Chagi

The Chagi (Zodiac sign of Cancer/Moon)^[1] were an ancient ruling dynasty of Andhra Pradesh who ruled over Natavadi region (in Krishna District) with Gudimetla as there Capital.^[2] Chagis were Suryavanshi Kshatriyas of Vasishta gotra and are ancestors of Sagi and Vatsavai clans of Kshatriya Rajus of Andhra. According to the folklores of the Raju caste, Chagis are believed to be one of the four tribes/clans that migrated from North to Telangana and gradually settled into the Northern Circars in the 6th century.

History

Chagis while occasionally enjoying independent rule most of the time they had been feudal allies of the Vishnukundinas, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Gajapathis, Vijayanagar Dynasties and were Zamindars during Nizam and Colonial rule. The Kakatiya King Ganapati Deva's sister Melambika was married to the second son of Chagi Buddaraju, who was ruling Natavadi region.^[3]

The Chagis were closely related to Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Paricchedis and Kota Kings through marital alliances.^[4]

The Chagi dynasty broke into various branches, specifically the Vatasavai royal families of Peddapuram, Tuni, and Godicharla, the Sagis of Kottur, Konda-kirla, Rayavaram, Rajala, Sarva-siddhi, Vemalapudi, Velchur Kodur and the Raja Sagis of Kota Uratala and Thangedu Zamindars. All regard Chagi Pota Raju, who participated in the battle of Palnadu in 1178-1182 as a common ancestor. The family name changed over time from Chagi to Sagi. The Vatsavai branch of Chagi(Sagi) came from Vatsavai Timma Raju sometime around the 14th century when he changed the family name in honor of a Fort. Of all these branches the most accomplished are the Vatsavais of Peddapuram.^[5] They attained the title of Jagapati in the 16th century.^[6]

Inscriptions of Chagi(Sagi)

• In Yanama-lakuduru, south of Bezawada an inscription is left in honor of Tulukam Velnadu Sagi Doraya Raju dated 1215 AD.
• In 1230 AD and 1246 AD. inscriptions describe the reign of Chagi Pota Raju and Manma Raju.
• An inscription left in a temple in the Krishna district around 1260 AD gives the genealogy of the Sagis and states the family is of the Bahujakula(Kshatriya). Bahuja means arm or shoulder in Sanskrit and kula means caste. In Hindu mythology, the four castes formed from the body of lord Brahma with the Kshatriyas arising from his arms and chest.^[7]
• An inscription in Gudimetla on a fort dated around 1268 AD during the reign of Kakatiya Rudrama Devi Maharaju mentions a * Sagi Pota Raju was her commander in chief.
• Vatsavai Pratapa Ayyappa Deva Maharaju was mentioned in 1443 AD.
• Sagi Gannama was a governor under the rule of Vira Pratapa Gajapati Purushottama Deva of the Gajapati Dynasty (AD 1462-1496) of Orissa. He built a hill fort in Vinukonda. In 1447 AD Sagi Ganamma built the Temple of Lakshmi Narasimha at Vinukonda. Sagi Ganamma also built Raghunatha swamy temple in 1447 AD.^[8]

Rulers of Peddapuram

The town of Peddapuram was founded by Maharaja Vatsavai Pedda Pathrudu.^[9] Raja Vatsavai Chaturbhuja Timma Jaggapathi Bahudur built the fort of Peddapuram, and He ruled the estate from 1555-1607. After his demise, his son Raya Jaggapthi ruled, followed by his children Timma Jaggapathi and Balabhadra Jaggapathi. By 1785 Peddapuram extended from Thotapalli to Nagaram encompassing 585 villages and towns. From 1791-1804 it was ruled by Sri Vatsavai Raya Jaggapathi, who the British chose to take over in 1802. Raya Jaggapathi's widow Buchi Sitamma, ruled from 1828-1835. She founded two trusts for the poor, one in Peddapuram and another in Kathipudi. Even today the poor are fed for free twice a day.

For 300 years the estate of Peddapuram was ruled by Vatsavai Jagapathi Maharaja’s. The Vatsavai Maharaja’s patronized poets such as Enugula Lakshmana Kavi and Sri Vedula Satyanarayana Sastry. With no heir, the estate was briefly ruled by Sri Suryanarayan Jagapathi Bahadhur until 1847, when it was taken over completely by the British East India Company who made the town a revenue division and built The Munsif court and a Lutheran High School.

See also

• Kshatriya
• Rajus
• Raju Zamindaris

References

1. ^ T.R.S. Iyengar
2. ^ Inscriptions of Chagis in Kakatiya period
3. ^ No. 254(AR No. 204 of 1905) Melambika, sister of Kakatiya Ganapatideva and wife of Rudra, son of Buddaraja, chief of Natavadi consecrated the image of Mailambikesvara in the temple of Tripurantaka
4. ^ The History of Andhras, Durga Prasad
5. ^ Historical Sketches of Ancient Dekhan By Kandadai Vaidyanatha Subrahmanya Aiyer [1]
6. ^ Andhra Between the Empires. Y. Sudershan Rao Suleka Publishers, Hanamankonda 1991 pg 7
7. ^ No. 373. Nandigama Taluk, Krishna District. S. 1182. (Raudri) States that a certain Brahmin Chavali Bhaskara consecrated the image of Sagi Ganapesvara and that king Sagi Manma endowed the temple with land. Describes the Sagi family as of Kshatriya caste (bahujakula) and gives the donor’s genealogy.
8. ^ [The history of Andhra country by Yashoda Devi, pg 257 http://books.google.co.in/books?id=o63Hau4If3cC&pg=PA257&lpg=PA257&dq=Sagi+Gannama]
9. ^ Batchu Foundation