The Senua Civil War was a late 13th-century civil war within the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty of the Deccan region. The brothers, Ramchandra Yadava and Ammana, fought against each other to take control of the kingdom. With the help of his generals Hemad Pant and Tikkama Saluva, Ramchandra was victorious. Ammana's forces were defeated, and he was later captured.
Ammana was punished in a cruel way. His eyes were destroyed, and he was later executed. His general, Narasinha, was taken as a prisoner. After this victory, Ramchandra Yadava became the ruler and brought an end to the conflict.
Background.
Mahadeva of Devagiri.
Mahadeva, who ruled approximately 1261–1270 CE, was a king of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty in the Deccan region of India. He succeeded his brother Krishna on the throne. His reign saw Mahadeva defeating the Shilaharas of Kolhapur and crushing a rebellion by the Kadamba rulers, who were under his authority. He initiated campaigns against other kingdoms, waged an inconclusive war against the Kakatiya queen Rudrama, and was defeated by the Hoysala king Narasimha II. Several inscriptions of his period also assert other victories; these are perhaps exaggerated.
Ascension to the Throne of Devagiri.
Krishna's last known inscription dates to May 1261. At the time of his death, it is likely that his son Ramachandra was either not yet born or still too young to be crowned yuvaraja (heir apparent) or to ascend the throne. Therefore, Krishna's brother Mahadeva succeeded him in 1261, whom he had declared as his heir apparent at least since 1250 and had helped with the administration of the state during Krishna's reign.
Prelude.
Ammana's Ascension to the Throne of Devagiri.
Ammana was the son of King Mahadeva of the Yadava dynasty. Mahadeva succeeded his elder brother, Krishna, to the throne about 1261. According to some sources, Mahadeva became king since Krishna's son, Ramachandra, was too young to succeed his father at that time. When Mahadeva died about 1270, he was succeeded by his son Ammana as king. His right to the throne was, however, challenged by Ramachandra.
Ramachandra's Escape and Preparations.
Many powerful officials and generals who had sworn allegiance to Mahadeva, including Hemadri and Tikkama, sided with Ramachandra. When Ammana had usurped the throne, they renounced allegiance to him.
When Ramachandra decided to seize the throne, Ammana could do little to stop him and even ensure his arrest. Ramachandra even fled the capital and started planning his strategies to regain the throne.
The Seuna Integrumm.
A jovial and light-headed ruler of Devagiri was Ammana. He loved to dance and to listen to music. Ramachandra, being a bold leader, came up with the clever idea of occupying the fort at Devagiri. He took the disguise of a troupe leader of artists who traveled. He and his followers were admitted into the fort. He conducted a show within the fort itself for Ammana. It was in the same occasion that Ramachandra and his team made themselves known to everybody, overthrew Ammana and won his leading men on their side.
Mostly due to this fact that all other Generals excepting Narasimha didn't stand completely on his side. It was the man himself, Ramachandra who documented it down for his followers and himself.
Imprisonment &amp; Execution of Ammana.
As described in the Mahanubhava texts such as Lila Caritra, Ramachandra is said to have captured the throne by blinding his cousin Ammana. This is an account which may be taken for its credibility due to its consonance with the fears and emotions of the period. The other text, the Smriti-stala, has criticized Ramachandra for this action; it attributes the defeat he eventually suffered at the hands of the Muslim forces to this action. The Smriti-stala, however, is considered biased and less accurate. A third Mahanubhava text, Bhanuvijaya, has a highly exaggerated version of the event, claiming Ammana was executed, but this account is considered unreliable.
Aftermath.
After usurping the throne from his cousin Ammana with a coup in the capital Devagiri, Ramachandra increased the Senua dynasty by precipitating wars with neighboring states including the Paramaras, Vaghelas, Hoysalas, and the Kakatiyas. By 1296 CE, following an invasion from a Muslim army from the Delhi Sultanate led by Alauddin Khalji, the Yadavas had to pay an annual tribute. But after around 1303–1304 CE, when Ramachandra ceased to pay the tribute, Alauddin sent his general Malik Kafur and launched an invasion in 1308. He made the Seunas the vassals of the Delhi Sultanate. Thereafter, Ramachandra proved to be a good vassal to Alauddin and was assisting him in the campaigns launched against the Kakatiyas and Hoysalas.
References.
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