Pusapati

Pusapati was the ruling clan of the Kalinga Vizianagaram (founded in late 16th century AD). They were Kshatriyas of the Pericchedi ruling clan of Andhra.

The Pericchedi kings were ancestors of the Pusapati royal family who built Bezawada (Modern Vijayawada) off the river Krishna by 626 AD and another capital in Kollipaka establishing themselves for nine centuries there. They were staunch patrons of Hindu Dharma in contrast to the Chalukyas, who initially were patrons of Jainism. The family name was changed to Pusapati after moving to the coastal region. They founded the city of Vizianagaram, and named it after Pusapati Vijay Rama Raju, spelled with a Z to differentiate it from the Vijayanagar Dynasty in Hampi. They obtained the title of Gajapathi in the 16th century, after vanquishing the Gajapatis (of Orissa) in the battle of Nandapur (modern Jeypore), in the Northern Circars, and have used since then. In 1484 Pusapati Rachi Raju wrote Vasistha Gotra Kshatriya Sisa Malika.

The Rajas allied themselves with the Gajapathi Emperor of Orissa against the Vijayanagar Empire initially but after being conquered by Krishnadevaraya they became their feudal allies. They, along with the other allies of Vijayanagar were conquered by Sultan Quli, the founder of the Qutub Shahi dynasty of Golkonda but by 1652 the 5th king of the subsequent Pusapati line was made Subahdar of the Northern Circars and they re-established themselves in the Vizagapatnam country. Emperor Aurangzeb has given them a two-edged sword 'pattaa kaththi' (Telugu:పట్టాకత్తి) (Zulfiqar), which is still used in the coat-of-arms of the family. By 1713 they erected the fort at Vizianagaram where they have since resided. In 1827 Maharajah Vijay Rama Gajapati Raju III. had several honors conferred on him by the British Government. Lord Northbrook obtained for him the title of His Highness, and had his name enrolled among those of chiefs entitled to return visits from the Viceroy with a 13 gun salute.

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