Ramachandra of Devagiri

Ramachandra was a son of the Yadava king Krishna. At the time of Krishna's death around 1260 CE, Ramachandra was probably very young, because of which his uncle (Krishna's younger brother) Mahadeva ascended the throne.[1] When Mahadeva's son Ammana became the next king around 1270 CE, Ramachandra also made a claim to the throne. Most of the important officers and generals probably saw Ramachandra as the rightful heir. This is evident from the fact that courtiers Hemadri and Tikkama, who had been loyal to Mahadeva, deserted Ammana and started supporting Ramachandra.[2]

Sometime in the second half of 1271 CE, Ramachandra seized the throne from his cousin Ammana. An inscription of Ramachandra gives the following account of this coup: Ramachandra and his followers entered the Devagiri fort, disguising themselves as actors. During a performance before the entertainment-loving Ammana, they suddenly seized the king and his supporters.[2]

This account is also supported by literary texts such as Bhanuvilasa (a Mahanubhava text) and Nagadeva-Charita of Parashurama-Vyasa.[3] According to the Mahanubhava texts, Ramachandra blinded Ammana. Nagadeva-Charita states that Ramachandra killed Ammana, and that Ramachandra's ultimate defeat against the Muslims was a result of this sin. The veracity of this claim is doubtful, since the other texts only mention the blinding, not the killing.[4]

Ramachandra seems to have faced invasions by Muslims (called "mlechchhas" or "Turukas") since the 1270s. A 1278 inscription of the king calls him a "Great Boar (Varaha) in securing the earth from the oppression of the Turks"; a similar claim is made in some subsequent inscriptions as well. P. M. Joshi notes that even after becoming a vassal of the Delhi Sultanate, Ramachandra claimed (or allowed his officials to claim) great victories over the Turukas. Therefore, Joshi dismisses the "great boar" claim as a boastful one, theorizing that at best, Ramachandra may have "chastised some Muslim officials" in the coastal region between Goa and Chaul. The Yadavas were certainly aware of the danger of Muslim invasion by 1291, when Rukmini-Svayamvara by the Yadava court poet Narendra mentions "the prowess and ruthlessness" of the mlechchhas.[11]

In 1296, Alauddin Khalji, the governor of the Kara province of Delhi Sultanate, raided Devagiri. At the time of Alauddin's invasion, a major part of the Yadava army was away from the capital, under the crown prince Simhana. Ramachandra was not adequately prepared for a defence, and agreed to a peace treaty, promising Alauddin a large tribute. However, before the treaty could be realized, Simhana returned to the capital with the Yadava army. Alauddin defeated him, and imposed a much heavier tribute on Ramachandra.[12]

The Yadavas lost their prestige as a result of Alauddin's invasion. Taking advantage of the weakened Yadava power, the Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra annexed the eastern part of Ramachandra's kingdom, which included the present-day Anantapur and Raichur districts. The Hoysala ruler Ballala III and his general Gangeya Sahani recaptured the territories that the Hoysalas had lost to the Yadavas in the preceding years, including the town of Banavasi.[13]

Alauddin Khalji usurped the throne of Delhi from his uncle Jalaluddin Khalji in 1296, shortly after his successful raid against the Yadavas. Ramachandra stopped sending tributes to Alauddin after 1303–1304.[14] According to the 14th century Muslim chronicler Isami, Ramachandra secretly informed Alauddin that he did not want to rebel against the Sultanate, and that the rebel Yadava faction was being controlled by his son. In 1308, Alauddin Khalji sent a force led by his general Malik Kafur to subjugate Ramachandra. Malik Kafur's army conclusively defeated the Yadava army led by the crown-prince, and took Ramachandra to Delhi. In Delhi, Alauddin treated Ramachandra with courtesy, and reinstated him as a vassal in Devagiri. Alauddin bestowed upon him the title Raja-i-Rajan ("king of kings"), and also gave him Navsari as a personal jagir.[15]

According to Isami, Ramachandra also gave his daughter Jhatyapali in marriage to Alauddin.[16] This daughter is alternatively called Chhitai, Jhitai, Jethapali or Kshetrapali in various historical texts.[17] Isami states that she was the mother of Alauddin's son and successor Shihab-ud-din Omar.[18] The 14th century Persian historian Wassaf, in his Tajziyat al-amsar, also mentions that the ruler of Devagiri gave his daughter to Alauddin to save his life. The 16th century historian Firishta claims that after Alauddin's death, his viceroy Malik Kafur married Ramachandra's daughter. Chhitai Varta (c. 1440), a Hindi poem by Narayan-das, narrates her legend.[17]

Ramachandra remained loyal to Alauddin until his death, and helped Malik Kafur defeat the Kakatiyas (1309) and the Hoysalas (1311).[13] When the Sultanate forces halted at Devagiri during their invasion of the Kakatiya capital Warangal, Ramachandra put his kingdom's facilities at their disposal. During the Sultanate's invasion of the Hoysala capital Dvarasamudra, Ramachandra supported them with supplies during their halt at Devagiri. He also ordered his general Purushottama to guide the Sultanate forces to the Hoysala frontiers.[15]

Ramachandra appears to have died sometime in 1311, although the exact date of his death is not certain.[15] The Nala inscription, his last extant inscription, is dated 1311 CE (1233 Shaka).[19] He was succeeded by his son Simhana III (also Shankaradeva or Singhana), who was defeated and killed after unsuccessfully rebelling against Alauddin Khalji.[20][15]

Ramachandra had two other sons: Ballala and Bhima (also called Bimba).[21] Of these, Bhima escaped to Konkan, where he established a base at Mahikavati (modern Mahim in Mumbai).[22]

The Yadava records call Ramachandra a great devotee of Shiva (maha-maheshvara), and state that he anointed eight icons of the god "with the milk of his fame". These records also compare him to Vishnu and his various avatars; for example, he is called "Narayana among kings" (raya-narayana). An inscription compares him to the legendary hero Rama, and states that he liberated the holy city of Varanasi from the mlechchhas (foreigners), and built a golden temple of Sharngadhara (Vishnu) there.[23]

Hemadpant, a minister of Ramachandra and his father, is credited with building five temples at Ramtek, which were dedicated to Rama-Sita, Lakshmana-svami, Hanuman, goddess Ekadashi, and Lakshmi-Narayana. An inscription discovered at the Lakshmanasvami temple suggests that Ramachandra empowered his viceroy to promote the Rama worship at Ramtek.[23]

The land grants issued by Ramachandra declare that the "dam of dharma" is common to all kings, and urge all future kings to abide by this "dam".[24]