Inscriptions of Karimnagar District

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The present book on Karimnagar inscriptions is the second volume in the series of the exhaustive list of inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh which the department of Archaeology has undertaken to bring out, the first volume being the inscriptions of Warangal district. The contiguity of Karimnagar district to Warangal District is so close, that for purposes of archaeological analysis the region as a whole could be viewed as a single unit.

The history of Warangal region from its inscriptions is known from the rise of the Kakatiyas in the middle of twelfth century A. D., whereas Karimnagar region by virtue of its proximity to the river Godavari, has yielded greater results of antiquarian importance. Its antiquity dates back to the early dim phases of the dawn of history, which is attested to by the cave dwellings noticed on a hillock near Kapparaopet, popularly known as munula-gutta, the hill of ascetics, on the right bank of Godavari where some microliths, Statavahana coins and some early Jaina vestiges were discovered during the recent exploration work. Pedabankur in the same Peddapalli taluk, as a result of archaeological excavations has proved itself to be a very important Šatavahana site in Andhra Pradesh.

The next phase in the historical period of the region begins with the reign of the Chalukya collateral branch called the Vemulavada Chalukyas, whose history started simultaneously with the advent of the Rashtrakūta power. Vinaya- ditya Yuddhamalla, the founder of the family ruled over the Sapadalaksha country with Podana, modern Bodhan as his capital, in the ninth century A. D. and his kingdom extended upto Chennuru near Manthena on the river Godavari. Later Arikesari II (A.D. 930-955) shifted the capital to Vemulavada. It would appear, that subsequent to the fall of the Rashtrakuța power, their successors, the Western Chalukyas bestowed this region, known as Sabbi-nadu, on the early Kakatiya chiefs. The Vemulavada Chalukyas patronized Jainism and built several temples to Jain Tirthankaras at places like Vemulavada, Sanigaram, Nagunuru and Ganga- dharam. The most notable event of the reign of those kings was, that the great Kannada poet Pampa and the Jain theologist Somadeva-suri flourished in their royal court. The monumental works Vikrama juna-Vijaya, Adipuraņa, Yaśastilaka and Nitivakyamrita were produced during the reign of these kings and made their names immortal. Other chiefs like Medaraja of Polavasa, his brother Gundaraja of Man- thena, Dommaraja of Naganuru and Edaraja of Ramagundam appear as enemies of the Kakatiyas and were vanquished by them.