Country or people · Self-governing peoples of Southern India and Sri Lanka · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Chenchu

The forest hunters and gatherers of the Nallamala hills, the guides and guards of the Srisailam pilgrim road, in Telugu story the in-laws of the god Narasimha (Chenchulakshmi).

They hold the hills the Kakatiya, Velanati and Hoysala claims all touch. Their word on the road is worth more than a king's order.

Who holds it

Title
Chenchu clan chiefs; no names known
Since
not pinned
Born
not known
Confidence
low

The Chenchu act as guides and guards on the Srisailam road.

Overlord

Kakatiya claim

How things stand that morning

Self-governing, on a Kakatiya claim. The Nallamala runs on south into the Kadapa country, which is sit's ground (Chola clients).

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: No source we read gives the political life of this people in 1200; this is general knowledge, flagged thin. The Project's rule is that powers who ruled without castles are real powers, so the people is carried.

Sources and studies

  1. General knowledge of the medieval Deccan (Bhandarkar, Altekar, Sastri, B. R. Gopal, Suryanath Kamath): from memory, not re-read
  2. Wikipedia: Srisailam (read this session)
  3. OMNIA board notes for this place (a lead only, checked against the sources above)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.