The Fearless Niyogi Brahmin Warriors of History.
The Niyogi Brahmins as a community have had a profound impact on the history, literature, culture and commerce of the Telugu land. Here are some heroic Niyogi Brahmin warriors and their tales of bravery that inspired ballads and folk songs!
- Gopana Niyogi.
Born into the great lineage of the Bharadwaja Gotra, Gopana was born to a military officer serving under the Vijayanagara Empire, under the king Kumara Kampanna. Gopana became the General of the Vijayanagara Army under the rule of Kumara Kampanna II. The Ranganathaswami Temple in Srirangam was occupied by the Madurai Sultanate and was at that time being controlled by foreigners, who had destroyed the idol of the main deity in the temple too.
Gopana valiantly with his both his shred military intellect and bravery rode into the Srirangam the city under Madurai Sultanate and delivered a striking blow to the power hold of the Sultanate by defeating hordes and hordes of foreigners and defeated the Foreign Turkish Governor of the city. Restoring the idol of Ranganathaswami in Srirangam after years of it being destroyed and the city being occupied by foreign Turkish forces. He liberated Srirangam and by the end of a week, defeated the entire Madurai Sultanate and its Turkish foreign seat of power and hordes! Gopana was also a profound Telugu poet!
2. Akkanna and Madanna.
Akkanna and Madanna the brothers who rose to the top of the Golkonda Empire, and bankrupted the king to take complete power without shedding a single drop of blood from a foreign King, were indeed considered heroes at that time. They had liberated the Telugus and the Telugu land from foreign rule and exercised immense power and economical clout across the world through their influence even in the Dutch East India Company.
3. Khadga Tikkanna
In early 1260, a brutal war between the king of Nellore Manumasiddhi and Katamraju another ruler broke out. A raging battle took place on the banks of the Penna river, and Khadga Tikkanna the commander in chief of the army, and the cousin of Tikkanna the Telugu poet fought valiantly.
Khadga Tikkanna fought hordes and hordes of soldiers single-handedly, like a true warrior. Winning the battle, even though the army he lead was outnumbered by the enemy’s army.
Khadga Tikkanna perished valiantly in the battle like a brave Kshatriya warrior. His tale of bravery was forever immortalised in the Telugu folk ballad Kattamraju Katha!
These are a few Niyogi Brahmin warriors among the countless who fought for the Telugu land and gave their lives for it.
