town and called it Pedda-puli (big tiger). The name became Pebbuli and Bebbuli and in course of time it became Bobbili. The son of Sher Khan was abducted by rebels and Lingappa saved him. He was granted 12 villages and the hereditary title `Ranga Rao' in recognition of his service.

Lingappa was succeeded by his adopted son Vengal Ranga Rao and the latter by Rangapati. His son Rayadappa succeded him and later his adopted son Gopalakrishna took over. During Gopalakrishna's rule in 1753, the Northern Circars were assigned to the French by the Nizam of Hyderabad and Bussy, the French General, agreed to lease Chicacole and Rajahmundry Circars to Pedda Viziarama Raju, the Raja of Vizianagaram. A rupture between Bussy and the Nizam led to the weakening of theformer's authority. Viziarama Raju placed his troops at the disposal of Bussy and helped him in re-establishing his suzerainty.

Viziarama Raju persuaded Bussy to help him in defeating his arch rival, the Raja of Bobbili. On January 24, 1757, Bussy with his army and the army of Viziarama Raju in tow marched towards the Bobbili fort. The army of Gopalkrishna Ranga Rao was no match for the combined armies of Bussy and Viziarama Raju but he and his men put up a brave fight till the end.

Tandra Paparayudu was at Rajam at that time. The French General knew that it would be impossible to reach Bobbili via Rajam as Paparayudu was camping there and took a different route to reach the fort. Rani Mallamma Devi, wife of Ranga Rao