Velama Doralu(Lord) is a social group found mainly in Andhra Pradesh. Velamas are classed as "Upper Shudras".[1][2][3]
The history of Velama's is as old as Telugu bravery. Military exploits
of Velamas form an important part of Telugu tradition, history and
folklore. The battles of Palnadu, Bobbili and their battles on behalf of
Kakatiya and Vijaynagar empires speak volumes about their chivilary
and martial spirit. According to Edgar Thurston, Russel etc., the
martial social groups of Velama and Kamma share a common ancestry but
got separated in the early medieval times. The earliest occurrence of
‘Velama’ in inscriptions dates from Mid-Fifteenth century. According to
few historians, the warriors who migrated from Velanadu (part of
present day Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh) to Kakatiya empire in
11th century came to be called as ‘Velama’.
Historic Leaders
(12th and 13th Century)
* Various Padmanayak Generals who worked for different Kakatiya Kings in and around Capital Orugallu(now Warangal City), in AP.
* Recherla Rudra, Army General, who has supervised the construction of Ramappa Lake (1156) and Ramappa Temple(1213), both are intact even now and located 60 km from capital Orugallu (now Warangal City) in Palampet village in Mulugu Taluq, of Warangal Dist, during the period of great Kakatiya king Ganapathi Deva of Orugallu.
(12th Century)
* Palnadu region is located in current Prakasham and Guntur Districts, in AP
* Battle of Palnadu - (1176-1182)
* 'Palanati' Recherla Brahma Nayudu - Strived for progressive and egalitarian ideals in medieval times
* Palanati Balachendrhrudu, Kaliyuga abhimanyu.
(14th Century) - (A.D 1325 to 1473)
* Recherla Singa Bhoopala of Rajakonda / Rachakonda (Fort is in ruins in Samstan Narayanpur Mandal, Nalgonda Dist, AP) - A great patron of art and literature
* Recherla chiefs of Devarakonda Fort, now Deverakonda town and Mandal, in Nalgonda dist, AP (near to Nagarjuna Sagar)
* Padma Nayaks also captured and ruled for a short duration Bhuvanagiri Fort also(now Bhongir Fort and town in Nalgonda Dist, AP).
(??th Century)
* Velugoti Family - Capital Velugodu (Now in Kurnool Dist close to Atmakur, near Mahabubnagar dist border)
* Descendants of Recherla chiefs of Rachakonda / Rajakonda / Devarakonda, after they lost their kingdom to muslim invaders.
* Well known Sixteen Velama Samstanams / Zamindaris in Mahboobnagar dist, came up during their time in and around present Kolhapur area (close to Velugodu capital) in Mahaboobnagar dist.
(??th Century)
* Padma Nayaka Velama Generals also fought for Vijayanagara Empire after loosing their Kingdoms and supremacy in Telangana regions. As this Empire expanded some of the Nayaks were sent to far away lands in southern Tamil Nadu like Madurai, Tanjavore, and Arkot districts of Northern Tamil Nadu to control those territories and collect and send revenue to the King at Hampi, the Capital of Vijayanagara Empire. Thus various Padma Nayaka Velamas have settled in the villages of those newly aquired territories and today they are referred to as Velama Naidus or simply Padma Velamas. For no reason there are about forty such Velama Naidu villages in and around Madurai town alone for even today. They hold huge tracts of land in Tamil Nadu and most of them were big Zamindars. On decline of Vijanagara Empire, they declared independence and thus become rulers themselves in some of those areas.
* Madurai Nayaks - Capital Madurai - Ruled most of Southern Tamil Nadu.
* Tanjavore Nayaks - Ruled Tanjavore region of Tamil Nadu.
(17th Century)- A.D. 1600+
* Velugoti Venkatagiri Samstanam, in Nellore district
* Descendants of Velugoti Family, of Velugodu region, bordering Mahabubnagar and Kurnool.
(??th Century)
* Rulers of Sri Kalahasti Samstanam, now in Chitoor dist, Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of Pithapuram Samstanam, now in East Godavari dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of Panagal Samstanam, now in ?Godavari dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of NarsaRao Pet Samstanam, now in Guntur dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of Nuzvid Samstanam, now in Krishna dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
(18th Century)
* Bobbili family - Capital Bobbili, now Bobbili town in Vizianagaram dist
* 15th generation Descendants of Venkatagiri Samstanam
* Rao Venkata Gopala Krishna Ranga Rao - Raja of Bobbili - of Bobbili Yuddam fame
* Rani Mallamma Devi - Wife of Ranga Rao and sister of Tandra Papa Rayudu, of Bobbili Yuddam fame, brave Velama woman who preferred to fight the bobbili yuddam along with the men folk and die rather than commit suicide or killed by her own army, but unfortunately then prevalent Velama customs were too rigid and very conservative, and she has to be stabbed by her own body guard as per the orders of her husband Ranga Rao, similar is the fate of many Velama women and children in the fort.
* Thandra Papa Rayudu - Valiant fighter and brother of Rani Mallamma Devi, who was away at the time of famous Bobbili Yuddam, and ultimately avenges the killing of all his relatives in the war by killing Vijaya Rama Raju of Vizianagaram and then kills himself along with his two accomplices after gheraoed by the combined enemy forces of Vijaya Rama Raju and Bussy.
(20th Century)
* Rao Ramakrishna Ranga Rao - Raja of Bobbili - (1932 -36) and again (1936 -37)- former Chief Minister of United Tamilnadu and Andhra (then Madras Presidency and State) and Member of Commission for Indian Constitution.
* Damera Panagal Raja - Raja of Panagal - (1921-1926)- former Chief Minister of United Tamilnadu and Andhra (then Madras Presidency and State).
Historic Leaders
(12th and 13th Century)
* Various Padmanayak Generals who worked for different Kakatiya Kings in and around Capital Orugallu(now Warangal City), in AP.
* Recherla Rudra, Army General, who has supervised the construction of Ramappa Lake (1156) and Ramappa Temple(1213), both are intact even now and located 60 km from capital Orugallu (now Warangal City) in Palampet village in Mulugu Taluq, of Warangal Dist, during the period of great Kakatiya king Ganapathi Deva of Orugallu.
(12th Century)
* Palnadu region is located in current Prakasham and Guntur Districts, in AP
* Battle of Palnadu - (1176-1182)
* 'Palanati' Recherla Brahma Nayudu - Strived for progressive and egalitarian ideals in medieval times
* Palanati Balachendrhrudu, Kaliyuga abhimanyu.
(14th Century) - (A.D 1325 to 1473)
* Recherla Singa Bhoopala of Rajakonda / Rachakonda (Fort is in ruins in Samstan Narayanpur Mandal, Nalgonda Dist, AP) - A great patron of art and literature
* Recherla chiefs of Devarakonda Fort, now Deverakonda town and Mandal, in Nalgonda dist, AP (near to Nagarjuna Sagar)
* Padma Nayaks also captured and ruled for a short duration Bhuvanagiri Fort also(now Bhongir Fort and town in Nalgonda Dist, AP).
(??th Century)
* Velugoti Family - Capital Velugodu (Now in Kurnool Dist close to Atmakur, near Mahabubnagar dist border)
* Descendants of Recherla chiefs of Rachakonda / Rajakonda / Devarakonda, after they lost their kingdom to muslim invaders.
* Well known Sixteen Velama Samstanams / Zamindaris in Mahboobnagar dist, came up during their time in and around present Kolhapur area (close to Velugodu capital) in Mahaboobnagar dist.
(??th Century)
* Padma Nayaka Velama Generals also fought for Vijayanagara Empire after loosing their Kingdoms and supremacy in Telangana regions. As this Empire expanded some of the Nayaks were sent to far away lands in southern Tamil Nadu like Madurai, Tanjavore, and Arkot districts of Northern Tamil Nadu to control those territories and collect and send revenue to the King at Hampi, the Capital of Vijayanagara Empire. Thus various Padma Nayaka Velamas have settled in the villages of those newly aquired territories and today they are referred to as Velama Naidus or simply Padma Velamas. For no reason there are about forty such Velama Naidu villages in and around Madurai town alone for even today. They hold huge tracts of land in Tamil Nadu and most of them were big Zamindars. On decline of Vijanagara Empire, they declared independence and thus become rulers themselves in some of those areas.
* Madurai Nayaks - Capital Madurai - Ruled most of Southern Tamil Nadu.
* Tanjavore Nayaks - Ruled Tanjavore region of Tamil Nadu.
(17th Century)- A.D. 1600+
* Velugoti Venkatagiri Samstanam, in Nellore district
* Descendants of Velugoti Family, of Velugodu region, bordering Mahabubnagar and Kurnool.
(??th Century)
* Rulers of Sri Kalahasti Samstanam, now in Chitoor dist, Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of Pithapuram Samstanam, now in East Godavari dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of Panagal Samstanam, now in ?Godavari dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of NarsaRao Pet Samstanam, now in Guntur dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
* Rulers of Nuzvid Samstanam, now in Krishna dist, in Andhra Pradesh.
(18th Century)
* Bobbili family - Capital Bobbili, now Bobbili town in Vizianagaram dist
* 15th generation Descendants of Venkatagiri Samstanam
* Rao Venkata Gopala Krishna Ranga Rao - Raja of Bobbili - of Bobbili Yuddam fame
* Rani Mallamma Devi - Wife of Ranga Rao and sister of Tandra Papa Rayudu, of Bobbili Yuddam fame, brave Velama woman who preferred to fight the bobbili yuddam along with the men folk and die rather than commit suicide or killed by her own army, but unfortunately then prevalent Velama customs were too rigid and very conservative, and she has to be stabbed by her own body guard as per the orders of her husband Ranga Rao, similar is the fate of many Velama women and children in the fort.
* Thandra Papa Rayudu - Valiant fighter and brother of Rani Mallamma Devi, who was away at the time of famous Bobbili Yuddam, and ultimately avenges the killing of all his relatives in the war by killing Vijaya Rama Raju of Vizianagaram and then kills himself along with his two accomplices after gheraoed by the combined enemy forces of Vijaya Rama Raju and Bussy.
(20th Century)
* Rao Ramakrishna Ranga Rao - Raja of Bobbili - (1932 -36) and again (1936 -37)- former Chief Minister of United Tamilnadu and Andhra (then Madras Presidency and State) and Member of Commission for Indian Constitution.
* Damera Panagal Raja - Raja of Panagal - (1921-1926)- former Chief Minister of United Tamilnadu and Andhra (then Madras Presidency and State).
