Polavasa Chiefs

1080 - 1160 A.D : Polavasa Dynasty / Polasa chiefs / Lengonda Dynasty

Capital : Polavasa (Current Polas, Jagitial District, Telangana State, India)

Founder : Madhava Varma

Language: Telugu

Religion: Hinduism (Saivism and Vaishnavism), Jainism

The Polavasa chiefs seem to have patronized Jainism besides Saivism

The Polavasa chiefs were subordinates of the Western Chalukyas, but revolted against their overlords during the early 12th century. Descendants of Rashtrakutas and were based immediately north of the Kakatiya territories. The Polavasa Kingdom bordered river godavari and extended from Polavasa to Narsampet.

Madhava varman
upto 1080AD : Durgaraja

1080 - 1110 A.D : Medaraja - I

Feudatory of  Vikramaditya VI (1076 - 1126 AD ) of Western Chalukyas of Kalyani

Medaraja is referred to as Maninagapuradhiraja
The 1082 CE Banajipet inscription states that Beta II gifted land and a house site to a Jaina temple established by Medarasa.

Polavasa was a capital under the rule of Medaraja (1080–1110).They ruled from their capital at Polavasa (modern day Jagtial) of Karimnagar district to Narsampet of Warangal district from their capital at Polavasa. 

First Inscription Found in Banajipet of Narsampet, Warangal district that he built Veerakamala Jain Temple and belongs to venugontukula dynasty.

Another Inscription of 1108 A.D  on the pillar of Pulateswara temple at Polavasa that he had golden eagle flag and relations with Rashtrakuta Dynasty.

1110 AD -1116 AD : Jaggabhupala
12th December, 1112 AD : Medapalli, Narsampet Taluk.
This inscription is on a pillar on the tank bund. Fragmentary. The inscription is in three languages Kannada, Sanskrit and Telugu. It is through but in verse with the exception of the word 'svasti' at the beginning of the Sanskrit version, and a short Telugu passage registering the gift of two martars of land to the mason Parvatoju. It is dated Mantri-vara ba. 7, Margasirsha, Nandana, and in chronogram corresponding to S.1034. (=Thursday 12th December, A.D. 1112), and registers the gift of land to the temples of Achesvara and Vishnudeva built by Achana Peggada (Achi-raja, Aditya-mantri), son of Vamadeva of Vaji- kula and Srivatsa-gotra in the village of Aditya Palli (Achasamudra) by the command of his master Jagga-bhupala, son of Medaraja, a descendant of Madhavavarman who is said to have possessed a crore of horses and numberless foot soldiers. In the Sanskrit part of the inscription, Medaraja is referred to as Maninagapuradhiraja. In the Kannada part, it is stated that 7 nivartanas were gifted to the temples of Acheśvara and Vishnudeva and 15 martars to brahmins but in the Sanskrit part a gift of 25 nivartanas by the royal standard was recorded for the offerings and conducting repairs in the said temples and some nivartanas (number lost) to brahmanas.

The town of Jagityal was built after his name, according to the experts. He had 2 sons Medaraja and Gundaraja.

Polavasa kings would have maintained the confederation, as three brothers Medararaju,Gundaraja and Edaraju(1116- 1138) was ruling from different places and bearing the same title. This may be because of their Rastrakuta descent. 

Medarjaja II and his younger brother Gundaraja declared independence from Kalyani Chalukyas and issued inscriptions at Polavasa, Medapally and Govindapuram without the names of sovereigns.

1116-1138A.D : Gundaraja of Mantrakuta (Current Manthena)

Ruled Mulugu and Narasannapeta regions independently.

1138 AD: Kama son of Katana sent by Prola II of Kakatiya defeated Gundaraja, ruler of Mantrakuta (modern Manthani), pursued him to his capital where he had his head shaved and caused him to be branded on the breast.

1116 - 1138 A.D : Edaraja of Vemnoor/Ramagundam

Worked as Mahamandaleshvara under chalukyas. Edraja of Ramagundam was a contemporary ruler to Medaraja II of Polavasa and Gundaraja of Mantrakuta.

Ramagiri fort was under the control of Gundaraja of Manthani and Edaraja of Ramagundam.

Mahamandalesvara Edaraja is said to have ruled from Ramagundam during the first half the twelfth century A.D. 

All of them were defeated by Kakti Prola II between A.D. 1138 and 1140. Consequently the eastern portions of the district including the areas of Manthani, Ramagundam and present Godavarikani were included in the Kakatiya kingdom. 

1116-1159 A.D : Medaraja II of Polavasa 

Contemporary of Kakatiya Prola II.

The inscription of Padmakshi temple at Hanumakonda in 1117 A.D issued by Mylama wife of Pregada Betana, a minster under Prolaraju II, that she built jain drama called Kadalaya Basadi and Mahamandeleshwara Medaraja of Madhava Dynasty also donated to this arama.

Inscription of 1122 A.D minister Nagaraja built temple for Parsavanatha Jana deva.

Dommaraja of Nagunur, Myligideva, Medaraju-II and his son Jaggadeva II went to battle with Kakatitya Rudradeva in which Jaggadeva II died and  Medaraju II defeated.

The ruler of Polavasa Medaraju II, who gives his only daughter in marriage to the tribal king Pagididdaraju of Medaram flees to Medaram after losing his kingdom to Kakatiyas.

The temples built during 11th and 12th centuries by the Polavasa chiefs, Chalukyas of Kalyani and Kakatiyas are noticed in this region. Among them the Trikuta temple of Jangoan, which now forms a part of Godavarikhani, is a wonderful monument which is partly in ruins.

Polavasa rulers built a number of Jain temples and Siva temples. Poulastheswara temple and Venugopala temples in Polasa are still standing in good condition.

In 1160, both the dynasty of Polavasa and their kingdom declined.