Ramachandra of Devagiri

Ramachandra
Maharajadhiraja
Rayanarayana
Coinage of Ramachandra (1270-1311). Central lotus blossom, two śri, conch, and “śri rama” in Devanagari above standard left, each in incuse.
King of Devagiri
Reignc. 1271 – c. 1311 CE
PredecessorAmmana
SuccessorSimhana III
IssueSimhana III
Jhatyapali
Ballala
Bhima
DynastySeuna (Yadava)
FatherKrishna
ReligionHinduism

Ramachandra (IAST: Rāmacandra, r. c. 1271-1311 CE), also known as Ramadeva, was a ruler of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty of Deccan region in India. He seized the throne from his cousin Ammana, after staging a coup in the capital Devagiri. He expanded the Yadava realm by fighting his neighbours such as the Paramaras, the Vaghelas, the Hoysalas, and the Kakatiyas.

In 1296 CE, he faced a Muslim invasion from the Delhi Sultanate and was forced to pay an annual tribute to Alauddin Khalji. After he discontinued the tribute payments in 1303-1304 CE, Alauddin sent an army led by his slave-general Malik Kafur to subjugate him around 1308, forcing the Yadavas to become a vassal of the Delhi Sultanate. Subsequently, Ramachandra served Alauddin as a loyal feudatory, and helped his forces defeat the Kakatiyas and the Hoysalas.