Yellapus are presumed to be from the Rajasthan as they are mentioned in the inscription at vageshwarimatha temple . But, Rajesh Chirumallah has reported that Vageshwarimatha temple is existing in Gujarat in vaghva village in Jetpur-Pavi taluk in vadodara district .It is found to be true on my verification. Hence, Yellapus are not just from the Rajasthan, but from Gujarath and Rajasthan both. My view is substantiated by the surname Gandhe, a famous surname in Gujarath, which is also present in yellapus.
Yellapus have migrated from these areas to the surroundings of Delhi. There should be reason for migration and its time also has to be ascertained. The reason for migration is employment or transfer to new place in the dynasty. In this instant case these warriors would have migrated as a part of expansion policy of Gurjara-Pratiharas. The historical citations are as under:
Gurjara Pratiharas established the kingdom in the Rajasthan. Harichandra is said to have laid the foundation of this dynasty in the 6th century. He was a samanta of the Rashtrakutas. The Harichandra line of Gurjara-Pratihara established the state of Marwar, based at Mandore near modern Jodhpur, which grew to dominate Rajasthan.
Nagabhata I (730–756) extended his control east and south from Mandor, conquering Malwa as far as Gwalior and the port of Bharuch in Gujarat. He established his capital at Avanti in Malwa, and checked the expansion of the Arabs, who had established themselves in Sind. In this Battle of Rajasthan (738 CE) Nagabhata led a confedracy of Gurjars to defeat the Muslim Arabs who had till then been pressing on victorious through West Asia and Iran. Nagabhata I was followed by two weak successors, who were in turn succeeded by Vatsraja (775–805).
Nagabhata II was initially defeated by the Rashtrakuta ruler Govinda III (793–814), but later recovered Malwa from the Rashtrakutas, conquered Kannauj and the Indo-Gangetic Plain as far as Bihar from the Palas, and again checked the Muslims in the west. He rebuilt the great Shiva temple at Somnath in Gujarat, which had been demolished in an Arab raid from Sindh. Kannauj became the center of the Gurjar Pratihara state, which covered much of northern India during the peak of their power, c. 836–91.
The Rashtrakuta emperor Indra III (c.914–928) briefly captured Kannauj in 916, and although the Pratiharas regained the city, their position continued to weaken in the 10th century, partly as a result of the drain of simultaneously fighting off Turkic attacks from the west and the Pala advances in the east. The Gurjar-Pratiharas lost control of Rajasthan to their feudatories, and the Chandelas captured the strategic fortress of Gwalior in central India, c. 950. By the end of the tenth century the Gurjar Pratihara domains had dwindled to a small state centered on Kannauj. Mahmud of Ghazni sacked Kannauj in 1018, and the Pratihara ruler Rajapala fled. The Chandela ruler Gauda captured and killed Rajapala, placing Rajapala's son Trilochanpala on the throne as a proxy. Jasapala, the last Gurjar ruler of Kanauj, died in 1036.
From the above citation, it is very clear that during the period of Nagabhatta-2, there was northward expansion of Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty from Gujarath to Kanauz. During this period these people would have transferred to the neighboring places of Delhi. During this period they might have merged with the people of Bihar, as the dynasty extended up to that place.Still the district of meerut is one of the Gurjar dominated districts in the UttarPradesh.During the period of Vatsaraja,for shorter duration, they could upheld the kanauj.In this period they would have migrated.I presume that migrations would have started during the vatsaraja period and might be continued upto Nagabhatta-2 period, in order to consolidate the power in that region.
Their position continued to deteriorate during 10th century. This may pushed Yellapus to central India and later to Maharastra.Kaluvala families were residing in the central India,as it is mentioned by the famous sociologists. Interestingly, one Gurjara- Pratihara Branch has ruled the parts of Maharastra. Whether Yellapus have migrated to these places along with them is not just answerable, with out evidences. One thing surely explained is that stay of Yellapus in Maharastra is for a short duration. It is substantiated by the fact that they upkeep only one or two Marathi based surnames. It is also understandable that many people are still living there.
Interestingly, the last princes of Nagpur is from Gurjar clan only. This is the place where many saini families are still residing.Saini is one of the famous surnames in Yellapu caste.
In 973 Tailia II, a descendent from the early Chalukyas, overthrew the dynasty of Rastrakutas.This may pushed Yellapus to enter in to the kakatiya kingdom,which was in developing at that stage.
The following is a list of better-known clans of the Gurjar community of South Asia ,which is also existing either in Yellapus or among the Telagas of Nalgonda with some corruptions are as follows:
Ayeri
Awaar
Bala
Balasia
Baharoje
Bhoya
Chanchi(Chechi)
Garla
Gari
Ghanda
Jangee
Jangal
Jangada
Kalas
Kataria
Khaila
Sangu
Sisodia
The References of these surnames are as follows:
^ Bombay (India : State) (1901). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume 9, Part 1. Govt. Central Press. p. 491.
^ Nau Nihal Singh. The royal Gurjars: their contribution to India.
^ Rahul Khari. Jats and Gujars: Origin, History and Culture.
^ sunil pakhala
Conclusion: From the above, it is very clear that Yellapus are certainly part of Gurjara- Pratihara Kingdom. Some of them is belongs to the Gurjara Clans or Sub-clans. It clearly reveals their warrior status. Astonishingly, these people are also downgraded like their ancestors over a period of time up keeping the pride.
Limitation:This article is based on some assumptions.The migration patterns are not exact.During the migrations many families would have stayed in the past places, leaving no evidence,which causes no clue for some of the things.
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