From the peasant struggle of the 1940s and the Razakar period to the Telangana movement, told plainly with sources. For Kakatiya monuments, see heritage.
Until 1948 the region was part of the Nizam's Hyderabad State. In the 1940s villages around Jangaon, Palakurthi and Parkal saw resistance against feudal landlords (deshmukhs), forced levies and, in 1947β48, the Razakar militia. Hyderabad State joined the Indian Union after the police action (Operation Polo) in September 1948.
Late 1930s β 1948
Warangal and Hanumakonda
Kaloji Narayana Rao worked with the Arya Samaj and Andhra Mahasabha and was jailed by the Nizam government. A young P. V. Narasimha Rao took part in the Vande Mataram movement in Hyderabad State. Pendyala Raghava Rao joined the 1938 Congress satyagraha and later led in the armed struggle.
1940s
Palakurthi, Jangaon district
Chityala (Chakali) Ailamma, a washerwoman, refused to give up the land she cultivated to the Visnur deshmukh's men. She joined the Andhra Mahasabha and became a symbol of the anti-feudal struggle. Her statues stand at New Shayampet (Hanumakonda) and Chakali Ilamma crossroads (Warangal), where tributes are paid on her birth anniversary, 26 September.
4 July 1946
Kadavendi village, Jangaon region
Doddi Komarayya, a young sangham worker, was shot during a protest procession against the Visnur deshmukh's men. He is widely remembered as the first martyr of the Telangana armed peasant struggle.
2 September 1947
Parkal, Hanumakonda district
Razakars and police fired on about 1,500 people gathered to hoist the Indian national flag; 22 people were reported killed. P. V. Narasimha Rao later called it the "Jallianwala Bagh of the south". The Amaradhamam memorial at Parkal was inaugurated on 17 September 2003.
Casualty figure as reported.
27 August 1948
Bhairanpally, historically in the Warangal region
A village that had repelled the Razakars several times was overrun and many villagers were killed. Reported tolls range from about 96 to about 200. A memorial listing names stands outside the village. It is now outside the six districts.
Casualty figures differ between sources.
September 1948
Mamnoor, Warangal district
The Nizam-era airstrip at Mamnoor, built in the 1930s, was damaged by two Indian Air Force Hawker Tempests during the police action that brought Hyderabad State into India.
Demands for a separate Telangana state ran through the 1952 Mulki agitation, the 1969 agitation and the movement of 2001β2014 that ended with Telangana's formation on 2 June 2014. Warangal's university and its people played a large part.
1952 and 1969
Hanumakonda
As a student he walked out of class in the 1952 Mulki agitation. In 1969 he formed a ten-member team of intellectuals with Prof. Rawada Satyanarayana to make the case for Telangana.
1969
Across Telangana, including Warangal
A statewide agitation from January 1969, in which 369 deaths were reported, most of them students in police firing. It led to the Telangana Praja Samithi. Warangal-specific events of 1969 still need reliable sources.
1952 onwards
Muchcherla, Hasanparthi mandal, Hanumakonda
Took part in the 1952 and 1969 agitations, founded the newspaper "Jai Telangana" and the Telangana Rakshana Samithi.
2009β2014
Vidyaranyapuri, Hanumakonda
According to Deccan Chronicle, the student phase of the movement began at Kakatiya University before spreading to Osmania University, with protests, lathi-charges and arrests on campus.
16 December 2010
Warangal
A mass meeting marked one year since the Centre's announcement of 9 December 2009. Speakers included Prof. Jayashankar and M. Kodandaram. Attendance figures claimed by the organisers have not been independently verified.
21 June 2011
Hanumakonda
The movement's leading ideologue died in Hanumakonda. Jayashankar Bhupalpally district and the state agricultural university are named after him.
Rulers, poets, activists and leaders linked to the six districts. Where a birthplace is disputed, we say so.
Ruled 1262 β 1289
Orugallu (Warangal)
Kakatiya queen who ruled from Orugallu and strengthened Warangal Fort.
Kakatiya era (tradition)
Medaram, Mulugu district
Koya tribal women who, by tradition, resisted Kakatiya tax and land demands. They are honoured at the biennial Medaram jatara. This is living tradition rather than documented history.
12thβ14th century (disputed)
Palakurthi, Jangaon district (birthplace disputed)
Shaiva poet who wrote the Telugu "Basava Purana". Palakurthi is named after him.
15th century
Bammera, Jangaon district (also claimed by Vontimitta, Andhra Pradesh)
Poet who rendered the Bhagavata Purana in Telugu, known as Pothana Bhagavatam.
1914 β 2002
Lived and died in Warangal
The people's poet. Padma Vibhushan in 1992. His birthday, 9 September, is Telangana Language Day, and the health sciences university in Warangal carries his name. Kaloji Kalakshetram in Hanumakonda opened on 19 November 2024.
1921 β 2004
Born at Laknepalli, Narsampet mandal, Warangal district
Freedom fighter and the 9th Prime Minister of India. Bharat Ratna announced 9 February 2024.
1917 β 1987
Chinna Pendyala, former Warangal district
Leader in the armed struggle who, in 1952, won a Lok Sabha seat and the Hanumakonda and Wardhannapet assembly seats.
1934 β 2011
Born at Akkampet, Atmakur mandal, Hanumakonda district
Economist, Vice-Chancellor of Kakatiya University (1991β94) and chief ideologue of the Telangana movement.
c. 1895 β 1985
Palakurthi, Jangaon district
Symbol of the struggle against feudal landlords (see above).
This page is still growing. Mahabubabad, Mulugu and Bhupalpally need more entries, and we are looking for reliable sources on Warangal's own events in 1969 and its martyrs of 2009β14. Know a source? Send it to us.
