Kondapalli

Kondapalli stands below a hill fort overlooking the Krishna country near Vijayawada. The fortress is associated with the Reddi kings of Kondavidu, who built strongholds across the region in the fourteenth century. Its walls and gateways occupy a ridge above the plain, making it a valuable prize for the powers competing for the eastern Deccan.

The fort passed through several hands after the decline of Reddi rule. In the early sixteenth century Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara captured Kondapalli during his campaign against the rulers of Odisha. It was later restored to the Odisha king under a settlement that made the Krishna River a boundary between the two realms. The sultans of Golconda subsequently expanded into the region, adding another chapter to the history of this contested hill stronghold.