Poosapati / Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Northern Andhra region,
Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram is a city and the headquarters of Vizianagaram district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is central Eastern Ghats, about west of the Bay of Bengal and north-northeast of Visakhapatnam. The city has a population of 228,02 ...
.
History
![Viznm kota](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Viznm_kota.jpg)
The
Pericchedi
The Parichchedis were a medieval ruling clan in Andhra.
History
The Parichchedis were initially the ''samantas'' (vassals) of the Chalukyas. They originated from social groups such as the ''besta'' (fisherman) and peasant groups of the Shudra ...
kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern
Vijayawada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and another capital in Kollipaka establishing themselves for nine centuries there. The family name was changed to Pusapati after moving to the coastal region. The first Pusapati chieftain Sitaram Raju received the villages of Kumuli and Gundredu from Maharaja Krishan Dev of
Jeypore kingdom. Viziaram Raz served as the minister in the court of Maharaja Ram Chandra Dev and later founded the city of Vizianagaram after occupying some of the coastal territories of Jeypore due to a feud between the king and his brother, Balaram Dev III. Viziaram also led the other zamindars gain independence from the feudalism of Jeypore.
Vizianagaram is named after this Pusapati Vijay Rama Raju and is spelled with a Z to differentiate it from the Vijayanagar Dynasty in Hampi. They obtained the title of Gajapathi in the 16th century, after defeating the
Gajapatis
The Gajapati Empire or the Suryavamsa (IAST: Sūryavaṃśa, "Solar dynasty") dynasty was a medieval dynasty from the Indian subcontinent, it originated in the region of Trikalinga (most of the present-day Odisha and North coastal Andhra) an ...
of Jeypore in the battle of Nandapur (old capital of
Jeypore
Jeypore is one of the largest towns and a place of historical significance in Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha. It was established by Vir Vikram Dev in the mid 17th century. The kingdom was defeated by the East India Company in ...
), in the Northern Circars, and have used since then.
Emperor Aurangzeb gave them a two-edged sword 'pattaa kaththi' (
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
:పట్టాకత్తి) (Zulfiqar), which is still used in the coat-of-arms of the family. By 1713 they erected the fort at Vizianagaram where they have since resided. 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 with a 13 gun salute.
Poosapati / Pusapati rulers
![Sisodia branches](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Sisodia_branches.jpg)
*Up to 1509 A.D. The Pusapatis were ruling in
Vijayawada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
, They were referred to as descendants of Madhava Varma of Bezawada, as that is what Vijayawada was called at the time.
*
Pusapati Rachi Raju (1515 A.D.)
*
Pusapati Amala Raju
Poosapati / Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Northern Andhra region, Vizianagaram.
History
The Pericchedi kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and ano ...
(Founder)
*
Pusapati Tama Bhupaludu (1620–1670)
*
Pusapati Sita Rama Chandra Raju
Poosapati / Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Northern Andhra region, Vizianagaram.
History
The Pericchedi kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and ano ...
(ruled 1685–1697) In 1687 A.D. when
Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
conquered
Golkonda
Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparud ...
, Sita Rama Chandra Raju obtained the Zulfikar (Two edged sword) that figures on the Pusapati flag from the emperor as a token of appreciation for having assisted him in his campaign.
*
Pusapati Vijayarama Gajapati Raju I
Poosapati / Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Northern Andhra region, Vizianagaram.
History
The Pericchedi kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and ano ...
(ruled 1710 – died 1757) (Founder of
Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram is a city and the headquarters of Vizianagaram district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is central Eastern Ghats, about west of the Bay of Bengal and north-northeast of Visakhapatnam. The city has a population of 228,02 ...
, moved the capital from Potnur) Killed in the
Battle of Bobbili
The Battle of Bobbili, and the attack on the fort of Bobbili on 24 January 1757, is a significant historical event in Princely state of Vizianagaram, the present day Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Tandra Paparayudu was the Army Gene ...
*
Pasupati Ananda Raju (died 1760) Captured
Visakhapatnam
, image_alt =
, image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...
and
Rajamundry
Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...
**
Pusapati Vijayarama Gajapati Raju II
Poosapati / Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Northern Andhra region, Vizianagaram.
History
The Pericchedi kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and ano ...
(1760–1794) Died in the
battle of Padmanabham
The Battle of Padmanabha occurred in Padmanabham, Visakhapatnam district (modern Andhra Pradesh, India), on 10 July 1794. This is battle between Zamindari of Vizianagaram led by Vijayram Raj II and East India Company Madras Presidency Forces l ...
against the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
. Vijaya Rama Raju's brother Sita Rama Raju attacked Parlakamedi along with their
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
allies and conquered it.
*
Pusapati Narayana Babu Raju
Poosapati / Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Northern Andhra region, Vizianagaram.
History
The Pericchedi kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and ano ...
(1794–1845)
*Pusapati Vijaya Rama Gajapati Raju (1845–1879)
*
Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju
Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju (31 December 1850 – 23 May 1897) was the Maharaja of the Vizianagaram kingdom.
Royal Family
The house of Pusapati claims lineage from the Sisodias of Mewar. According to Edward B. Eastwick, The Maharajah ...
(1850–1897)
*Pusapati Vijaya Rama Gajapati Raju (1897–1922)
*
Pusapati Alaka Narayana Gajapati Raju
Poosapati / Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Northern Andhra region, Vizianagaram.
History
The Pericchedi kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and ano ...
(1922–1937)
*
Pusapati Vijaya Rama Gajapati Raju (1924–1995)
*Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju (1950–2016)
*
Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju
Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju (born 26 June 1951) is an Indian politician and the former Union Minister for Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi Government. A scion of Royal family of Vizayanagram princely state, he is the younger son of the l ...
(1951–)
Notable members
*
Poosapati S Kumaraswamy Raja - Former Chief Minister of
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...
(
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
) (1949–52) and Governor of
Orissa
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sch ...
(1954–56).
*
Sir Pusapati Vijayananda Gajapathi Raju also known as Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy - Former Indian cricketer, Cricket administrator and Politician.
References
*
* {{citation , first=Nilmani, last=Senapati, title=Gazetteer of India: Orissa District Gazetteers, url=https://indianculture.gov.in/gazettes/orissa-district-gazetteers-koraput , year=1966, publisher=Orissa Government Press Cuttack, isbn=978-81-86772-17-1
Medieval India
Hindu dynasties
Telugu monarchs
Dynasties of India
Empires and kingdoms of India
Raju
Indian surnames
Surnames
Telugu-language surnames
Social groups of Andhra Pradesh
Culture of Andhra Pradesh
Suryavansha
Kshatriya communities