Wanaparthy Samsthanam
Wanaparthy Samsthanam or Raja of Wanaparthy was a vassal of Nizam of Hyderabad. He controlled the feudatory of Wanaparthy.[1][2] It was one of the three important samsthanams, the other two being Gadwal and Jatprole.
History
Wanaparthy Samsthanam traces its history back to 14th century after the Kakatiya kingdom declined. The successive Turkic Muslim dynasties, who invaded and settled in Deccan, found it ideal for Samsthanam to prevail. It was surrounded by three other Samsthanam.
The Feudatory
Raja Rameshwar Rao II, who was a vassal of the Nizam of Hyderabad, died on November 22, 1922. As his successor, Krishna Dev, was a minor, his estate was managed as a Ward of the Court. Krishna Dev himself died before attaining majority and the crown passed on to his son Rameshwar Rao III. Thereafter India abolished all regal titles.[3]
Infantry
The early Rajas maintained an army numbering 2000 infantry and 2000 cavalry. The time the kingdom fell into the ambit of the powerful Hyderabad State, until Wanaparthy's armed forces were absorbed into the Hyderabad Army as the Bison battalion on the orders of Nizam of Hyderabad. The ruler was relegated from commander to the honorary post of Inspector of the Bison battalion. Subsequent to the Hyderabad State’s merger with the Indian Union in 1948, all units of the Hyderabad State Forces were disbanded and volunteers absorbed into the Indian Army. These units, colloquially known as the "Hyderabadis" had, for that time, a unique mixed class composition.
Family
The Royal family belongs to Motati Reddy clan with the surname 'Janampalli' and 'Penubala' gothram. Ram Dev Rao was the youngest son of the Raja of Wanaparthy. He had an older sister, Janamma, and elder brother Krishna Dev. The family roots have spread to the whole of Mahbubnagar district as Deshmukhs around Jadcherla and nearby talukas.
Raja Rameshwar Rao said that he didn't have much interaction with his father – it was quite a formal relationship – and he only replied to him when spoken to.