In 1244 CE, a Kakatiya king carved a promise into stone at a small Andhra port. Any foreign merchant who lost a ship there, he wrote, would keep their cargo, not have it seized. That port was Motupalli, and it was the Kakatiya kingdom’s gateway to the world.
✅ Why Motupalli
The Kakatiya Kingdom’s Key Seaport
- The Answer Motupalli was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom.
- The Inscription A 1244 CE inscription by King Ganapatideva granted abhayasasana, a guarantee of safety, to foreign merchants trading at Motupalli.
- International Reach Records show trade at Motupalli reaching China and Southeast Asia.
- Marco Polo The Venetian traveller Marco Polo visited during Queen Rudrama Devi’s reign and praised the kingdom’s fine muslin and diamonds.
✅ Not the Other Options
Kakinada, Machilipatnam, and Nellore
- Kakinada An important Andhra port today, but not a major Kakatiya-era seaport.
- Machilipatnam Became prominent later, under the Mughals and European trading companies, not during Kakatiya rule.
- Nellore Its port, now called Krishnapatnam, is associated with the later Vijayanagara ruler Krishna Deva Raya, not the Kakatiyas.
⚡ The Kakatiya Kingdom
Warangal and Its Legacy
- Base The Kakatiyas ruled the Telangana and coastal Andhra region from Warangal, and Hanamkonda nearby.
- Monuments The Thousand Pillar Temple at Hanamkonda and the Warangal Fort survive as major Kakatiya-era monuments.
- Queen Rudrama Devi One of very few women to rule a major Indian kingdom, she reigned during the period Marco Polo visited Motupalli.
Test Yourself
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2017 — The Kakatiya Kingdom’s Seaport
- UPSC 2017 The correct answer is Motupalli, not Kakinada, Machilipatnam, or Nellore. Asked as: “Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?” (UPSC CSP 2017, GS Paper I).
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