ORIGIN OF THE VELAMAS

The Velamas originally belonged to the area of Pillalamarri & Anumagallu in Nalgonda district.

There are many stories on the origin of the Velamas but the origin cannot be dated with precision. The first mention of  Velamas  was made in the “Palnati Veeracharitra” of Srinatha, the court poet of Pedakomati Vema Redddy of Kondaveedu.

Srinatha lived during the years 1365-1441 when  he has written the “Palanati Veera Charitra” whereas the battle actually took place somewhere between the years 1178 and 1182. This means the poet has written about something that took place some 200 years before his time. As per the Veeracharitra Brahma Naidu of Recherla Gotra who was one of the main characters of the Palnati battle was a Velama.

Thereafter, the Velamas emerge again in the Kakatiya Kingdom where they have been the commanders and vassals of the Kakatiyas from 1200 AD onwards.  The first known Velama in the Kakatiya Kingdom was Era Dachanayaka. Subsequennt to him were Dama, Rudra and Prasadityanayakas and they were famous during Ganapati Devas  (1199-1262 AD) time.   

      

The Velamas served as the commanders of the Kakatiya empire and after its downfall they set up their own kingdoms at Rachakonda and Devarakonda at around 1360 AD, which together ruled all the 13 districts of Telengana while the entire Coastal Andhra was under the Reddy Kings. The Velama’s supported the Bahmani’s for some time, the Vijayanagara Kings for some time and the Gajapati’s of Orissa for sometime before the kingdoms were finally extinguished in 1475 AD.

They were at continuous war with the Reddy Kingdoms which weakened both of them and finally they were absorbed by the Bahamanis and the Hampi Vijayanagar empire.

Due to their influence as the vassals of the Kakatiya kingdom of many areas, they were later confirmed by the Nijam as Jagirdars and Jamindars by the British and the French of those respective areas. The important among these include 1. Venkatagiri, 2. Pithapuram, 3. Bobbili, 4. Nuzvid, 5. Jetprole or Kolhapur and many others.  

  

MUSLIM INVASIONS ON THE KAKATIYA KINGDOM.

The Velamas were linked to the Kakatiya Kingdom. Although they were originally from the Pillalamarri Anumagallau area they gained prominence during the time of Kakatiyas. Before that their mention was there in the Palnati battle.

The attack on the Kakatiya kingdom by the Mulsim armies from the North finally destroyed the kingdom in 1322 AD and the Velamas spread all over the state.  

There wer 4 Muslim attacks on the Kakatiya kingdom and it fell in the 4^th and final attack. .

1ST ATTACK: The Muslim forces first attacked the Kakatiya Kingdom in 1303 when Allauddin Khilji sent Malik Fakhruddin Juna onto Orugallu with a large army. This army was defeated at Upparapalli by Recherla Vennamanayaka and Potuganti Maili.

2ND ATTACK: Khilji then sent Malik Kafur on Orugallu in 1309. Kafur then attacked the Orugallu fort which was besieged for more than a month. Prataparudra then yielded and agreed to pay tribute to the Delhi Sultan. He respected this agreement as long as Allauddin Khilji was alive. When Alluddin died Prataparudra stopped paying the tribute.

3RD ATTACK: Then Mubarak Khilji sent Khusro Khan to besiege Orugallu, but we do not have any information on this attack. As per Amir Khusro Parataparudra got defeated in this battle and had to pay large sums of money as indemnity to the sultan.

4TH ATTACK: The fourth invasion took place during the time of Ghiyasuddin Tughlak in 1321-22.

Prince Junakhan also known as Ulugh Khan and Mohammed Bin Tughglak later led the attack and it went on for 6 months. As the muslims were about to score a victory a rumor that the Delhi sultan died spread in their camp.

Two senanis named Taimur and Tigrin rebelled and started a dialogue with Parataparudra. Due to this Ulugh Khan had to turn back and Prataparudras army wreaked havoc with the retreating muslim armies. Velugotivari vamsavali states that as a part of this Yechanayaka has defeated the Muslims in the kolachalama battle and wrested away their horses.

Ulugh Khan retreated to Devagiri where fresh forces from Delhi arrived to join him. He then attacked the Kakatiya kingdom again. He sieged the Bidar and Bodhan cities and then besieged Orugallu. The Kakatiyas were exhausted by continous battles with the muslims and also they did not improve their artillery and cavalry.

To top it all there were caste differences in the army and unity was lacking. The Reddy senanis were angry with Prataparudra and the Velama Senanis. 

When the battle with Ulugh Khan was in a decisive stage one Reddy senani named Bobba Reddy withdrew from battle along with his army. As a result Prataprudras army was weakened and this is also a factor in tilting the battle in favor of the Muslim armies.  Prataparudra was defeated. 

Many famous senanis of Kakatiyas perished in this battle. Prataparudra was taken prisoner and on the way to Delhi he committed suicide. 

BATTLE OF PALNADU & BRAHMA NAIDU.

The battle took place between 1178 and 1182 AD beteen Nalagamaraju, a Haihaya Kshatriya king who ruled the area of Palnadu in Guntur District and his step brother Malidevaraju. 

Nalagamaraju was supported by the Reddy lady Nagamma while Malidevaraju was supported by Recherla Brahmanaidu who was a social reformer.

When Anuguraju of the Haiahays migrated to the Andhra area from Jajablpur in Madhya Pradesh, he clashed with the Velanati Chodas of Velnadu who ruled from Chandavolu.

Velanati Gonkaraju installed Anuguraju as king of Palnadu at Gurajala after giving his daughter Mailama Devi to him in marriage. 

As Anuguraju is non Telugu speaking and has migrated to Andhra area only at that time, and is unfamiliar with the local people, Gonkaraju appointed Dodda Naidu of Recherla Gotra as his minister to guide him.

Anugu Raju had 2 more wives, Viravidya Devi and Bhoorama Devi. Anuguraju was however childless and adopted the eldest son of his minister Dodda Naidu.

Soon after this Mailama Devi gave birth to a son called Nalagamaraju. Disillusioned with the turn of events Dodda Naidu stepped down as minsiter of Anuguraju and made his younger son Brahma Naidu as a minister instead. Nalagamaraju became king after Anuguraju.

Nalagamaraju had a step brother called Malidevaraju who married a princess from the Kalachuris of Kalyanadurga in Karnataka.

Brahma Naidu was highly respected in his time and is a warrior, scholar and reformer. Brahmanaidu captured the fort of Shimoga from the Veera Saivaites on the request of the Kalyani Chalukyan King of Kalyani.

The king in turn gave his daughter Sirimadevi in marriage to Malidevaraju. 

Brahma Naidu was a staunch Vaishnavaite and founded a new sect called Veera Vaishnavism as against Veera Saivism which was prevalent then and which allowed the Sudras into its fold but not untouchables. The social reforms like Chapa Koodu (having food sitting side by side on a mat irrespective of caste) intiated by Brahma Naidu have antagonized the conservatives of the Palnadu society.

Brahma Naidu did not stop with Chapakoodu and in this he is centuries, nay 800 years ahead of the present day social reformers. He had all castes including the scheduled Castes in his army. In fact Kannamanedu from the Scheduled caste was treated almost like Brahma Naidus own son and was made the commander of his army. 

The conservatives found an able leader in one Reddy lady named Nagamma who is known as Nayakuralu. Nagamma joined the court of Nalagamaraju and gained his confidence. Therafter she made Nalagamarju displace Brahma Naidus men from key positions. The differences in the court and the royal family grew which led to the division of the Kingdom.

Nalagamaraju’s half brother Malidevarju moved to Macherla and set up a separate kingdom there. Brahma Naidu moved to Macherla along with Malidevaraju.

Mutual suspicion between the two kingdoms grew and Nagamma under the pretext of Malidevas defeat in a cockfight exiled them for 7 years from Palnadu. After the exile Brahma Naidu sent Alaraju the brother in law of Malidevaraju to claim Malidevaraju’s share. 

The demand was turned down and Alaraju was poisoned in Cherlagudipadu by the orders of Nagamma. His wife Perindevi committed Sati with Alaraju. This enraged Malidevaraju and Kommaraju who was the father of Alaraju. Brahma Naidu then declared war on Gurajala.

The battle was fought at Karempudi on the banks of the river Naguleru. Nalagamaraju was supported by the Kakatiyas, Kota Vamsa, Hoysalas and Paricchedis. Malidevaraju was supported by the Kalachuris of Kalyanadurga.   

Nalagamarajus side was victorious in the battle and Malidevaraju died fighting. Brahma Naidu was forced to reinstate Nalagamarju. Balachandrudu the valiant son of Brahma Naidu died in this battle along with his wife Manchala. 

A whole genration of Andhra warriors perished in the battle. This battle weakened the Velnati Chodas and this later helped the Kakatiyas to take over their domain. 

ROMAN EMPEROR PHILOSOPHER---MARCUS AURELIUS AND STOICISM.

We had princes who turned into philosophers in Buddha and Mahavira but they come from tribal republics who were not war loving. But Can a Roman Emperor continuously trying to expand his empire and fighting against the enemies of his Empire be a Philosopher?  That looks impossible to us but history has many personages that look stranger than fiction. One such is Marcus Aurelius the Roman Emperor. He is a philosopher of Stoicism. If anyone has seen the movie Gladiator they would have seen Marcus Aurelius in action.  

Let us see what Stoicism is.  The founder of Stoicism was Zeno. He was born in Cyprus in 350 BC. He studied at the Platonic Academy in Athens. After that he established his own school in Athens at a place called Nova Stoicley, thus the name Stoicism to this philosophy. 

STOICISM: Surprisingly Stoicism is similar and reminds us of the teachings of the Bhagawadgita.

Stoics preached that happiness and sorrow belong to the outer world. They depend on the external circumstances. They do not come if we want and go if we want. They come and go by themselves. We should not be concerned with them. We have to control our mind and keep it free. We have to improve our patience.

Like a drop of water that does not touch wet a lotus leaf, man has to live. Action is for the sake of action itself and not for the sake of result. We should suppress all love, affection, fear and hatred and conquer our passions.

We can do anything without passion, and without any interest. Bad is not in the action we perform but it is in our mind. Even if we perform right actions with passion, then the act would in fact be bad. Dispassionate mind and lack of attachment are the most important.   

MARCUS AURELIUS: He was born in the year 121 AD. His father was the Head of the Judiciary at Rome. Aurelius had his first education with Rusticus, the Stoic philosopher. Aurelius was adopted by the Emperor Titus Antonius Pius as he did not have any male children, he married his daughter Faustina to him and proclaimed him to be the future Emperor.

Aurelius was introverted and most of the time was immersed in deep thought and reading. He preferred loneliness and rejected the kingly life, riches and pomp. He digested the sayings of the Cynics and the Stoics. He used to wear coarse clothes, ate ordinary food and slept on a cot without mattresses.

But all that was Aurelius’s interior.  To others he appeared normal. He learnt riding, swordsmanship and politics.

The Emperor Titus Antonius Pius died in 161 AD and Aurelius became Emperor. He left the kingdom in the hands of Lucius Verus who was also raised by the king along with him and immersed himself in philosophy. Unfortunately for him Verus died suddenly and Aurelius had to turn himself to the affairs of the kingdom.

Faustina bore him 13 children of which 8 died. The Empire became full of rebellions and was subjected to attacks by tribes. Then the plague claimed lots of the population. It is estimated that one third of the population so perished. He compiled his famous book “Meditations” in the battlefield tents while fighting the rebellions against the Empire. It is through this book that the contemporary philosophers learnt more about Stoicism.  

His commander Evideous Cassius in whom Aurelius has placed a great faith rebelled in Syria. The Emperor had to move against Cassius and put down the rebellion. One of the followers of Cassius murdered him, but Aurelius pardoned Cassius’s family and his other followers. There was a rumor that Faustina was also involved with the rebellion but Aurelius refused to believe it and when she died, he was heartbroken. He got an epitaph erected for her and put her golden idol there.  

He finally quelled all the rebellions on the Empire by 179 AD but died a year later. He reigned for 19 years and all the time he was in trouble but he confronted them with a stoic demeanor.