1163-1323 CE
From 1163 to 1323 CE, the Telugus raised the Kakatiya dynasty from provincial obscurity to Deccan dominance — Rudrama Devi ruling as king in all but name, Prataparudra building Warangal's concentric fortifications into legend. Their warriors checked the Delhi sultans for generations; their temples at Ramappa still stand as testaments to Telugu artistry. When Warangal finally fell, its diamonds scattered to adorn thrones from Delhi to Samarkand.