Meluganti Nayaks

The Meluganti Nayaks: Feudatory Warriors of the Kakatiya Empire

A 13th-century military lineage from the Nalgonda and Khammam regions

Introduction

The Meluganti (Melugantu/Meluguntu) family were a prominent clan of high-ranking military subordinates (Nayakas) who served the Kakatiya dynasty during the 13th century, primarily under the great King Ganapatideva. Their history, reconstructed from stone inscriptions, reveals their role as dedicated feudatories, temple patrons, and loyal servants to both the Kakatiya throne and their own family lineage in present-day Telangana.

1. The Meluganti Brothers at Vadapalli (A.D. 1211)

The most detailed record of the family comes from an inscription at Vadapalli (Miryalaguda Taluk, Nalgonda District). Dated to A.D. 1211 (Saka 1133, Pramoduta), the inscription lists five brothers:

• Melugantu Komare-nayaka
• Devare-nayaka
• Ede-nayaka
• Bete-nayaka
• Rudre-nayaka

These brothers constructed the temple of Bradukesvara (also called Bradukisvaram), a Trikutasthana (three-shrined temple). They granted the temple lands and endowments to a priest named Bhima-jiya – who had set up the kalasas (temple finials) at his own expense – in return for his priesthood. The endowment was made for:

• The spiritual merit of their sovereign, King Ganapatideva.
• Honoring their parents, Konda-nayaka and Mailasani.

The grant included 30 puttis of velivolamu (a land measure) for the daily rituals (anga bhoga, ranga bhoga, and naivedya).

📜 Epigraphical Source:
Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy for 1944-45, Page 93.
Place: Vadapalli, Hyderabad State (now Telangana).
Date: A.D. 1212 (Saka 1133). Language: Telugu.
Details: Gift of land by Meluganti Komara Nayaka and brothers to the trikuta temple erected at Bradukisvaram in the name of Ganapati, Konda-Nayaka, and Mailasani.

📜 Secondary Source:
Inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh, Nalgonda District, Volume-II (1994), pp. 106-108.
Date: A.D. 1211. Languages: Telugu and Kannada.
Details: Confirms the five brothers built Bratukesvaramu and granted priesthood to Bhima Jiyya.

2. Continued Presence at Nelakondapalli (A.D. 1242)

The Meluganti family retained their high status three decades later. An inscription from Nelakondapalli (Khammam District), dated Saka 1164 (A.D. 1242), found on a slab near the Kattalammacheruvu tank, mentions Meluganti Komara Nayaka and his brothers again.

They are recorded in connection with a gift of two maruturas of land at Bollasamudram to the temple of Prolakamma. This gift was executed by Recherla pasayita Ganapati-reddi, another Kakatiya mahamandalesvara (great feudal lord), demonstrating the Meluganti family’s deep integration into the elite military-administrative circles of the empire.

Summary & Historical Significance

In summary, the Meluganti Nayaks were:

• Dedicated Kakatiya subordinates under King Ganapatideva.
• Established major religious foundations (Bradukesvara at Vadapalli, and donations at Nelakondapalli).
• Honored both their imperial masters and their parents (Konda-nayaka and Mailasani).
• Active in present-day Nalgonda and Khammam regions of Telangana during 1211–1242 CE.

Their inscriptions, recorded in Telugu and Kannada, reflect the linguistic and cultural milieu of the Kakatiya feudatory system.

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© Based on Epigraphical Reports (ASI 1944-45 & Inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh, Vol. II)
Last updated: 2026