Haihaya Chiefs

The Haihaya chiefs were a Yadava (Chandravanshi) lineage tracing their legendary origin to Kartavirya Arjuna of Mahishmati (central India, Narmada valley). By the 10th–12th centuries CE, branches of this lineage established themselves in Telangana, especially in the Kandur-nāḍu region (present-day Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts).

Territorial Domain
Core: Kandur-nāḍu (Mahabubnagar–Nalgonda region)
Eastern settlements: Peddavuru, Uriya
Western links: Aralu branch (Sedam–Chitpur, Kalaburagi district)
Southern reach: Valluru (Cuddapah district)

1. Origins of Haihayas

Puranic Tradition:
Haihayas (Heheya, Haiheya) are presented as Yadava (Chandravanshi) lineage.
Their legendary capital was Mahishmati on the Narmada (modern Maheshwar or near Mandhata).
Famous king: Kartavirya Arjuna, celebrated in Mahabharata and Puranas.
Historical Continuity:
Several medieval dynasties (notably the Kalachuris of Chedi/Ratanpur and even the Mushika kings of Kerala) claimed Haihaya descent for legitimacy.
This claim linked them to ancient prestige and Yadava identity.

2. Rulers

1. Anemarasa I (Yanemarasa I) c.1035 CE – c.1058 CE

Inscriptions:
Mallesvaram (Saka 955 / 1033–1035 CE)
Nagai (Gulbarga district), 1058 CE → shows Ayyarasa of Haihaya family ruling Kandurnadu under Chalukya Somesvara I.
Title: Mahamandalesvara / subordinate of Western Chalukyas.
Region: Kandur-nāḍu, Mallesvaram (Mahabubnagar / Nalgonda area)
Significance:
Earliest epigraphical record of a Haihaya/Kayastha chief in Telangana.
Acts as a military-administrative governor under Chalukyas.

2. Bacharasa c.1058 CE – c.1076 CE

Spouse: Kalabbarasi
Region: Kandur-nāḍu / Ingalgi, Chitpur area
Significance:
Issued inscriptions in his own name, without mentioning overlords → shows semi-independence.
Maintained Haihaya prasasti, emphasizing dynastic prestige.

3. Political Status

Initially served as Mahamandalesvaras and Sahinis (military commanders) under the Western Chalukyas and later to Kakatiyas.
Ruled local tracts and temple-centered settlements while maintaining allegiance to Chalukya overlords.
Some chiefs, like Bacharasa (1058–1076 CE), issued inscriptions in their own name, showing semi-independence.

4. Key Figures

Anemarasa I (1035–1058 CE) – earliest attested Haihaya chief in Telangana inscriptions, ruling Kandur-nāḍu under Chalukyas.
Bacharasa (1058–1076 CE) – asserted autonomy, maintaining Haihaya prasasti.
Anemarasa II (1096–1104 CE) – called “Lord of Mahishmati,” indicating continuity with central-Indian lineage.
Rayaparaja (1142 CE) – first Haihaya chief clearly attested in Telangana inscriptions (Peddavuru, Uriya).
Bijjarasa, Kacharasa, Suriyaraja – later chiefs consolidating the Haihaya presence in Kandur-nāḍu.

5. Administration

Mahamandalesvaras: regional governors of large provinces (Kandur-nāḍu).
Sahinis: military commanders managing local defense and campaigns.
Oversaw temple-centered villages, revenue collection, and land grants.
Administered agricultural settlements; maintained law and order under Chalukya oversight.

6. Economy and Trade

Agrarian economy based on irrigated and rain-fed land in Kandur-nāḍu and Nalgonda region.
Land grants for temples promoted religious and economic activity.
Some trade links with eastern Andhra and central Deccan via river routes and overland paths.
Coinage evidence minimal, but inscriptions show wealth through land endowments and temple donations.

7. Society

Predominantly Hindu, with emphasis on Brahmanical institutions.
Society organized around villages (grants recorded in inscriptions) and temple administration.
Military-administrative class: Haihaya/Kayastha chiefs (ruling elite) and their Sahini generals.
Patronage of religious endowments strengthened legitimacy.

8. Art and Culture

Inscriptions carved in Telugu and Sanskrit.
Architectural contributions: temples at Peddavuru, Uriya, and Miryalaguda, though mostly foundations remain.
Maintained Haihaya prasasti style linking Telangana branch to Mahishmati lineage.

9. Foreign Relations

Primary relations with Western Chalukyas of Kalyani (Taila II, Somesvara I, Vikramaditya VI).
Later interactions with Kakatiyas as overlords; Haihayas transitioned from Chalukya vassals to Kakatiya feudatories.
No evidence of long-distance foreign trade, but some interaction via central Deccan and eastern Andhra routes.

10. Achievements and Legacy

Successfully transplanted central-Indian Haihaya lineage into Telangana.
Created the political-military foundation for the rise of Gona/Kona Kayasthas.
Preserved Haihaya prasasti tradition and temple endowment culture.
Enabled continuity of Haihaya identity from Mahishmati to southern Deccan.

11. Chronology, Dating and Inscriptions

1035–1058 CE: Anemarasa I (Mallesvaram, Nagai inscriptions)
1058–1076 CE: Bacharasa (Ingalgi inscription)
1096–1104 CE: Anemarasa II (Kammaravadi inscription)
1142 CE: Rayaparaja (Peddavuru & Uriya inscriptions)
1209–1221 CE: Vira Bijjarasa III / Anegadeva
1212–1230 CE: Kacharasa, Suriyaraja (Miryalaguda, Uriya)
1237–1247 CE: Kona/Gona Kayasthas (Draksharama, Kumaradevam inscriptions)

12. Successor States / Vassals

Gona/Kona Kayasthas (1190–1294 CE): Direct successors in Kandur-nāḍu.
They ruled from Vardhamanapura (Kodur) and Budapuram (Bhoothpur) under Kakatiya suzerainty.
Expanded Haihaya influence from Mahabubnagar–Nalgonda to Raichur in west and Valluru (Cuddapah) in south.