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Shitab Khan (late 15th century-early 16th century), also spelled Chitapu Khan, was born Sitapathi Raju in the Telangana, India. [1] He joined as a foot soldier in the army of Humayun Shah, the Turko-Persian Bahmani Sultan, and rose up the ranks to acquire senior captaincy, his own jagir (a land fief) and the title 'Shitab Khan'. He always used the title in his inscriptions but never actually converted to Islam. [2]
The entire Telugu speaking areas which now form the state of Andhra Pradesh (an area greater than the size of France) were united and saw an efflorescence of all the arts, culture and military might under the rule of the Kakatiya Emperors. They finally fell in 1323 to the invading forces of the Turko-Persian Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad bin Tughluq, whose Deccan (southern) governor, the Turko-Persian Alauddin Bahman Shah eventually rebelled in 1347 setting up the independent Bahmani Sultanate ruling from Gulbarga. His dominions extended up to Golconda in the east. Meanwhile, further south, the mighty Vijayanagara empire had arisen from the Kampili-Hampi region, taking over much of what is now the Rayalaseema region of Andhra. In the far east, the rulers of Orissa occupied Telugu lands up to the banks of the Godavari and by the mid-15th century the powerful Gajapatis had replaced the Ganga dynasty. Fall of Kakatiya dynasty led way to the emergence of new kingdom Musunuri dynasty by Musunuri Prola Bhupathi, also called as Prolaya Nayaka. Prolaya's brother Kapaya captured Warangal and made it his capital. The three Telugu kingdoms of Warangal of Musunuri Nayaks, Rachakonda of Recherla Nayaks and Kondaveedu of Reddy dynasty, therefore, were boxed in by the three major powers and led a precarious existence for about a century with frequent internecine quarrels, alliances and counter-alliances with one or the other of the major powers. All three ceased to exist by the mid-15th century, Warangal absorbed into Bahamani and later by Gajapathi, Rachakonda and Devarakonda absorbed into the Bahmani and Kondaveedu into the Gajapati and Vijayanagara kingdoms. Musunuri kings of Warangal patronised many poets. By Shitab Khan's time the Bahmanis had recently acquired this important buffer state on their eastern frontiers.
From 1480 to 1485, Shitab Khan was the governor of Rachakonda (near Narayanpur in modern Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh). He seems to have taken advantage of the internal turmoils of the Bahmanis and declared his independence in 1503, ruling from the Rachakonda, Warangal and Khammam forts from 1503 to 1512. [3] He appears to have been very popular and inscriptional evidence suggests that he undertook many public works including repairing irrigation tanks and reinstating ruined temples. His stated purpose was to re-instate the great glory of the bygone Kakatiya times. A 16x38x12 m building in fine Indo-Saracenic style still stands in the old Warangal Fort, called Kush Mahal or Shitab Khan Palace. He had the Pakhala tank repaired which still serves many farmlands in the area and is now a picturesque tourist spot. [4] He was also a patron of literature and Telugu poetry continued to flourish in his time. His prime minister, Enumulapalli Peddanna mantri, was the patron of Charigonda Dharmanna who wrote the Chitra Bharatam, a classic of Telugu poetry. Rich descriptions of his rule are in this work.
In the turbulent regional politics of the time, Quli Qutb Shah, the Turko-Persian ruler of Golconda Fort (in modern Hyderabad) was asserting his dominance and Shitab Khan had to face invasions from Golconda which was just shaking off the suzerainty of the Bahmanis. [5] Warangal succumbed to the Turko-Persian Golconda ruler and Shitab Khan had to flee, about 1512. He joined the service of Gajapati Prataparudra Deva. When the great Vijayanagara Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya went on his Kalinga campaign, 1516–1517, his triumphal progress was effectively hindered by the archers of Shitab Khan at the mountain pass near Simhadri (modern Visakhapatnam district). But Shitab lost the battle and, very likely, his life there. [6]
Krishna district is a district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is surrounded on the East by Bay of Bengal, West by Guntur, Bapatla and North by Eluru and NTR districts and South again by Bay of Bengal.
East Godavari is a district in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Its district headquarters is at Rajamahendravaram.
Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in Indian history. He ruled the largest empire in India after the fall of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians. Krishnadevaraya earned the titles Andhra Bhoja, Karnatakaratna Simhasanadeeshwara, Yavana Rajya Pratistapanacharya, Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana, Gaubrahmana Pratipalaka and Mooru Rayara Ganda. He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula by defeating the sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha, and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in India.
Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, more often though less correctly referred to in English as Quli Qutb Shah (1485–1543), was the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, which ruled the Sultanate of Golconda in southern India from 1518 to 1687. Of Turkoman origin and born in Persia, he originally served the Bahmani sultan, and was awarded the title Qutb-ul-Mulk as military chief; he eventually took control of Golconda.
Reddy is a caste that originated in India, predominantly settled in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are classified as a forward caste.
The Reddi kingdom or Kondavidu Reddi kingdom was established in southern India by Prolaya Vema Reddi. Most of the region that was ruled by the Reddi dynasty is now part of modern-day coastal and central Andhra Pradesh. They helped the Bahmani Sultanate and defeated the Vijayanagar empire in the War of the Goldsmith's Daughter.
Rachakonda Fort is a historic fort located in Rachakonda, Yadadri Bhongir
The Musunuri Nayakas were a ruling family of 14th-century South India who were briefly significant in the region of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka is said to have taken a leadership role among the Andhra chieftains and driven out the Delhi Sultanate from Warangal. But his rise was soon challenged by the Bahmani Sultanate and he was defeated along with the Vijayanagar in the Bahmani–Vijayanagar War. The Recherla Nayakas wrested power from him in 1368.
Pemmasani Nayaks were a ruling clan in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They came into prominence during Vijayanagara Empire. After the Battle of Talikota in 1565 AD, the collapse of Vijayanagara Empire led to the emergence of Pemmasani Nayakas in the Rayalaseema region. They belonged to the Kamma social group.
Sriranga Deva Raya was the second Emperor of Vijayanagara from the Aravidu Dynasty. He reigned the empire from the fortress of Penukonda. Sriranga succeeded his father, Emperor Tirumala Deva Raya. After the fall of Vijayanagara to Turko-Persian Sultanates of Deccan, he carried out the restoration of the empire from Penukonda. His reign was marred with repeated invasions and subsequent losses of territory to his Turko-Persian Muslim neighbours.
The recorded history of Andhra Pradesh, one of the 28 states of 21st-century India, begins in the Vedic period. It is mentioned in Sanskrit epics such as the Aitareya Brahmana. Its sixth-century BCE incarnation Assaka lay between the Godavari and Krishna Rivers, one of sixteen mahajanapadas. The Satavahanas succeeded them, built Amaravati, and reached a zenith under Gautamiputra Satakarni.
Kondaveedu Fort is a historically significant ancient hill fortress located in Kondaveedu, a village in the Chilakaluripet constituency of Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The site is located 16 miles west of the city of Guntur. Apart from this main fort, there are two other forts nearby. Efforts are in progress to classify Kondaveedu Fort as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kondapalli Fort, also locally known as Kondapalli Kota and Kondapalli Quilla, lies to the west of Kondapalli in Ibrahimpatnam mandal of NTR district in Andhra Pradesh, India was built by Prolaya Vema Reddy of Reddi Kingdom during the 14th century CE. It was initially built as a leisure place and business center and later served as a military training base for the British rulers. According to some other historians it was built in 1360 CE by Anna Vema Reddy after he captured Kondapalli from Mudigonda Chalukyas, the fort has been home to several dynasties, from the Reddi rulers Gajapati dynasty to the Nizam Nawabs, and then the East India Company.
Warangal Fort is located in Warangal District, Telangana, India. It was the capital city of Kakatiya dynasty and the Musunuri Nayakas. It appears to have existed since at least the 12th century when it was the capital of the Kakatiyas. The fort has four ornamental gates, known as Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, that originally formed the entrances to a now ruined great Shiva temple. The Kakatiyan arch has been adopted and officially incorporated into the emblem of Telangana after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The fort is included in the "tentative list" of UNESCO World Heritage Site and was submitted by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO on 10/09/2010.
Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma was an Indian historian, who worked at the Andhra University. He was born at Miniminchilipadu Agraharam, a village in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh to Bharayya and Nagamma.
The history of Telangana, located on the high Deccan Plateau, includes its being ruled by the Satavahana Dynasty, the Kakatiya Dynasty (1083–1323), the Musunuri Nayaks (1326–1356), the Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmani Sultanate (1347–1512), Golconda Sultanate (1512–1687) and Asaf Jahi dynasty (1724–1950).
Recherla Nayakas were an Andhra dynasty that wrested power from the Musunuri Nayakas and became the dominant power in the Telangana region during the late 14th century and early 15th century. They were based at Rachakonda, southeast of Golconda, the border with the Bahmani sultanate during this period, and built a second base at Devarakonda.
Kaulas Fort is a historic fort in western Telangana in India. It was constructed by Rashtrakutas in the 9th century CE. It later came under the rule of Chalukyas of Badami, the Kakatiyas, Musunuri Nayaks, Bahmani Sultanate, Qutub Shahis, Mughals, Marathas and, finally, the Asaf Jahi rulers of the Hyderabad State. It is in the Kamareddy district, near the trijunction of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra states. It has historically served as a strategic outpost contested by many kingdoms.
Rajahmundry Circar or Rajahmundry Sarkar was one of the five Northern Circars in the Golconda Sultanate, Deccan subah of Mughal empire and later in the Nizam's dominion of Hyderabad. The Northern Circars were the most prominent ones in the Deccan subah. Eastern Ghats near Pentakota village were considered the northern limit of the Rajahmundry Circar while the southern limit was demarcated by the Godavari river.
The Turquoise Throne or Takht-i-Firoza was a famous jewel-studded royal throne of the Bahmani Sultans of Deccan in India. It was a gift by Musunuri Kapaya Nayaka, then king of Warangal, during the Bahmani-Vijayanagar War, where the Bahmanis defeated the latter. Over some time, this throne became one of the most important icons of the Bahmani royalty and heritage.