Draft:Prataparudra's Campaign Against Ambadeva

Prataparudra's Campaign Against Ambadeva
Part of Prataparudra's Campaigns
Date 1290 -1295 AD Location Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, India Result Kakatiya Victory
Belligerents
Kakatiya Dynasty	Ambadeva Kingdom Supported By Pandya Dynasty Nellore Chodas Seuna (Yadava) dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Prataparudra II Manuma Gannaya Annayadeva Somayula Rudradeva Adidamu Mallu Gona Vittala	Ambadeva Manuma Gandagopala † Raja Gandagopala

Prataparudra's Campaign Against Ambadeva was a campaign launched by Kakatiya Monarch Prataparudra II against rebel feudotary Ambadeva and his Allies.

Background

Prataparudra, determined to restore the honor of his family and kingdom after the rebellion of the Kayastha chief Ambadeva, swiftly took action to rebuild the military strength that had diminished over the years. He reorganized the Nyamkara units and mobilized them against Ambadeva, who had seized control of a portion of the kingdom. Anticipating the threat posed by the Kakatiya forces, Ambadeva fortified his defenses. Despite his initial victories on the battlefield, Ambadeva realized that his army was no match for the might of Prataparudra's forces. To strengthen his position, as mentioned in his Tripurantakam record, he forged alliances with the Senuas in the north and the Pandyas in the south. The Nilagangavaram inscription further confirms that the Pandyas supported Ambadeva by providing elephants and horses for his military efforts.Kumara Rudradeva, fully cognizant that any assault on Ambadeva would inevitably draw the Kakatiya forces into conflict with Ambadeva's powerful allies, meticulously planned a strategic offensive. He devised a three-pronged attack targeting the territories of Ambadeva and his allies. This coordinated military effort aimed to weaken the rebel forces on multiple fronts, ensuring that the Kakatiya forces could confront the threat posed by Ambadeva and his allies.

Campaign

Campaign Against Ambadeva

In the Śaka year 1213, an army was dispatched to Tripurantakam under the command of Manuma Gannaya and his cousin Annayadeva, marking the beginning of a decisive Kakatiya campaign. Although specific details of the conflict are unclear, it is certain that Ambadeva was defeated and forced to retreat south to Mulikinadu. Within a span of two months, Tripurantakam changed hands, with the earliest Kakatiya record of Annayadeva appearing shortly after Ambadeva's departure.

Campaign Against Ambadeva's Pandyan & Telugu Choda Allies

The Kakatiyas then launched a second attack on Nellore, where Adidamu Mallu led an assault under the command of Somayula Rudradeva. The armies defeated and killed Manuma Gandagopala, who had been placed on the throne by Ambadeva in 1282. However, Prataparudra's decision to ally with Rajagandagopala, a successor to the throne, proved to be a mistake. Rajagandagopala soon betrayed his benefactor by aligning with the Pandyas, forcing Prataparudra to send another expedition to Nellore. This led to a war with the Pandyas, where the Kakatiya forces, led by another Telugu Chola chief, Manuma Gandagopala of Narasaraopet, confronted the Pandyan alliance. Despite stiff opposition, the Kakatiya forces emerged victorious, as recorded in the Narasaraopet inscription of Śaka 1219, where Manuma Gandagopala claimed to have devastated the Dravidian army like the mythical badabanala fire and humiliated Rajagandagopala and his allies.

Campain Against Ambadeva's Seuna Allies

Prataparudra’s third campaign targeted the Seunas, who had supported Ambadeva in resisting Kakatiya power. Manuma Gandagopala, a key commander, played a significant role in this expedition, as evidenced by his title *Seuna-kataka-venu-katalana-dava-pavaka*, which likened him to a wildfire sweeping through the bamboo-like Seuna army. During this invasion, several significant events unfolded, as recorded in a 1294 inscription at the fort of Raichur by Gona Vittala, a Kakatiya feudatory ruling in Vardhamanapura (Mahbubnagar district). According to this record, Vittala captured the forts of Adoni and Tumbalam in the Bellary district, along with the strategic positions of Manuva and Haluva in the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab. After subjugating the local chiefs, Vittala entered Raichur, where he constructed a strong fort to safeguard the city's inhabitants. It is evident from these achievements that Gona Vittala successfully wrested control of the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab from the Yadavas of Devagiri, marking a significant expansion of Kakatiya influence.

Aftermath

Before Prataparudra could consolidate his possessions in the south, he had to face a Muslim invasion from Delhi.