EAST GODAVARI DISTRICT HISTORY PART-I

The Rajahmundry district was created in 1802 which included the current East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur Districts and was a part of the Madras Presidency. From this, the Godavari District was established in 1859 with Kakinada as its headquarters.

This Godavari district was formed by reorganising the Collectorates of Rajahmundry, Masulipatam and Guntur into Godavari and Krishna districts.

East Godavari district is the residuary district of Godavari district when the West Godavari district was separated from it in the year 1925.

Chandragupta Maurya the founder of the Mauryan dynasty, got control of the Empire which included large parts of the Deccan plateau. He was succeeded by his son Bindusara ( 297-272 BC) who conquered the Andhra country lying south of Kalinga. This is corroborated by the works of the poets of the Sangam age. 

Bindusra’s son and successor Ashoka claimed the Andhra’s are one of those who subjected to his authority. The district passed on to the Satavahanas after the fall of the Mauryan dynasty. 

Hala of the Satavahana dynasty led an expedition against Draksharama in 6-7 AD. The rule of Gautamiputra Satakarni (62-86 AD) and Vasishtiputra Pulomavi ( 86-114 AD) & Yajnasri Satakarni ( 128-157 AD) over this district is known through their coins.

Thereafter nothing is known about what happened in the district till the invasion of Samudragupta in 350 AD. At this period the eastern Deccan was cut into a number of minor kingdoms of which 2 belonged to this district; with Pishtapura & Avamukta as capitals. Samudragupta fought with both Mahendra of Pishtapura and Nilaraja of Avamukta. Samudragupta defeated Nilaraja of Avamukta in many battles.

Mahendra of Pishtapura traced his descent from the Magadha dynasty of Mahapadmananda. Avamukta is identified as the upper Godavari region of the district and Pishtapura with the present Pithapuram. 

The continued existence of Pishtapura even after this period is proved by the inscriptions of the subsequent period. 7 Kings of the Mathara Kula whose names ending with Varman and bearing the title Kalingadhipati are known from their inscriptions and their rule went on from 375 AD to 500 AD. The earliest known ruler of this dynasty was Maharaja Saktivarman. He was succeeded by Ananta Saktivarman. Later these kings had a fight with the Simhapura (Srikakulam) kingdom, conquered it and moved over to the North.

In the 1^st Quarter of the 5^th century AD the kingdom fell into the hands of Vishnukundins under Vikramendavarma I. Their dominion extended over Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and East Godavari districts. The greatest of the 9 Vishnukundin kings was Madhavavarma I. 

One Ranadurjaya was allowed to rule the Pishtapura kingdom as a vassal by these kings. Ranadurjaya was succeeded by his son Vikramendra (whom he named after his benefactor) who was followed by his son Pruthvimaharaja.

Later the area of Pishtapura was conquered by Raja Anantavarman of Vasishta kula. This was resisted by the Vishnukundin king Indrabhattaraka who defeated them and restored back the kingdom.

The early Gangas of Kalinga who were just then becoming stronger enlisted the help of all the kings defeated earlier by Indrabhattaraka  and he was not only routed in this battle, he also lost his life. With this defeat, the Vishnukundin power was extinguished in Visakhapatnam and Godavari districts. His successor Vishnukundin kings tried to regain the lost territory of Kalinga but to no avail.

In the meantime the Durjayas pushed out the Vishnukundins from Vengivishaya ( Eluru). However, their rule was rather brief as Pulakesin II of the Western Chalukyas of Badami attacked Pishtapura and reduced it to submission. In a token of appreciation of his contribution of his brother Kubjavishnu, Pulakesin II granted him the newly conquered territories of the East including Pishtapura. The Eastern Chalukyan dynasty founded by Kubjavishnu ruled from Pishtapura and not from Vengi. This was later shifted to Vengi and then to Rajahmundry by the Eastern Chalukyas.   

The kingdom of Vengi at its greatest extent comprised the area between the Mahendra mountains (Eastern Ghats) in Kalinga to Manneru river in Nellore. Its western boundary ran along the foot of the Eastern Ghats.

Nothing is known about the early Chalukyas till we come to Bhima I (892-921 AD) who has built the Shiva Temple at Draksharama.  

After that there was a civil war for power in the Eastern Chalukya kingdom and Amma I was victorious in the war and ruled the kingdom for 7 years. There were continuous attacks by the Rashtrakutas on Vengi (near Eluru) and therefore Amma I laid the foundation stone of Rajahmundry on the other side of the Godavari. However, this foundation does not have any historical evidence and it might have taken place during the time of the Chalukya Kings Vijayaditya and Rajaraja who succeeded Amma I. One thing is certain; any of these 3 kings laid the foundation stone for Rajahmundry. Tradition points to Rajaraja and therefore we can accept that.

Amma I was succeeded by his son Vijayaditya V who was deposed just 15 days after accession. He took refuge at Pithapuram where he founded a dynasty.

In 973 AD the Eastern Chalukyan ruler Danarnava was killed and Vengi was occupied by Jata Choda Bheema of Pedakallu in Kurnool district. He ruled from 973 AD to 1000 AD. 

The 2 sons of Danarnava Saktivarman I and Vimaladitya fled and took refuge with Rajaraja Chola I who was waiting for an opportunity extend his influence over the coastal area. He gave his daughter Kundavai in marriage to the younger Vimaladitya and invaded Vengi during the year 999-1000 with the idea of restoring Saktivarman I to the throne of Vengi. In the war Jatachoda Bheema was killed and the Kingdom of Vengi became a vassal of Rajaraja I.

However, this Ascenscion of the Cholas at Vengi in this fashion was not liked by Satyasraya the ruler of the Western Chalukyas at Kalyani and for the next 135 years there were intermittent wars between the Western Chalukyas and Cholas. In the process, the Eastern Chalukyas themselves seem to have receded into the background. During the rein of Rajadhiraja I, the Cholas seem to have lost Vengi and also a portion of Kalinga to the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani.

During the rule of Vijayaditya VII, the last king of the Eastern Chalukyas, the Vengi kingdom was invaded by Chedi King of Dahala, Yasahkarnadeva in 1073 AD.  He bestowed gifts to the temple at Draksharama. With the death of Vijayaditya VII in the war in 1075AD, the Eastern Chalukyan dynasty ended and Vengi became a part of the Chola Empire.