Sayapaneni Nayaks

Sayapaneni Nayaks, a Kamma clan ruled a small region of Telugu country called Dupati Seema during the transition period between Aravidu dynasty of Vijayanagar kingdom and Golkonda regime. Many Kamma clans worked as military commanders in Vijayanagar kingdom. Among them, Sayapaneni clan is noteworthy.

Origin

Sayapaneni Nayaks were Kamma Kings. The history of the clan starts with the donation which the great king Krishna Deva Raya gave to Shayappa Nayudu an amaram tenure of the village Gudipadu near Srisailam. The principality (Dupatiseema comprising 533 villages) was consolidated by his son and grandson, Vengala Nayudu and Venkatadri Nayudu. After the downfall of Vijayanagar, the clan went through many travails poignantly described in Dupaati Kaifiyat by a village Karanam.^[1] The principality was merged by Thomas Monro in 1802 with the British ruled areas.

Rulers

Gangayya Nayudu (1564) ruled during the time of Rama Raya. His son Venkatadri (1589) was the contemporary of Venkatapati Raya II. Venkatadri was also a poet. His work “Sakalajanasajivanamu” was a well-acclaimed ‘Prabandha’ in Telugu literature. Venkatadri’s wife Venkatamba was a sister of Pemmasani Thimma Nayudu, ruler of Gandikota. By the time Gangappa took over in 1626 the Golkonda Sultanate consolidated its control over Rayalaseema. Sayapaneni Nayaks rule underwent many trials and tribulations and continued till 1802 when Dupatiseema was taken over by the British East India Company from the Nawab of Golkonda.^[2]

Notes