The Chagi (Zodiac sign of Cancer/Moon)[1] were an ancient ruling dynasty of Andhra Pradesh who ruled over Natavadi region (in Krishna District) with Gudimetla as there Capital.[2] Chagis were Suryavanshi Kshatriyas of Vasishta gotra and are ancestors of Sagi and Vatsavai clans of Kshatriya Rajus of Andhra. According to the folklores of the Raju caste, Chagis are believed to be one of the four tribes/clans that migrated from North to Telangana and gradually settled into the Northern Circars in the 6th century.
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Chagis while occasionally enjoying independent rule most of the time they had been feudal allies of the Vishnukundinas, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Gajapathis, Vijayanagar Dynasties and were Zamindars during Nizam and Colonial rule. The Kakatiya King Ganapati Deva's sister Melambika was married to the second son of Chagi Buddaraju, who was ruling Natavadi region.[3]
The Chagis were closely related to Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Paricchedis and Kota Kings through marital alliances.[4]
The Chagi dynasty broke into various branches, specifically the Vatasavai royal families of Peddapuram, Tuni, and Godicharla, the Sagis of Kottur, Konda-kirla, Rayavaram, Rajala, Sarva-siddhi, Vemalapudi, Velchur Kodur and the Raja Sagis of Kota Uratala and Thangedu Zamindars. All regard Chagi Pota Raju, who participated in the battle of Palnadu in 1178-1182 as a common ancestor. The family name changed over time from Chagi to Sagi. The Vatsavai branch of Chagi(Sagi) came from Vatsavai Timma Raju sometime around the 14th century when he changed the family name in honor of a Fort. Of all these branches the most accomplished are the Vatsavais of Peddapuram.[5] They attained the title of Jagapati in the 16th century.[6]
The town of Peddapuram was founded by Maharaja Vatsavai Pedda Pathrudu.[9] Raja Vatsavai Chaturbhuja Timma Jaggapathi Bahudur built the fort of Peddapuram, and He ruled the estate from 1555-1607. After his demise, his son Raya Jaggapthi ruled, followed by his children Timma Jaggapathi and Balabhadra Jaggapathi. By 1785 Peddapuram extended from Thotapalli to Nagaram encompassing 585 villages and towns. From 1791-1804 it was ruled by Sri Vatsavai Raya Jaggapathi, who the British chose to take over in 1802. Raya Jaggapathi's widow Buchi Sitamma, ruled from 1828-1835. She founded two trusts for the poor, one in Peddapuram and another in Kathipudi. Even today the poor are fed for free twice a day.
For 300 years the estate of Peddapuram was ruled by Vatsavai Jagapathi Maharaja’s. The Vatsavai Maharaja’s patronized poets such as Enugula Lakshmana Kavi and Sri Vedula Satyanarayana Sastry. With no heir, the estate was briefly ruled by Sri Suryanarayan Jagapathi Bahadhur until 1847, when it was taken over completely by the British East India Company who made the town a revenue division and built The Munsif court and a Lutheran High School.