YADAVA DYNASTY

rulers of a 12th14th-century Hindu kingdom of central India in what is the modern Indian state of Maharashtra. Originally a feudatory of the Eastern Calukyas of Kalyani, the dynasty became paramount in the Deccan under Bhillama (c. 118791), who founded Devagiri (later Daulatabad) as his capital. Under Bhillama's grandson Singhana (c. 121047) the dynasty reached its height at the expense of the Hoysalas in the south, the Kakatiyas in the east, and the Paramaras and Calukyas in the north. Later rulers continued expansionist wars with varying success. During the reign of the last Yadava king, Ramacandra (reigned 1271c. 1309), a Muslim army commanded by the Delhi sultan 'Ala'-ud-Din Khalji invaded the kingdom in 1294 and imposed tributary status. A later attempt to throw off the vassalage brought another Delhi army; Ramacandra was imprisoned but was later released and remained loyal to Delhi until his death. In a further attempt, his son and successor died in battle, and the kingdom was annexed by the Khalji empire in 1317.