Warangal: History

Warangal is a larger city of Andhra Pradesh. But between 12th and 14th centuries it was the capital of a Hindu Shaivite kingdom which was ruled by Kakatiya. Many kings were ruled on Warangal. Prola II ruled from A.D.1110 to 1158 on Warangal, extended his sway to the south and declared his independence. His successor Rudra (A.D.1158–1195) pushed the kingdom to the north up to the Godavari delta. In A.D.1199, Ganapati succeeded him.

He was the greatest of the Kakatiyas and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire Telugu area under one rule. He put an end to the rule of the Velanati Cholas in A.D.1210. As Ganapati Deva had no sons, his daughter Rudramba succeeded him in A.D.1262 and carried on the administration. Prataparudra succeeded his grandmother Rudramba in A.D.1295 and ruled till A.D.1323. Warangal witnessed one of the bloodiest movements in Independent India. In 1969, the people of Telangana raised their voice asking for a separate state. They felt discriminated in the Unified State and wanted to revert back the unification to exist separately as was the case until 1956. Warangal being in the heart of Telangana and an educational center was the brewing ground of the movement and lead it from the front. The students, peasants, government employees all joined their forces.

The Indian government crushed the movement using force by bringing in the military. More than 400 Telangana students lost their lives in the struggle. Once again the Telangana Movement started under the leadership of Chandra Sekhar Rao who established a political party by name ‘Telangana Rashtra Samiti’(TRS). The party allied with the Indira Congress. The allience won majority. Y S Rajasekhar Reddy of Congress became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Chandra Sekhar Rao became a Union Minister. In 2006, as Congress party was against Telangana sentiment, Chandra Sekhar Rao resigned to his ministry and from Membership of the Parliament.