Musunuri Nayaks - The Decline

The Decline

The unity fostered by the Musunuri cousins among the Nayaks started showing strains fuelled by envy. Recherla Velama Nayaks led by Singama raided Addanki which was under the control of Vema Reddy. Vema Reddy sought the help of Kaapaya who intervened and forced Singama to accept the confederation. Singama was unable to reconcile to this act. Kaapaya also helped Bahmani king in good faith to ward off Delhi Sultan’s attack. He would soon find Alauddin turn ungrateful.

Singama and his sons induced Alauddin to interfere in the affairs of Warangal. The Bahmani king was only too eager to oblige. Telangana was invaded in 1350. Kaapaya’s army fought an unexpected but heroic battle in vain. He concluded a treaty with Alauddin and surrendered Kaulas fort. This was the first setback to the unified Telugu kingdom.

The death of Muhammad bin Tughluq in 1351 emboldened Alauddin to achieve his goal of expanding his kingdom in the Deccan. He marched into Telangana in 1355 with greatly enlarged army and captured many forts including Bhuvanagiri. Alauddin spent a year in Telangana and engaged in another round of destruction and plunder. He returned to Gulbarga and died in 1359. Mohammed Shah succeeded Alauddin. At this time Kaapaya sent his brave and boisterous son Vinayaka Deva to liberate Kaulas and Bhuvanagiri from the Bahmanis. The Vijayanagar king Bukka Raya actively assisted him in this campaign. Vinayaka Deva had initial successes but was eventually defeated, captured and killed in a ghastly manner.

Kaapaya was disheartened but his goal was to destroy the Bahmani kingdom. Along with Bukka Raya he planned a great expedition against the Bahmanis. Mohammed Shah got enraged and invaded Telangana again. Golconda and Warangal were subdued. Bukka Raya died during this time. Lack of support from Vijayanagar and non-cooperation from Devarakonda and Rachakonda Nayaks also contributed to the fall of Warangal. Historians feel that Rachakonda Nayaks surreptitiously helped Bahmani king. Mohammed Shah spent two years in Telangana and wiped out all remnants of rebellion. Golconda was chosen as the border between the Bahmani and Warangal kingdoms in 1365. Kaapaya had to present the turquoise throne and large amounts of tribute to Mohammed Shah. This was the major setback and turning point in the history of Andhradesa.

Singamanayaka of Recherla and his sons took advantage of the situation and declared independence. They marched against Warangal ruled by a weakened and disheartened Kaapaya. The treasury was empty and the army was war-weary. Kaapaya met Singama’s army at Bhimavaram and died a martyr’s death. Thus ended the short but glorious reign (1326-1370) of the Musunuri clan which united the Telugu country, its people and its warriors, and protected the Hindu Dharma. The valour, dedication and undaunted spirit of sacrifice of Musunuri Nayaks are unparalleled in the history of Telugu land.

The Nayaks of Bhuvanagiri who eventually came to control Warangal became vassals of the Bahmani kingdom and consequently bereft of any moral or political authority to prevent the horrors of alien conquest, such as forcible conversion, desecration of temples, obstruction to Vedic practices, destruction of property, plunder of wealth, dishonour of womenfolk etc. The Reddy kings of coastal region (Rajahmundry and Kondaveedu) also asserted their independence by the beginning of fifteenth century. The Gajapati kings, Reddy Nayaks and Rachakonda Nayaks were always engaged in bitter rivalry. The Rachakonda Nayaks fought many a battle, at times on behalf of the Bahmani kings, against the Vijayanagar kings who were trying to consolidate Hindu power against Bahmani, Bijapur and Golconda sultans. This was in stark contrast to the policy of Musunuri Nayaks and Vijayanagar Kings who always helped each other in their battles against the Muslim kings. Subsequently Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagar prevailed upon all Andhra and Kalinga kings and unified the whole of South India by 1522.

After the martyrdom of Kaapaya Nayak there was an en masse migration of Nayaks and their progeny to the Vijayanagar Kingdom. According to Muslim historian Barani, Harihara the founder of Vijayanagar empire was related to Kaapaya Nayak. However, this contention was not widely agreed. The Nayaks formed the bulwark of Vijayanagar Empire and bravely defended South India and Hindu dharma for the next two centuries (Pemmasani Nayaks, Ravella Nayaks and Sayapaneni Nayaks). Relatives of Kaapaya such as Mummadi and Anavota briefly controlled small areas in the coastal districts which were eventually absorbed into the Reddy Kingdom. Nayaks who were unwilling to surrender and serve as vassals were pursued and killed by the Muslim armies.