East Godavari
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East Godavari District is situated on the northeast of Andhra Pradesh state, India. The District headquarters is Kakinada. The distance from state capital Hyderabad is 564 km.
East Godavari District lies between latitude 16° 30' and 18° 20' N, and longitude 81° 30' and 82° 36' E.
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Geography
East Godavari District is bounded on the north by Visakhapatnam District and the state of Orissa, on the east and south by the Bay of Bengal, on the west by West Godavari District, and on the northwest by Khammam District.
East Godavari District can be broadly classified into three natural divisions, namely the delta, upland, and hill tracts. The general elevation of the district varies from a few meters near the sea to about 300 meters in the hills.
The delta portion constituting the whole of Konaseema and portions of Kakinada, Ramachandrapuram and Rajahmundry erstwhile Taluks, presents a vast expanse of rice-fields surrounded by plantain, betel, coconut gardens and innumerable palmyrahs. There is mostly alluvial soil in Godavari delta and sandy clay soil at the tail end portions of Godavari river,
The erstwhile Taluks of Tuni, Pithapuram, Peddapuram and Portions of Kakinada, Ramachandrapuram and Rajahmundry constitute the upland areas. Red loamy soil in upland and hill tracts of the district.
The Eastern Ghats rise by gradations from the level of the coast and spread throughout the erstwhile agency Taluks of Rampachodavaram and Yellavaram.
The main rivers are the Godavari, Pampa, Thandava, and Yeleru.
The district is well connected by rail and road. The National Highway connecting Chennai and Howrah passes through this district. The Chennai to Howrah rail line also passes through this district.
The district has an airport at Madhurapudi, which is 15 km from Rajahmundry and 65 km from Kakinada.
Distance Chart from Kakinada to other cities
Bangalore 856 km
Chennai 684 km
Howrah (Kolkatta) 1028 km
Hyderabad 523 km
Mumbai 1234 km
New Delhi 1848 km
Rajahmundry 65 km
Vijayawada 223 km
Visakhapatnam 162 km
Climate
The climate is comparatively moderate throughout the year except during the months of April to June when the temperature reaches a maximum of 48 degrees Celsius. The normal rainfall of the district is 1280.0 mm.
More than half of the rainfall is brought by southwest monsoon while a large portion of the rest of the district receives rainfall from the northeast monsoon also, during October and November.
Administration
Area 10,807 Sq Km.
No of Revenue Divisions 5
No of erstwhile Taluks 19
No of Mandals 60 (58 rural + 2 urban)
No.of Mandal Praja Parishads 57
No.of Panchayats 1,011
No of Municipalities & Municipal Corporations 9
No of Census Towns 14
No of Villages 1379
As per provisional population figures of 2001 Census, the total no of Mandals are 59.
However as per G.O.Ms.No.31, Revenue (Registration & Mandals) Department, Dated 05-06-2002 a new Rural Mandal Routhulapudi (44 villages) with head quarters at Routhulapudi was formed by transferring certain villages from Sankhavaram (12 villages), Kotananduru (31 villages) and Tuni (1 village) Mandals, there by making total number of Mandals to be 60.
Demographics
| Total | Male | Female | Sex Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural: | 3735908 | 1877779 | 1858129 | 99.0% |
| Urban: | 1136714 | 568032 | 568682 | 100.1% |
| Total: | 4872622 | 2445811 | 2426811 | 99.2% |
Literates
| Total | Male | Female | Literacy Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural: | 2050482 | 1100881 | 949601 | 62.52% |
| Urban: | 762636 | 406107 | 356529 | 75.11% |
| Total: | 2813118 | 1506988 | 130613 | 65.49% |
Child Population 0-6 Age Group
| Total | Male | Female | Sex Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural: | 456003 | 231005 | 224998 | 97.4% |
| Urban: | 121418 | 60911 | 60507 | 99.3% |
| Total: | 577421 | 291916 | 285505 | 97.8% |
History
Early Hindu kingdoms
The history of East Godavari district like the rest of Andhra, may be traced to the period of the Nandas. Mahapadma Nanda, the founder of the Nanda dynasty, led expeditions and defeated several monarchs of a large portion of the Deccan. The subsequent history of the Nanda dynasty is not known, except that the last ruler, Dhana Nanda, was overthrown by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE.
Thus, Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya dynasty assumed control over the empire which included a large portion of the Deccan. He was succeeded by his son, Bindusara (297-272 BCE). Bindusara was succeeded to the throne by Ashoka.
After the Mauryas, the district passed under the sway of the Satavahanas. The access of Hala in about year 6 or 7 lasted for only one year. Though there were no events of political importance during his reign, he won for himself a niche among the great poets of all time. The rule of Gautamiputra Satakarni (62-86), Vasisthiputra Pulumayi (86-114) and Yajna Sri Satavahanas (128-157) is evident from the coins found during excavations. The Satavahanas appeared to have ruled till the first quarter of the third century.
The Gupta emperor Samudragupta invaded the district in 350 came into conflict with the rulers of both Pishtapura and Avamukta. The local rulers joined the rulers of neighbouring principalities to resist the onslaughts of the Gupta ruler. However, the outcome of this united opposition is not known.
Samudragupta's invasion was followed by the rule of a line of kings belonging to Matharakula. Their rule extended roughly from 375 to 500. The earliest known ruler of the dynasty was Maharaja Sakthivarman. The district passed into the hands of Vishnukundin during the rule of Vikramendravarma I. They ruled for over two centuries from the first quarter of the 5th century or a little earlier. The records discovered indicate that their domain extended over Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts, besides the present East Godavari district. Ranadurjaya, a member of the Durjaya family,ruled Pistapuram or Pithapuram as a vassal of Vikramendravarma in recognition of his services to the state. Another Vishnukundin, ruler of lndrabhattaraka, defeated the rulers of Vasisthakula and re established his authority over this region.
His success was, however, short lived. The early reigns of Kalinga with the support of some petty rulers, completely routed Indrabhattaraka's army. This resulted in the Vishnukundin's power suffering a severe setback. Indrabhattaraka was followed to the throne by a few others belonging to the same family. Madhavarama III was the last important ruler of this family. Madhavarama III was, however, killed in a battle. He was succeeded by his son, Manchannabhattaraka who strove hard to maintain his hold over the ancestral dominion without much success.
Later, the western Chalukya ruler of Badami Pulakesin II, with the help of his brother Kubjavishnu, attacked Pistapura and emerged victorious. Kubjavishnu was given the newly acquired territories in the east in token of appreciation of the service rendered by him.
The rulers of eastern Chalukya dynasty, founded by Kubjavishnu, ruled at first form Pistapura, then from Vengi, and later from Rajamahendri (Rajahmundry). Many rulers held sway over the kingdom and their history is, at times largely a record of disputes about succession.
Chalukya Bhima I, who ruled during 892-921, built a temple in honor of Shiva at Draksharama. In the subsequent period which marked a civil war for power, Amma 1, son of Vijayaditya 1V, came out victorious and ruled the kingdom for seven years. He was succeeded by his son Vijayaditya V, who was ousted from power within a fortnight of his accession. He was compelled to take refuge in the fort of Pithapuram, where he founded a dynasty.
In 973 Jata Choda Bhima of Pedakallu in Kurnool district killed the eastern Chalukya ruler Danarnava and occupied Vengi. Jata Choda Bhima ruled for 27 years. Danarnava's two sons, Saktivarman I and Vimaladitya, fled from the kingdom and took refuge in the court of the Chola king Rajaraja I (985-1016). Rajaraja's daughter Kundavai married Vimaladitya, the younger of the two princes. Rajaraja invaded Vengi on behalf of the sons of Danarnava. In this war, Jata Choda Bhima was killed and Vengi passed into the hands of Rajaraja. This was not liked by Satyasraya, an early ruler of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani. As a result of this, Vengi became the bone of contention between the Cholas and Chalukyas of Kalyani to the west. Vijayaditya VII lost his kingdom, and with his death in 1075 the eastern Chalukya dynasty came to an end.
With the accession of Rajendra, an eastern Chalukyan prince and a rival of Vijayaditya VII, to the Chola throne under the title of Kulottunga I, this district along with the rest of the Vengi kingdom became a province of the Chola empire. These rulers were known as Chalukya-Cholas. Kulottunga I appointed his sons Rajaraja Mummadi Choda, Vira Choda, Rajaraja Choda Ganga and Vikrama Chola as his viceroys in Vengi. Vikrama Chola was called back to the south in the same year, as the administration of the major portion of this district by Velanadu chiefs was not effective. This gave an opportunity to the Western Chalukya ruler, Vikramaditya VI, to reduce the Velanadu chief to subjection. Someswara III succeeded Vikramaditya VI. On the Chola throne, Vikrama Chola was followed by Kulottunga II and Rajaraja II and Rajadhiraja in succession. During the reign of Rajadhiraja II, the Velanadu rulers became more independent and entertained plans of aggrandisement. A major portion of the district was also ruled by a local dynasty known as Velanati Cholas. The other rulers of this dynasty were Gonka I, Gonka II, Kulottunga Rajendra Chola I and Kulottunga Rajendra Chola-II (1108-1181).
The Haihayas of Kona and eastern Chalukyas of Pithapuram took advantage of the death of Gonka II and asserted their independence. But Kulottunga Rajendra Chola II who succeeded Gonka II, despatched an army headed by his minister Amritaluri Devana Preggada who defeated the Kona chief and reduced them to subjection. Subsequently, Proliya Preggada, the commander-in-chief of Kulottunga Rajendra Chola II, conquered the eastern Chalukya princes. Kulottunga Rajendra Chola II also came into conflict with the Kakatiya ruler Rudra. Thus, the power of Velanadu chiefs reached glorious heights and the entirety of Coastal Andhra came under their rule.
The sudden demise of Kulottunga Rajendra Chola II in 1181 led to the outbreak of civil war among the heirs of Kulottunga Rajendra Chola for the possession of the throne. With this, the rule of Velanati Chola over this district ended.
An early ruler of Kakatiya dynasty, Prola II, threw off the imperial yoke of the western Chalukyas of Kalyani and asserted his independence. During his reign, he was opposed by the Haihayas of Kona. Prola II was succeeded by his son Rudra (1150-1195), who obtained the Godavari delta as a fief from the Chalukya Chola emperor Rajaraja II and attempted to avenge the defeat of his father at the hands of Haihayas of Kona. The epigraph at Draksharama dated 1158 is an evidence of this. Rudra's authority over the Godavari delta was challenged by the Velanadu Cholas. The Velanati Chief, Julottunga Rajendra Chola II sent an army against Rudra. The Minister of Rajendra Chola-II, Devana Preggada, is said to have first reduced the territory bordering the sea and established him self at Draksharama in 1163 and then advanced on the Haihayas of Kona and having defeated them, he compelled them to acknowledge the supremacy of his sovereign. However, Rudra does not seem to have left them in peaceful possession of this area.
On the death of the Chalukya Chola emperor Rajaraja II in 1172, Kulottunga Rajendra Chola II took advantage of the breakdown of the imperial power and made himself the master of the whole of the maritime region. He, however, died unexpectedly and the power of the Velanadu Cholas suffered a set back.
Rudra was succeeded by his younger brother Mahadeva who died in a conflict with the Yadavas of Devagiri. His son Ganapathi succeeded to the Kakatiya throne. He conquered Divi in Krishna District. Ganapathi successfully sent an army to Kalinga to reduce it to subjection. The eastern Ganga ruler Amiyanka Bhima III and his son Narasimha I were continuously in conflict with Ganapathi. Ganapathi sent an army across northern side of Godavari, where a great battle was fought and the enemy was forced to a hasty retreat. In a conflict with the Pandyas of Madurai, Ganapathi inflicted a crushing defeat on them and compelled their ally Kopperunjinga to acknowledge his suzeraintly. As a result of this victory, the Kakatiya power remained undisturbed in the Godavari valley until the end of the reign of Ganapathi.
Ganapathi was succeeded by his daughter Rudramba (1259-1295). During the latter part of her reign, the whole of Godavari valley appears to have come under her sway and remained under her control till the end of her reign. Prataparudra ascended the throne in 1295. His reign faced many invasions by the Sultans of Delhi. In 1323, he was defeated by Muhammad-bin-Tughluq and was sent as a prisoner to Delhi. With this, the district along with the remaining Kakatiya dominions passed into the hands of the Delhi sultans.
Muslim empires and Hindu kingdoms, 1323-1768
Muhammad-bin-Tughluq divided the Deccan and the South India into five provinces and entrusted the job of administering them to the governors. The rule of the governors, however, became unpopular. All the Nayakas living therein formed a confederacy, and Prolaya Nayaka of the Musunuri family was chosen leader of the confederates. As a result of these rebellions, the kingdoms of the Reddis of Kondaveedu, the Rayas of Vijayanagara, the Recherlas of Rachakonda, the Bahmanis of Gulbarga and that of the Musunuri chief of Warangal established their independence and Prolaya Nayaka became the undisupted leader of Coastal Andhra. After his death Kapaya Nayaka, a cousin of Prolaya Nayaka, Succeeded him as the chief of the coastal tract.
Kapaya Nayaka's leadership was not able to inculcate a sense of unity amongst the chiefs, who started acting in an independent manner. Therefore, Kapaya Nayaka entrusted the administration of this region to Toyyeti Anavota Nayaka, who ruled over it with Rajahmundry as his headquarters. For sometime, after the death of Anavota Nayaka in 1364, Rajahmundry and the region on the eastern bank of the Godavari was without a ruler. The Manchikonda Chief, Mummadi Nayaka of Korukonda, and Narasimhadeva IV of Kalinga tried to take advantage of the disturbed political situation. Though, they succeeded in conquering this region, it did not remain in their hold for long, as the Reddi ruler Anavota succeeded in capturing the throne. He was succeeded by Anavema Reddi (1364-1386), who in turn was succeeded by Kumaragiri (1386).
Kumaragiri fought many wars with the Racherlas of Rachakonda and the Kalinga rulers. He sent his general Kataya Vema along with Prince Anavota to conquer the eastern region. This resulted in the annexation of a large tract in the north as far as Simhachalam. The newly acquired territory was annexed to the Reddi Kingdom and constituted into a separate province called the eastern kingdom or the Rajamahendra Rajya. Prince Anavota ruled this province with Rajamahendravaram as his capital. He died a premature death around 1395 and Kataya Vema, the general and brother-in-law of Kumaragiri, was given Rajamahendra Rajya in appreciation of the services rendered by him to the State. Kataya Vema's departure to Rajamahendravaram led to the seizure of the throne of Kondaveedu by force by Peda Komati Vema.
Peda Komati Vema's authority was defined by Kataya Vema. Kataya Vema was also involved in conflict with Eruva chief Annadeva Choda, who managed to occupy a large portion of the Rajamahendra Rajya. He was, however, defeated and driven back by Kataya Vema. Later, Kataya Vema died in a battle with Annadeva Choda. After his death, Allada Reddi placed Kataya Vemas' son Komaragiri on the throne of Rajamahendravaram and ruled the kingdom as his regent. Komarigiri died a premature death. Allada Reddi ruled this region till his death in 1420. About 1423, the Vijayanagara ruler Devaraya-II defeated Virabhadra, who was then ruling this kingdom and reduced it to subjection.
At Kondaveedu, Racha Vema succeeded Peda Komati Vema to the throne. His rule was very oppressive, and he received little support from his subjects when the Gajapatis of Orissa and Rayas of Vijayanagar invaded the kingdom. Kapileswara Gajapati crushed the Reddi power and annexed the Rajamahendra Rajya to his dominion.
About this period, a dynasty of feudatory chiefs known as Virasamantas of Koppula chiefs, came into prominence. After the downfall of the Kakatiyas of Warangal, a minor dynasty known as of the chiefs of Korukonda rose to power. The historical origin of this family is not known. These chiefs became strong in due course and entered into matrimonial alliance with their powerful neighbours. Mummadi Nayaka of this family was thus married to the niece of the Musunuri chief, Kapaya Nayaka. He conquered the coastal region held earlier by Toyyeti Anavota Nayaka. He is believed to have further brought under subjection the kingdoms of Panara, Kona, Kuravata and others lying on either side of the Godavari. Mummadi Nayaka lived till 1388. He had three sons who ruled for a period of 40 years and later they were reduced to submission by the Reddies of Kondaveedu and their principality was merged in the kingdom of Kondaveedu.
After the death of Kapileswara Gajapati in 1470, there was a fight between his sons Hamvira and Purushottma for succession. Hamvira succeeded in occupying the throne with the help of Bahmanis but he could not retain it for long. Purushottama overthrew Hamvira and tried to reconquer Rajahmundry and other places. But Muhammad Shah III lead the forces to Rajahmundry. This battle, However, ended with the conclusion of peace treaty. After the death of Muhammad Shah III, Purushottama Gajapathi overran the whole of the Godavari-Krishna doab and drove the Bahmani forces as far south as Kondaveedu. Purushottama was succeeded by his son Prataparudra. The Vijayanagar monarch Krishnadevaraya invaded his kingdom and brought Rajahmundry under subjection. However, a treaty was concluded wherein Prataparudra agreed to give his daughter in marriage to Krishnadevaraya in return of the territory north of the Krishna conquered by Krishnadevaraya.
Taking advantage of the disturbed conditions, the Qutb Shahi ruler of Golconda, Sultan Quli Qutb Shah, invaded the coastal region and took possession of Rajahmundry and the neighbouring kingdoms. Sultan Quli was murdered and he was succeeded to the throne by his son Jamshid Qutb Shah and then by his grand sun Subhan Qutb Shah. During his reign, Ibrahim Qutb Shah had to ward off challenges from Shitab Khan and Vidyadhar. The last ruler of this dynasty was Abdual Hasan Tana Shas, who ruled from 1672 to 1687.
During this period, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb brought most of southern India under his control. Aurangzeb conquered the sultanate of Golconda in 1687, and Golconda, including East Godavari District, became one of the twenty-two provinces of the Mughal Empire. Aurangzeb appointed viceroys to carry out the administration of these provinces. The Nizam-ul-Mulk (viceroy) of Golconda looked after the administration through military officers called Fauzdars. The Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar appointed Asaf Jah as the Nizam ul Mulk of the Deccan. He was, however, replaced by Husian Ali Khan, and during the time of emperor Muhammad Shah, Asaf Jah invaded the Deccan, defeated and killed Mubariz Khan in the battle of Shakar Khera in 1724 and ruled the Deccan as Nizam of Hyderabad.
The Nizam-ul-Mulk's death in 1748 led to a war of succession between his son Nasir Jung and his grandson Muzaffar Jung. The French and the British took different sides each. The dispute ended with the accession of Salbat Jung, with the help of the French General Bussy. General Bussy was, however, summoned to the south by Lally, the new Governor-General of the French possessions in India. As soon as he left, Anandra Raju, the new Raja of Vizianagaram, invited the English to come and occupy the Northern Circars. The tussle that ensued between the French and the English ended with the French loosing all possessions in Northern Circars.
Salabat Jung was subsequently deposed by his brother Nizam Ali Khan, who leased out Rajahmundry and Chicacole to Hasan Ali Khan. Lord Robert Clive, entered into negotiations with the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam, and obtained a firman ceding the Northern Circars to the British East India Company in August 1765, but it was kept a secret until March 1766. The fort of Kondapalli was seized by the British, and General Cillaud was sent to Machilipatnam to undertake military operations, if necessary. The Nizam also made brisk preparations for war. War was prevented by the signing of a treaty on November 12, 1766 by which the Company, in return for occupying the Circars, undertook to maintain troops for the Nizam's assistance.
The Zamindars came into prominence during the period preceding the transfer of the district to the British. The Zamindars of Rampa, Peddapuram, Pithapuram, Kota and Ramchandrapuram were the important zamindars of this region.
British rule, 1768-1947
By a second treaty, signed on March 1 1768 the Nizam acknowledged the validity of Shah Alam's grant and resigned the Circars to the Company, receiving as a mark of friendship an annuity of 50,000. Finally, in 1823, the claims of the Nizam over the Northern Circars were bought outright by the Company, and they became a British possession. The Circars were incorporated into Madras Presidency, and Godavari District was constituted, which included present-day East Godavari and West Godavari districts.
Since Indian independence, 1947-present
After India's independence in 1947, the former Madras Presidency of British India became India's Madras state. In 1953, the northern districts of Madras state, including Godavari District, became the new state of Andhra Pradesh.
External link
East Godavari District governmental web site (http://www.eastgodavari.nic.in)sv:East Godavari