Nayaks of Kalahasti

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The Nayaks of Kalahasti were rulers of Kalahasti and Vandavasi principalities. They belonged to the Velama caste. Members of the group include Chennappa Naicker and his son Venkatapathy.^[1][2] These Nayaks served as loyalists to the Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire.

Notable Rulers

Damarla Chennappa Nayaka

See also: Damerla Chennappa Nayakudu

Chennappa Nayaka was a trusted general under Sriranga Deva Raya. Chennai, the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is named in his honor.

Yachamanendu

Yachamanendu was one of the famous chiefs of this line. He was a loyalist of Venkatapati Deva Raya and Sriranga II. Yachamanendu was also the son of Kasturiranga, another famous general of Kalahasti. He helped Venkatapati to capture territory from the Deccan Sultans and also quelled rebellions by Nayaks of Vellore and Madurai. When Sriranga II succeeded Venkatapati, Yachama supported him against Jaggaraya's faction. Yachamanendu saved Sriranga's son Ramadeva by smuggling him out of the Vellore prison, with the help of a Washerman, when Sriranga's family was imprisoned by Jaggaraya. However, he was unable to prevent the murder of Sriranga's entire family. He fought on behalf of Ramadeva at Toppur with support from Raghunatha of Tanjore and killed Jaggaraya seizing his Gobburi Estates.

References

1. ^ "District Pofile - CHENNAI". Chennai.tn.nic.in. http://www.chennai.tn.nic.in/chndistprof.htm#hist. Retrieved 2009-09-07. 
2. ^ C S Srinivasachari (1939). History of the City of Madras. pp. 63–69. http://www.archive.org/details/historyofthecity035512mbp. 

Further Reading

Velcheru Narayana Rao|Rao, David Shulman and Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Symbols of substance : court and state in Nayaka period Tamil Nadu (Delhi ; Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1998) ; xix, 349 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., maps ; 22 cm. ; Oxford India paperbacks ; Includes bibliographical references and index ; ISBN 0-19-564399-2.