Vizianagaram estate

Vizianagaram Estate
విజయనగరం
Princely Estate of British India
1591–1949 →

Coat of arms

History
 • Amala Raju (Founder of the Vizianagaram branch) of Pericchedi ruling clan builds Poosapaadu villiage, start of ruling family surname Poosapaati {lang 1591
 • Abolition of the estate 1949
Area
 • 1901 7,680 km2 (2,965 sq mi)
Population
 • 1901 900,000 
Density 117.2 /km2  (303.5 /sq mi)
Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "article name needed". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
West Entrance of the Vizianagaram fort.

Vizianagaram State was one of the most important zamindaris of the Madras Presidency in India.[1] The estate acceded to the Indian Union in 1949.[2]

This area was ruled by different Hindu Emperors of Kalinga (Ancient Orissa) up to the mediaeval period. After the fall of centralised Gajapati empire of Orissa the region was governed by the Golkonda rulers. The ancestors of Maharajas of Vizianagaram belong to descendants of Pericchedis clan, namely Pusapati family, Those are the same ancient Pericchedis ruling clan in Andhra and are ancestors who had built Bezawada (modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna in 626 A.D. and another capital in Kollipaka established themselves for nine centuries over there.

History

The Pusapatis are the descendents of Pericchedis, the ancient ruling clan of Andhra Pradesh. Paricchedis were staunch patrons of Hindu Dharma in contrast to the Chalukyas, who initially were patrons of Jainism. The family name was changed to Pusapati after moving to the coastal region. The village Poosapaadu (పూసపాడు) (alternatively written Pusapadu in English) in Nandigama Taluq was built by Amala Raju, a descendant of Pericchedi clan Rulers. Rulers of this princely state hailed from Poosapaadu, hence they were known as Poosapaatis (పూసపాటి) (alternatively written Pusapati in English), meaning belonging to PoosaPaadu. Their surname is nothing but the adverbial form of noun Poosapaadu, their native place. It is obtained by suffixing a -ti ['t' spelt as in 'tea'] to the noun Poosapaadu according to the rules of Telugu grammar. They founded the city of Vizianagaram, named it after Vijay Rama Raju, spelled with a Z to differentiate it from the Vijayanagar Dynasty in Hampi. They obtained the title of Gajapati, after the battle of Nandapur, in the Northern Circars in the 16th century.

In 1754, Pusapati Vijaya Rama Gajapathi Raju, of the ruling family of Vizianagaram, made an alliance with the French, but a few years later the territory was ceded to the British. It remained under their control until independence in 1947.

Vizianagaram Fort was constructed in the year 1712-1714 A.D. Traditionally five Vijayas or signs of victory were present at the inception of this fortress. It was named Vizia-nagaram (place of victory) after its founder Vijaya Rama Raju and the foundations were laid on Tuesday (Jayavaram in Telugu), the tenth day (Vijayadasami) of the Dasara Festival in the year Vijaya of the Hindu calendar. In 1827 Maharajah Vijay Rama Gajapati Raju III had several honors conferred on him by the British Government. Lord Northbrook obtained for him the title of His Highness, and had his name enrolled among those of chiefs entitled to return visits from the Viceroy.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 24, p. 339.
  2. ↑ Vizianagram (Zamindari)

Coordinates: 18°7′N 83°25′E / 18.117°N 83.417°E / 18.117; 83.417

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/8/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.