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Warangal was the capital of a Hindu kingdom ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty
from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The Kakatiyas left many monuments,
including an impressive fortress, four massive stone gates, the Swayambhu
temple dedicated to Shiva, and the Ramappa temple situated near Ramappa
Lake. The cultural and administrative distinction of the Kakatiyas was
mentioned by the famous traveller Marco Polo. Famous or well-known rules
included Ganapathi Deva, Prathapa Rudra, and Rani (queen) Rudramma Devi.
Kakatiya rule ended in the 14th century, when Warangal was conquered
by the Muslim-ruled Bahmani Sultanate, which later broke up into several
smaller sultanates, of which the Golconda sultanate ruled Warangal.
The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb conquered Golconda in 1687, and it remained
part of the Mughal empire until the southern provinces of the empire
split away to become the state of Hyderabad in 1724. Hyderabad was
annexed to India in 1948, and became an Indian state. In 1956 Hyderabad
was partitioned as part of the States Reorganization Act, and Telangana,
the Telugu-speaking region of Hyderabad state which includes Warangal,
was joined to Andhra Pradesh.
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