Rudradeva

Rudra-deva (r. c. 1158-1195) was a Kakatiya king, who ruled parts of the present-day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in southern India. He was the first sovereign ruler of his dynasty.

Like his father Prola II, Rudra was initially a vassal to the Chalukyas of Kalyani. Amid the decline of the Chalukya power, he subjugated several other Chalukya subordinates who had rebelled against the Chalukya authority. These included the Choda chief Bhima II, Domma-raja of Nagunuru, and Meda II of Polavasa. He also appears to have fought against the Kalachuris of Kalyani, who had usurped the power from the Chalukyas.

Rudra proclaimed sovereignty around 1163 CE, and conquered the coastal Andhra region by defeating several local chiefs, amid the decline of the Velanati Choda power. He moved the Kakatiya capital from Anumakomda (present-day Hanamkonda) to Orugallu (present-day Warangal), and started the construction of a fort there. He commissioned the Rudreshvara temple, popularly known as the Thousand Pillar Temple, at Anumakomda.