The earliest epigraphic reference to this region i.e. Velanadu, is found in not less than ten records issued by the Eastern Chalukyan kings. The Tenali plates of Vijayaditya I 1 records this region as Vilanandu vishaya along with ten villages Sancharambu, Kavuru, Sannavrolu, Inturu, Gottimuku and Karamcheadu. The Cheruvu Madhavaram plates of Kali Vishnuvardhana V 2 refer to this region along with its village Kandravati, A record of Amma I 3 found at Tenali refers to this region as Velinadu-vishaya and a village Pulivarru ( modern Pedda Pulivarru in the Repalli taluk of Guntur District) located in it. This region is also referred to in one of the records of Amma II,4 which states that Alaparti, Chinturu, Pedda Galidiparru, Valiveru, Tapparala and Konda-Galiparru, were located in this region which was an administrative division under Chalukyas of Vengi. One of the inscriptions issued by Badapa,5 dated 945 A.D. includes Arumbaka, Cherukumballi, Sripundi, Kavuru and Gomaduvu in this administrative division. This region as an administrative division, was also figured in the inscription issued by Tala II,6 An inscription found at Valiveru 7 in the Tenali taluk of Guntur district refers to this region as Velananti vishaya in which Valiveru was included. It is of interest to state here that another record found in the same village 8 mentions it as Velanandu-6000. After the downfall of Chalukyas of Vengi the present Andhra desa passed on to the Chola kingdom. Kulottunga Chola amalgamated Andhra desa into Chola kingdom and started ruling it from Tanjavaur, the Chola capital. During the time of the Cholas this region was referred to in the inscriptions by several names, namely, Velanandu,9 Velanandu-Vishaya,10 Velananti-desa,11 Aruvela-nadu, Shat Sahasravani 12( this is the Sanskrit form of Telugu, Aruvela nadu, and Trisatottara Shatsahasravani, that is the land that contained 6,300 villages 13 The inscriptions refer to several villages included in this division. Nidumbrolu, (modern Nidubrolu in Guntur district) Chembrolu, (modern Chebrolu) Valiveru, (present Valiveru) Perumanduru (modern Penumarru) Davuluru (present Davuluru) Cherumumballi, Kroyyuru and Dhanadapura were some of them. (from Sri M. Madhusudhana Rao Article)
The downfall of the Cholas witnessed the independent rule of their feudatory Velanati Choda for a few decades, It became prominent under the Velanati Chodas. They were the rulers of this region. They were originally the sub-ordinates of the Cholas, but for a few years they exercised as semi independent rulers of this region. However they became the feudatories of the Kakatiyas of Warangal when they invaded the region and subjugated it. The Velanati chodas or chiefs made . Chandavolu or Dhanadapuramu as their capital. The Chandavolu inscription describes this region as Velanadu.15. The Pedda Makkena epigraph, dated A.D.1175,16 refers to it as Velanandu vishaya. The Amaravati pillar inscription dated 1182,17 the Pithapuram pillar inscription 18 and the Chebrolu19 record refers to this division as Krishnavenna nadi dakshina tata sahasravani that is the land of 6ooo villages situated on the southern side of the Krishna river. This region under Velanati chodas, may be identified with Tenali, Repalle, and Bapatla taluks of Guntur District,. It also covered modern Divi taluk of adjacent Krishna District. Under Kakatiyas the Velanadu became a mere administrative division until the downfall of Kakatiyas.The Duggirala epigraph20 states that Duggiralapundi, Ivani, Merampundi, and Duggamapundi were the constituent villages of the unit. Kroyyuru (presnt Krosuru, Divi taluk of Krishna District was included in Velanadu.21 It is known from the Chebrolu record dated A.D.1235 22 that Mromtakuru was a part of Velanadu. Thus Velanadu, during Kakatiya rule embraced the region that extended to the north of the Krishna river, that is to the present Vijayawada region in the Krishna District.23 From the above discussion it was the most popular and prominent region in Andhra desa. It is probable that it included the present Repalle, Tenali, and Guntur taluks of Guntur distrit., Divi taluk and Vijayawada taluk of Krishna district It lay on the southern bank of the Krishna river and adjacent to Kammarashtra in south and Pallinadu in the west. Geographically it became an important region in the coastal Andhra desa for nearly 300 years.
Pinna Chodi was most likely a vassal of the Velanati Choda king Prithvisvara before being subjugated by the Kakatiyas, so attacking Pinna Chodi also meant war with the Velanati Chodas. Sometime after Malyala Chaunda's campaign, King Prithvisvara marched south to the Krishna region. However, he was met by a coalition of forces who were opposed to the Velanati Chodas, including the Kakatiyas, Prince Tikka Bhupala of Nellore, and Mahamandalesvara Ballaya of Kammanadu. The Velanati Choda army was destroyed by the allied forces, and King Prithvisvara was killed. Subsequently, both Ganapatideva and Tikka Bhupala took the title Prithvisvara-shirah-kanduka-krida-vinoda, i.e. "one who played ball with the head of Prithvisvara." The last known record of Prithvisvara was in 1206, while the earliest known record of Ganaptideva in Velanadu (roughly the region between the Krishna and Penner rivers) is in 1209. Thus, it seems that Velanadu was annexed by the Kakatiyas sometime between 1206 and 1209. In 1213, Ganapatideva appointed Jaya-senapati as governor of the province.
Bibliography
[2] Ibid.Vol.XXXVII pp 41ff
[3] Annual Report Epigraphy. 1924 No A-3
[4] Epigraphia Indica Volumes XXIV pp 268 ff
[5] Ibid.Vol. XIX pp 137 ff
[6] Ibid
[7] South Indian Inscriptions Volume X No 6
[8] Ibid. No 8
[9] South Indian Inscriptions Volume. IV. No 1295
[10] Ibid.Nos 1130 &1165
[11] Ibid.Vol.X No 91
[12] Epigraphia Indica Volumes VI pp 223 ff
[13] South Indian Inscriptions Volume IV no 1132
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