All you need to know about the rulers of Vizianagaram, Bobbili and Kurupam

All you need to know about the rulers of the Vizianagaram dynasty: With the history of the Vizianagaram interlinked with that of many dynasties, Vizianagaram saw many kingdoms come and go. Over the centuries, the area was ruled by the Sathavahana, Chalukya, Vengi, Ganga and Gajapathi dynasties. The Kalinga Empire that ruled up to Odisha State brought in Buddhist influence traceable up to 900 BC. Even the Golconda Sultans succeeded in annexing this region and bringing it under the sway of the Asaf Jahi Dynasty. It was ceded to the French and consequently to the British. Each of these rulers left behind elements that culminated to give this town its unique identity. Notable chiefs who emerged from these dynasties were the present Rulers of Vizianagaram,  Bobbili, and Kurupam.

Vizianagaram Rulers: The royalty that ruled this princely state are descendants of an ancient ruling clan of Andhra Pradesh, who took on the name ‘Pusapati’ after moving to the coastal region. They obtained the title of ‘Gajapathi’ in the sixteenth century. In 1652, the Sultan Quli Qutb Shah of Golconda made Vizianagaram-based Pusapati family the Subedar of the Northern Circars. Emperor Aurangzeb presented the royal family with a two-edged sword ‘Patta Katthi’ (Zulfikar), which is still used in the coat-of-arms of the family. Vizianagaram Rulers remained a part of the British – Northern Circars till Indian Independence in 1947.

Bobbili Rulers: This kingdom was founded by Bobbili Pedda Rayudu, the fifteenth descendant of the Venkatagiri Rajas, who came here as part of the Golconda contingent. He built a fort and developed the town and named it Pedda Puli (Big Tiger). Often referred to as Veera (brave) Bobbili, the town earned the title owing to the valour and sacrifice of its people when they were massacred and almost wiped out during the war against Vizianagaram Rulers.

Kurupam Rulers: Dating back to 1235, the ‘Konda Rajus’ of Kurupam, colloquially addressed as the ‘Vyricherla’, ruled over 387 villages interspaced with huge expanses of forests. A marriage, between the Rajas of Kurupam and the Jeypore Royal family, brought in the Odisha influence. The hereditary title of ‘Vyricherla’ was given to Pedda Sanyasi Raju, the Zamindar of Kurupam, by the Jeypore Royal Family. The government took over the Kurupam Estates in December 1954.