CE inscription of Karaparti Suraya Reddi, who describes himself as a servant of Kakatiya Rudradeva ''Maharaja'', that is, Rudrama. His inscription records a gift to the temple of the god Bhimeshvara at Draksharamam. Epigraphic evidence suggests that the Kakatiya control of the coastal Andhra region remained unchallenged during the rest of Rudrama's reign.

Conflicts with the Pandyas and their vassals

Towards the end of the Ganapati's reign the Pandyas had conquered the southernmost part of the Kakatiya territory, including Nellore