Kondavid

Kondavid is a village and hill fortress in the Narasaraopet taluka of Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Located 1700 ft above MSL, the fortress was once the capital of the Kondavidu province that stretched from the Krishna River to the Gundlakamma River. It was constructed in the 12th century by the Reddi dynasty, who ruled it till 1482. Consequently, Vijayanagar and the Golconda Sultans fought for its possession, the latter finally capturing it in 1579 and renaming it Murtuzanagar. [ [http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?volume=15&objectid=DS405.1.I34_V15_399.gifImperial Gazetteer of India 1931.] ]

The French gained control of it in 1752 and extensively fortified it. It passed on to the English in 1788 and was abandoned in the early 19th century in favour of Guntur. Today little exists except the massive fortifications and battlements. The interior has extensive ruins of magazines and storehouses.

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