Bastar

Princely States

It is said that Bastar, the core of the ancient Chakrakuta in Dandakaranya/Mahakantara was called as Banstari(bamboo shade) by the founder of the kingdom which in due course of time became Bastar. Other version is that the word came from Vastra or cloth – the cloth of Goddess Danteshwari spread over the land which became Bastar. More realistic is the word Bhramaravadra used in a Kalachuri inscription dating to 1144 AD. Bastar ruling family traces it's origins to Kakatiyas of Warangal – the Pandu king Birabhadra was granted by the family Goddess Dhilliswari an arrow as a weapon of war. He subsequently moved to Mathura where he received a Trisula from Goddess Bhuvaneshwari. During the reign of Virakesari, the family moved to Jeypore and then, settled in Warangal. Their patron goddess was rechristened as Manikya Devi by then and after moving to Bastar, Danteshwari. On the fall of Warangal in 1323 AD, a brother of Kakatiya Prataparudra, Annama Deva retreated into the forests of Bastar where he carved a new kingdom. Inscriptions hint of a brother of Kakatiya Prataparudra by name Deva Kumara who is known at least till 1297(No 481, Agastyesvara Temple inscription of Eastern Chalukya Deva Kumara, Mallipudi, South India Inscriptions Vol 10). Manuscript 97 of Mackenzie Manuscripts Vol 2(Anumakonda Kaifiyat?) notes the story of Annama Deva, thus –

Pratapa had two sons, Virupaksha and Virabhadra by his wife Visalaksi.

There were two muslim invasions during Prataparudra's time and in one of the skirmishes he was captured.

The Sultan of Delhi received with great regards. Prataparudra under the advice of his mother who was a devotee of god Madhava of Prayaga, and on the desire of Pratapa, he sent the Hindu King to Benares with a bodyguard of 20,000 horsemen. The Brahman scholars who accompanied the king– were liberally rewarded by the Sultan.

The Hindu king made 8 tulapurusa gifts at Benares and one crore besides and started for the banks of the Godavari, At Kalesvara on its bank he made a halt on the advice of Sivadevayya who predicted the king’s death in 8 days in the river–bed of the Godavari. Annama and Narapati having routed totally the Sultan’s forces pursued Jaman Khan to his country where they besieged the fortress of his capital and undermined it. Hearing that, Pratapa came back to Kalesvara both of them returned to the king. Pratapa appreciating the valour (and loyalty) of (Narapati) gave him his daughter Rudramadevi in marriage with a dowry of 5 crores and the country lying in the south of the Krsna. The kingdom of Kataka with 3 crores was given as a dowry to the daughter of Annama married to Ramaraya.