Rudramadevi

Introduction

From 1262 until 1289 CE, Rani Rudrama Devi of the Kakatiya dynasty ruled. As the first woman to assume the throne in South India, Rani Rudrama Devi was a national inspiration for generations. Rani Rudrama is still the only head of state from the Kakatiya dynasty to have conquered portions of the Yadava kingdom and established her dominance in the south."Kakati rajya sampratistanacharyulu," or "Establishers of the Great Kingdom of Kakatiya," is one of Rudrama Devi's titles. Another title stated in the Bidar inscription is Raya-Gaja-Kesari.

History

The Kakatiyas' history dates back to the last decades of the 10th century CE. In the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Kakatiyas were mostly chieftains. Still, by the middle of the 12th and 13th centuries, they had become a significant force in India's southern peninsula. On the battlefield, the Kakatiya leaders demonstrated their bravery and power as subordinates, seldom failing to uphold the authority of their superiors. They were given territory where local governors gradually arose in exchange for their military prowess. In the 12th century AD, King Prola II proclaimed the Kakatiyas independent of the Chalukyan Empire with discernible success and growing significance in power and geography. Rudrama Devi (1262-1289 AD), Ganapatideva (1199-1262 AD), and Mahadeva (1196-1199 AD) .

Rudrama Devi's accession to the throne in 1259 AD was an important occasion. Due to the rarity of a woman coming to the throne in history, it opened a new chapter in our nation's history. Along with being skilled in warfare, Rudramba could endure enemy assaults, inspiring profound terror and dread in his adversaries. Rudrama Devi served as an example for women across India for centuries since she was the first woman to hold the throne in south India.

Early Life

Rudrama Devi's father, "Ganapatideva", was a long-time successful monarch who was adored and revered by his subjects. He had consciously chosen to install his daughter Rudrama Devi as his Successor, which was a bold move in and of itself. Contrary to popular opinion that women are the weaker sex, Rudrama epitomises a woman's might.

There were presumably several factors at play when Ganapatideva gave his daughter the crown. Because his wife, the queen, had not given birth to any sons, the male family members closest to him developed a desire for the throne. These individuals plotted and schemed to work together with nearby enemies. Rudrama Devi was put through rigorous training in horse riding, sword fighting, and other martial arts under the direction and instruction of her Guru Sivadevayya because Ganapatideva could sense her natural strength and willpower. She was extremely well-versed in politics, management, statesmanship, and public government.

Before taking the throne, Rudrama visited several locations around her realm, including holy sites, to become familiar with the people and surroundings. This is supported by the Potugallu inscription from Karimnagar, which dates to 1235 AD, and the Yeleshwar inscription, which dates to 1246 AD. Her maternal uncle Jayappa shaped her into a gifted artist by teaching her the finer points of dance technique. Rudrama was introduced to the intricacies of music and literature by Kondabattu, another of her teachers. By the time Rudrama was 15, she had developed into a lovely young girl knowledgeable about the numerous facets of leadership that a ruler needed to be skilled in. She benefited greatly from her father Ganapatideva's extensive knowledge and expertise in politics and public administration. He helped Rudrama feel comfortable on the battlefield by including her in his everyday operations.

Even Rudrama's clothing was more like that of a man, and she acted like a man and a ruler. She gradually changed to the definition of bravery and power, prepared to succeed Ganapatideva as ruler of the realm.

Marriage

Inscriptions at Malkapur and Palakeedu state that Rudrama Devi got married to Virabhadra, son of King Indushekhara of Nidadavolu, in 1235 AD. Regrettably, Rudrama Devi lost her spouse in combat while he was quite young.

According to some experts, Mummadamba and Ruyamma were the names of Rudrama Devi's two daughters. This claims that Mummadamba was married to Mahadeva, who most likely came from the Kakatiya bloodline. Prataprudra, a son, was born to this couple. Pratapa Rudra was adopted by Rudrama Devi and given the title of Successor to the kingdom at the suggestion of Ganapati Deva. Dr. Mudogonda Sivaprasad, a historian and academic, claims that Rudrama's second daughter, Ruyamma, was also adopted. Rudrama Devi had a third daughter, Rudrama, who got married to Yellena Deva, a Yadava prince, according to Dr. P.V. Parabrahma Shastry.

Political Culture

Rudrama was one of the rare women to inherit the throne from her father, India's medieval king. In terms of the size of her state and the area of her region, she was also one of the most successful female monarchs of medieval South Asia. In the decades after her death, historical traditions did not honour her as a significant female ruler. Still, they portrayed her as a widowed queen who reigned for her young son. However, she became a source of regional pride in Andhra Pradesh in the 20th century.

• Anushka Shetty played the title character in the Telugu film Rudhramadevi, directed by Gunasekhar in 2015 and based on the life of Rudrama Devi.
• Rudramadevi, a 100-episode Star Maa series produced by Peninsula Pictures, depicted Rudramadevi's early years for television audiences.

Political Career

Coronation

Since there was no obvious male successor or anybody more suitable, Sivaevayya, Ganapati Deva's minister and Rudrama Devi's guru, endorsed the choice to name Rudrama Devi as his Successor. Rudrama Devi was taught by Ganapati Deva the importance of upholding the Telugu people's honour, defending the Kakatiya kingdom from enemy attacks, caring for subjects as her father would, and last but not least, bringing honour as well as fame to the Kakatiya dynasty with her exemplary rule. All of the royal dignitaries were present when Rudrama was crowned in August. Her father stood on one side, while her guru, Sivadevayya, stood to the other. At this time, all of the kingdom's Samantha rulers were there, including Gangayya Sahini, Malyala Gundayya, Nagadeva Maharaja, Cheraku Bollayya Reddy, and Malli deva Siddayya Chodudu. The gathering was made even more beautiful by chief minister Sivadevayya along with additional ministers including Bhaskara, Pthana Mathyudu, and Induluri Soma, as well as poet Thikkana, Yadavakkulla Annamayya Maarana, and Bhattun, the academicians.

Despite her accession to the throne in 1259 AD, some accounts indicate that Ganapatideva retained control of his state for an additional 10 years, chiefly because:

Rudrama Devi is mentioned as a king-designate in the Durgi inscription from 1269 AD, while other inscriptions refer to her as a sovereign who ruled on her own even while her father was still alive. Due to the invasion of Jatavarma Sundara Pandya I and the disastrous loss of the Kaktiyas and their allies on the battlefield of Muttukur near Nellore during the first two to three years of their shared rule, there was a great deal of chaos in the kingdom.

The Tripurantaka Inscription, the Malkhapuram Inscription, the Pammi Inscription, and the Irwin Inscription are all dated 1261 AD.

Even though Ganapati Deva eventually stopped the invasion, he still lost land, reputation, and the support of the feudatories and nobility. Rudrama Devi was not proclaimed queen until 1269 AD, despite assuming absolute power in 1262-1263 AD. The Duggi (planned Taluk) chronicle of Kayasthya Chief Jannigadeva mentions Rudrama as the Pattodari (designated queen) of Ganapati Deva Maharaj. She did not celebrate her coronation until her father's passing.

Rudrama's Raya Gaja Kesari Title

Rudrama adopted the title of RAYA-GAJA-KESARI (Lion to the elephant-like (enemy)kings) that her father had previously donned after demonstrating her value as a daughter of a noble father. She also produced coins and measures with the same name after the win.

Battle with King Mahadeva

The greatest threat coming from the West was directed against Rudrama Devi. It threatened to topple the ruler of the Kakatiya. Early in his reign, the Seuna emperor Mahadeva, who ascended to the Devagin throne in 1260 AD, conquered the Katiya kingdom. The yadava were in charge of Telangana's northern regions when Rudrama came to power. Mahadeva conquered the Kakatiya Empire and seized power in its capital, Warangal. Rani Rudrama allegedly put up a very strong fight, fought with him for 15 days, destroyed 3 lakh seuna calvary, and pursued him to the walls of Devagiri.

Rani Rudrama is the only Kakatiya dynasty monarch to have conquered portions of the yadava dynasty and established her dominion in the southern area, as evidenced by the Bidar Fort Inscription.

Internal Revolts

There was widespread opposition to Rudrama Devi's accession to the throne and nomination. Some nobility who didn't want to surrender to a woman's power started fighting back. The phrase "outstripping Rudrama and capturing Warangal" is from Ekambranatha's prathapacharithra. It refers to her stepbrothers, Hariradeva and Murarideva. According to reports, Rudrama successfully defeated them with the aid of supporters and some of her staunchest allies. When Rudrama and her daughter went to the Mogilicharla temple, they stormed the fort and attempted to take it by force. Even though certain ruthless nobles and some of her close relatives were thought to revolt against her rule, the Kayashtya chief Jannigadeva & his younger brothers Tripurari and Ambadeva was also part of it.

Many others, like Recharla Prasaditya, the reddy leaders Gonaganna and Reddy, and many more, remained steadfastly loyal to the queen, supported her cause, and assisted her in defeating the rebels.

Regarding foreign threats, the Kakatiya kingdom's chaos allowed the Kalinga king Narasimha I, who had previously been defeated by Ganapati Deva, to use it to march his soldiers into the Godavari Delta to reclaim his stolen goods.

Battle with Kayastha Ruler Ambadeva

The Kayasthya clan has traditionally been the Kakatiya kings' obedient servants. However, Ambadeva was a renegade from the start, and thus this was not the case. He imagined himself as the ruler of a separate principality. Ambadeva's Tripurantakam inscription dates from 1290 AD and records his triumphs over several of the mandalikas who served as the kakatiya queen Rani Rudrama's servants. Ambadeva expanded his dominion over several southern regions, including the dependent kingdoms of the Kakatiya dynasty. Rudrama Devi thus lost control of the south, outside of the Krishna River, except in a few brief areas.

Death

The Chandupatla inscription dates back to November 27, 1289, and was discovered in Telangana state's Nalgonda district; it contains details regarding Rani Rudrama Devi's demise. When it comes to Rani Rudrama Devi's passing, scholars are divided. One in which she passes away the same day. She passed away 12 years previously, as shown by the fact that it is written as a contribution.

The panagallu inscription clarifies that Mallikarjuna Nayaka was Rudramadevi's military commander. The fact that the queen and her general passed away simultaneously indicates that they may have been assassinated simultaneously by an adversary in their military camp and not on the battlefield. Considering that Rudrama Evi would have been 80 years old at the time. She taking part in the combat is not conceivable. However, being a brave lady, she may have led the troops while being protected by her army general Mallikarjuna.

Conclusion

Rudrama was the first woman to be crowned, making her a source of pride for the whole race, not just for the Kakatiya dynasty or India. She ascended to the throne during times but overcame obstacles, internal disputes, and rebellion to bring about a love, peace, and compassion for her people. She demonstrated that any woman gifted with these attributes may become the next Rudrama. She represented herself as a self assured, determined and bold lady. Rudrama Devi will continue to inspire everyone, transcending constricting gender equations, not just yesterday and today but for decades. A great patriot, Rani Rudrama Devi lived, fought, and gave her life as a sacrifice for her country.