Viriyala Chiefs

The Viriyala (c.900 - 1323 CE) were a powerful and enduring feudal dynasty that served as military chiefs (Senanis) and subordinate rulers for three major Deccan empires: the Rashtrakutas, the Kalyani Chalukyas, and the Kakatiyas. Their lineage, which claimed descent from the ancient Durjaya dynasty (like the Kakatiyas themselves), lasted for approximately 400 years. Their history is primarily reconstructed from inscriptions found at Gudur, Moripirala, Kalukur, Pammi, and Rayaparty.

Founder : Poranti or Poranki Venna
Head Quarters : Katukuru
Descendants of Durjaya dynasty, like Kakatiyas and served as chiefs of army.
The Viriyala chiefs continued as subordinate/feudatory rulers for Rashtra kutas, Kalyani Chalukyas and Kakatiyas for around 400 years. Their history is reconstructed through ‘Gudur’, Moripirala, Kalukur, Pammi and Rayaparty inscriptions issued by themselves. According to their inscriptions, the founder of their dynasty was Poranti Venna.

Core Area
The heart of their domain was the Velpugonda-24 division (Velpugonda 24 Seema). This was an administrative division, and controlling it meant the Viriyala chiefs had authority over the 24 villages or groups within it.

Headquarters: Katukuru. This is a vital clue. Modern Katukuru is a village in the Jangaon district of Telangana. This places the epicenter of their power firmly in central Telangana.

The influence and direct rule of the Viriyala dynasty would have extended across parts of these modern-day districts:
Jangaon (Headquarters at Katukuru)
Nalgonda (Gudur inscription)
Suryapet (Pammi, Moripirala)
Warangal (Hanamkonda area, Ayyanapura)
Sangareddy (Rembarti area)

1. Origins and Rise

The Viriyala claimed origins from the Durjaya dynasty, establishing a shared mythological ancestry with the Kakatiyas, which later helped in their political integration. They rose to prominence not as sovereign kings but as indispensable military commanders and loyal vassals. Their power base was centered in areas like Velpugonda-24 (a division) with headquarters at Katukuru. Their initial rise began under the Rashtrakuta empire, where they held the prestigious position of "Army Chief."

2. Rulers

The Viriyala rulers consistently held the title "Senani" (General), underscoring their primary role as military leaders.

Poranti / Poranki Venna

The founder of the dynasty according to the Gudur inscription. He served as an army chief for the Rashtrakutas.

Erra Bhupati

Son of Venna, succeeded his father as the Rashtrakuta army chief.

Bhima: Son of Erra Bhupati. 

The Gudur inscription compares his prowess to Bhima of the Mahabharata.

Erra Narendra (c. 995 AD): 

A pivotal figure. He lived during the fall of the Rashtrakutas and the rise of the Kalyani Chalukyas. He married Kuntala Devi, sister of Kakatiya Gunda, creating the first major marital alliance with the Kakatiyas. He is credited with killing Kakatiya Gunda and installing a Mudigonda Chalukya chief, though his wife later helped the Kakatiyas restore their kingdom.

Sura Senani I (c. 1108 AD)

A powerful general who killed Kataya Nayaka (a general of the Kakatiya king Beta II) and installed his own ruler in Velpugonda, demonstrating the Viriyala's significant autonomous power.

Prola I, Malla, Beta

Sons of Sura I. 

Viriyala Nagasani, the wife of Prola I, is noted as a capable administrator who governed the Rembarti area as regent for her young sons.

Sura II, Malla, Prola II, Komma

Sons of Beta. After Beta's death, his cousin's wife, Nagasani, acted as regent for these young heirs, moving from Rembarti to Pammi.

Annaya Senani (c. 1195 AD)

Son of Malla Senani. His daughter, Mylama, married a chief of the Malyala dynasty. The Mylama inscription and the later Katukuru inscription (1203 AD) issued by her are crucial sources for the dynasty's history. He was a contemporary of the Kakatiya monarchs Rudradeva, Mahadeva, and Ganapatideva.

Rudra (c. 1245 AD)

Mentioned in the Rayaparty inscription, but details are lost.

Ganapathi (c. 1254 AD) & Sura (c. 1273 AD)

The latter is explicitly mentioned as a subordinate of the great Kakatiya Queen Rudramadevi. The Kotagiri copper plates of 1273 AD record him granting the village of Vijjalapuri to Brahmins, a classic act of a feudatory ruler exercising land grant rights.

3. Administration

As feudal lords, the Viriyala administered their own Nadus (districts) and Seemas (divisions), such as Velpugonda-24. Their administration would have mirrored that of their overlords, focusing on land revenue collection, local justice, and maintaining a standing army. The role of royal women in administration, as seen with Nagasani who governed as a regent, was significant.

4. Economy and Trade

Though details are sparse, their economy was undoubtedly agrarian, based on land revenue from the villages they controlled. Their inscriptions recording grants of villages (e.g., Gumuduru, Bammera, Vijjalapuri) to Brahmins and temples indicate a prosperous agricultural base and the practice of rewarding service and earning religious merit through land grants.

5. Society

The society under their rule was typical of the medieval Deccan, structured along the lines of a feudal hierarchy with the Viriyala chiefs at the top, followed by other landed elites, officers, farmers, and artisans. The patronage of Brahminical Hinduism through temple construction and land grants to Brahmins (Agraharas) was a key social and religious activity.

6. Art and Culture

Their cultural contributions are evidenced through the temples they built, such as the temple for Shiva at Ayyanapura built by Sura II. While no grand monuments solely attributed to them are known, their grants and endowments would have contributed to the religious and cultural landscape of the Telangana region, which flourished under their Kakatiya overlords.

7. Foreign Relations

Their "foreign relations" were defined by their vassalage:

Rashtrakutas (Early Period): Loyal military commanders.
Kalyani Chalukyas (Middle Period): Switched allegiance after the fall of the Rashtrakutas.
Kakatiyas (Later Period): Their most important and long-lasting relationship. Initially, they were rivals (e.g., Erra Narendra killing Gunda), but through marital alliances (Erra marrying Kuntala Devi) and political pragmatism, they became one of the most trusted and powerful feudatory families within the Kakatiya empire, serving them until the late 13th century.

8. Achievements and Legacy

Military Prowess: Their primary achievement was maintaining a position of military leadership for over six centuries under changing empires.
Political Longevity: Their ability to adapt and serve successive major powers is a testament to their political acumen.
Historical Records: Their inscriptions are invaluable primary sources that not only detail their own history but also provide crucial data on the history of the Kakatiyas and the geopolitics of the Deccan.
Support to Kakatiyas: As one of the key feudatory families, they provided military and administrative stability to the Kakatiya empire, contributing to its strength and expansion.

9. Chronology, Dating and Inscriptions

The entire history of the Viriyala is reconstructed from inscriptions. Key ones include:
Gudur Inscription: The primary source, detailing the early lineage from Venna to Sura I.
Moripirala, Katukuru, and Pammi Inscriptions: Provide details on Beta and the regency of Nagasani.
Mylama Inscription (1195 AD): Details Annaya Senani.
Katukuru Inscription (1203 AD): Issued by Mylama, details Viriyala and Malyala histories.
Rayaparty Inscription (1245 AD): Mentions Rudra.
Kotagiri Copper Plates (1273 AD): Prove the subordination of Sura to Kakatiya Rudramadevi.

10. Successor States/Vassals

The Viriyala were vassals, not sovereigns with their own vassals. However, the inscription mentioning Sura I making "Rawanrupa the ruler of Velpugonda" suggests they themselves could install smaller chiefs under them, acting as intermediaries in the feudal hierarchy. The dynasty likely faded into obscurity after the fall of the Kakatiya Empire in the early 14th century, with their territories being absorbed by the Delhi Sultanate and later the Vijayanagara and Bahmani empires.

The kakatias of Warangal - Dr. P.V.Parabrahma Sastry


http://www.weonline.in/telangana-history-viriyala-dynasty/