FEUDAL CHIEFS, SOCIO HISTORICAL RELATIONS AND APPROPRIATION OF POWER IN MEDIEVAL ANDHRA

Abstract

In the recent past, the reconstruction of history of the medieval Andhra has thrown up various Issues, which need to be addressed In the light of recent developments In historiography The scholars on political history of Andhra mainly concentrated on the major powers In medieval Andhra such as the Kakallyas and the VIJayanagaras The Samantha system, and the feudatory chiefs and the minor prlnclpalilles which also played a prominent role in the political affairs dUring the medieval period In Andhra, did not receive much attention In particular, studies on the SOCIOhlstoncal basis and the antecedent conditions which prOVided opportunilies for the chiefs in medieval Andhra In approprlallng power, are rather meager. In view of the growing interest In recent Indian histOriography on the study of "state formation", an attempt is made here to investigate the role of different chiefs and chieftains and other principalities In the power dynamiCs of medieval Andhra Fortunately, there IS a large body of source materlal,both inscriptional and literary as well as the bulk of Telugu literature that has grown from 11 th century onwards