The Nayaka dynasties refers to a group of Hindu dynasties who emerged during the Kakatiya dynasty and the Vijayanagara Empire period in South India. Many of these dynasties, such as the Madurai Nayaks and the Thanjavur Nayaks, were originally military governors under the Vijayanagara Empire, who, after the Battle of Talikota, declared themselves independent and established their own polities.
Major Nayaka kingdoms
The Nayaka kingdoms included the following:
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Musunuri Nayakas, 14th century warrior-kings from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
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Recherla Nayakas, 14th-15th century rulers from Telangana.
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Pemmasani Nayaks, 15th–17th century ruling clan from Andhra Pradesh.
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Madurai Nayaks, 16th–18th century Telugu rulers of Tamil Nadu.
[Irschick, Eugene F. Politics and Social Conflict in South India, p. 8: "The successors of the Vijayanagar empire, the Nayaks of Madura and Tanjore, were Balija Naidus."]
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Thanjavur Nayaks, 16th–17th century Telugu rules of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
[Irschick, Eugene F. Politics and Social Conflict in South India, p. 8: "The successors of the Vijayanagar empire, the Nayaks of Madura and Tanjore, were Balija Naidus."]
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Nayaks of Gingee (Senji), 16th–17th century Telugu rulers from Tamil Nadu, previously governors of the Vijayanagara Empire.
[Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Penumbral visions: making polities in early modern South India, page 198. BS Baliga. Tamil Nadu district gazetteers, page 427.]
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Nayakas of Belur, 15th-18th century rulers from Karnataka.
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Nayakas of Chitradurga, 16th–18th century from Karnataka, previously feudatory chiefs of Hoysala Empire and Vijayanagara Empire.
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Nayakas of Keladi, 16th–18th century ruling dynasty from Keladi, Karnataka.
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Nayaks of Vellore, 16th century Telugu chieftains under the Vijayanagara Empire from Channapatna and Rayadurgam.
[Noboru Karashima (ed). Kingship in Indian history, Issue 2 of Japanese studies on South Asia. Page 192.][Howes, Jennifer (1 January 1998). The Courts of Pre-colonial South India: Material Culture and Kingship. Psychology Press. p. 28. .]
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Nayakas of Kalahasti, 17th–18th century rulers of Srikalahasti and Vandavasi.
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Nayaks of Kandy, Telugu rulers of the Sri Lanka between 1739 and 1815.
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Nayakas of Shorapur, rulers of Shorapur, Karnataka (final ruler was the 19th century Raja Venkatappa).
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Hande Nayakas of Bellary, between the 15th to early 19th century, who were initially vassals of Vijayanagar, and then subsequently few became vassals to the Bijapur Sultanate.
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