The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c16.s1.41

v2.c16.s1.41

In this historical review, however brief, it is necessary to mention the Kākatīyas, who in the beginning were vassals of the Chāḷukyan kings of Kalyāṇī and when the latter were dispossessed by the Kalachuris, the Kākatīyas became independent and the dynasty gradually rose into power and ruled over a large part of the Deccan for nearly three centuries. The last important king of the dynasty was Pratāpa Rudra II, whose dominions extended as far as the Western Ghāṭs, and from the Godāvarī to the Pālār river. Muḥammad bin Tughluq conquered Teḷiṅgāna during the reign of this king and sent Pratāpa a prisoner to Delhi, but eventually he was allowed to return to Warangal and to rule as a vassal of the Delhi kings. The Kākatīyas were fond of architecture, and as they had sprung from the Chāḷukyas and were also allied by marriage with the Cholas of South India, it is natural that their temples should show a happy blending of the styles of North India and South India in their construction.