kingdom · South Asia
Kakatiya dynasty
Origins
The Kakatiyas began as feudatories of the Chalukyas of Kalyani in the Telangana region. As Chalukya power declined, Prola II and then Rudradeva asserted independence; Rudradeva declared sovereignty around 1163, built the Thousand Pillar Temple at Hanamkonda and laid out a new capital at Orugallu (Warangal).
Rule and society
Ganapatideva united most Telugu-speaking lands and encouraged trade through the port of Motupalli. His daughter Rudramadevi ruled as one of the few reigning queens of medieval India, praised by Marco Polo. The kingdom built large irrigation tanks such as Ramappa and Pakhal, and the Ramappa temple is now a World Heritage Site. Nayaka military chiefs held land in return for service.
Decline and legacy
The Delhi Sultanate attacked Warangal repeatedly from 1309. In 1323 an army under Ulugh Khan, the future Muhammad bin Tughluq, captured the city and took Prataparudra prisoner. Former Kakatiya Nayakas soon led a revolt, founding the Musunuri Nayaks and Recherla Nayakas.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Kakatiya dynasty was a vassal of Western Chalukya Empire1000 CE – 1163 CE
- Velanati Chodas was conquered by Kakatiya dynasty1216 CE
- Kakatiya dynasty was conquered by Delhi Sultanate1323 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kakatiya dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakatiya-dynasty
- MLA
- “Kakatiya dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakatiya-dynasty. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Kakatiya dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakatiya-dynasty.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kakatiya dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakatiya-dynasty (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻