HISTORY

CHALUKYAS

Inscribed stones and copper plates, found in the neighbouring districts of Ratnagiri and Belganv as well as the state of Kolhapur, inform us that Satara and southern Maharashtra were held by Chalukyas of Badami between 550 and 753 A.D. The Aihole inscription of Chalukyas, speaks of Jayasimha, who defeated the early Rashtrakutas and formed his kingdom. The grand-son of Jayasimha, Pulkeshin I, performed Ashvamedha, assumed the title Satyashraya and Prithivivallabha and made Vatapi, his capital. After his death in 567 A.D. his son Kirtivarman I came to the throne and subjugated Kadambas as well as Mauryas. Pulkeshin II is the most illustrious ruler, who brought all the kingdoms in the southern India under his control (610-620 A.D.). Copper plates of Pulkeshln II speak of him as the king of three Maharashtras (Vidarbha, Maharashtra and Kuntala) consisting of 99,000 villages. He also prevented Harshavardhan from penetrating the south by inflicting a decisive defeat on him on the bank of Narmada. The Chinese traveller Hieuentsang who visited his capital in 639 A.D., has spoken very highly of his administrative and military ability. Pulkeshin's reign came to a tragic end in 642, as Narasimhavarman I of Kanchi attacked Badami and ruined it [In his victory over Pulkeshhi Narasinhavarman was helped by his brothers and sons. One of the brothers was the Governor of Satara and Vengi (M. Rama Rao-Glimpses of Deccan History, p. 38).] Vikramaditya I, his son, however avenged his defeat and continued to rule up to 680 A.D. His son Vinayaditya turned out to be a generous ruler as is indicated by grants, given by him in the years 689, 691, 694. Vinayaditya was followed by Vijayaditya, who was accidentally caught by the Pahalavas but managed to escape and re-established his rule over the country. Vikramaditya II, his son, had a short reign of fourteen years from 733-747 A.D. and was succeeded by Kirtivarman II, whose copper-plate is available. He seems to have ruled up to 753 A. D. Dantidurga, one of the vassals of Chalukyas defeated the Pahalavas and was ultimately successful in snatching away the kingdom from the hands of the Chalukyas, before. January 754 A.D. when the Samangad plates were issued. These plates inform that the Chalukya emperor was defeated merely by the frown without any show of arms [ I.A.XIp. II]. This probably indicates the overthrow of Chalukya emperor by treachery. Kirtivarman continued to hold his sway even after the defeat, as in 757 A.D. he is known to have encamped his army at a village on the northern bank of Bhima [Vakkeri plates of Kirtivarman II, E.I., V.p.202.]. As no other record of Chalukyas later than this date is available, it would be safe to infer that their overthrow was soon completed by Rashtrakutas. In fact the records of later Chalukyas themselves clearly state that the glory of Chalukyas set with Kirtivarman II [ Yewoor Inseription, I.A. VIII p.II]. Recently four copper-plates found at Satara, Kolhapur, Gokak and Coil respectively indicate that the early Rashtrakuta race was ruling at Manpur in southern Maharashtra from 4th century A. D. One of these copper-plates, styles the race as Rashtrakuta and mentions the grant of a village known as Undikavatika by the King Abhimanyu. Another copper-plate found near Kolhapur is published in the annual reports (1929) of the archaeological department of Mysore State. This copper-plate records the grant of the village Pandurangapalli, along with places at Kamyaka and Javal on the bank of Anne by a king called Avidheya. The third copper-plate was found on the banks of Bhima at Hinganiberadi and is edited firstly by late P. M. Chandorkar and later on by Dr. M. G. Dikshit. In this copper-plate we hear of a gift of a village to a Brahman by Mahadev Shyavalahgi, the wife of Devraj and the mother of Rashtrakuta king Vibhuraja alias Mana. This copper-plate was given in the third year of Vibhuraja's reign.

Rashtrakutas.

The fourth one was found at Dhond, which clearly refers to the race Rashtrakuta. As all plates are found in southern Maharashtra it is safe to infer that Rashtrakuta Mananka was ruling over Satara, Kolhapur and Sholapur. The capital Manapur is the modern Mana of Satara district. In the Pandurangapalli copper-plate Mananka is said to rule over the Kuntalas. The river Anne appears to be identical with the modern Yenna or Vena, flowing into Krsna. Javala, mentioned here, is identical with modern Javli. On the basis of the evidenec of these copper-plates attributed uniformly to the 4th and 5th century A.D., the genealogy of the early Rashtrakutas can be constructed as follows: —

                      Mananka (375-400 A.D.)
|
                     Devraja (400-425 A.D.)
___________________________|___________________________
|                                        |                                                     |
Mana or Vibhuraja                   Avidheya                                           Bhavishya
(425-447 A.D.)                      (447-455 A.D.)                              (455-470 A.D.)
                                                                                               |
                                                                                        Abhimanyu (470-490 A.D.)

Pandurahgpalli copper-plate mentions the victory of Mananka over the provinces of Ashmaka and Vidharbha. Inscription in cave No. 16 at Ajanta, speaks of the defeat of the Lord of Kuhtalas at the hands of Vindhyasena, the grandson of Vakataka Pravarsena. Rashtrakutas of Manpura and Vakatakas of Vatsagulma were rulers of adjacent territories, and hence scuffles between them should have been inevitable as Vindhyasena is attributed to 360-400 A.D. The two can be contemporaries. Devaraj who seems to have come to the throne at the beginning of the 5th century A.D., is very probably referred to as the Lord of Kuntalas comparable to India and referred to in one of the verses of Kuntalesvar dautya attributed to Kalidasa [].Vakatakas and Rashtrakutas owed their allegiance to Chandra-gupta II, who assumed the title of Vikramaditya. This might have given a rise to a temporary peace between the two races. The Vakataka copper plates speak of the marriage of the king Narendrasena with a Kuntala princess, named Ajjhitbhattarika, who might have belonged to the Rashtrakuta race. With the rise of Vakataka king Harishena, the enmity between the two appears to have been revived as Ajanta inscription records the defeat of the lord of Kuntalas at the hands of Harishena. But this defeat did net overthrow the Rashtrakuta race. In fact after Harishena, the Vakataka race became extinct and Rashtrakutas rose to power. A copper plate of Rashtrakuta king Dejjamaharaja, found at Gokak in Belgaum district (E.I. P 21 p. 289) seems to have been given in the year 532-533 A.D. After this, till Govinda I, much is not known. In the Aihole copper plate of 634 A.D. victory of Pulakeshin II over a king Appayika, with the help of Rashtrakuta king Govinda, is recorded. The above inscription is silent regarding the advantage, that the king Govinda should have secured from this alliance.

Inscriptional records of the predecessors of Dahtidurga are not available. It is probable that he was preceded by five generations.[

Samshodhana Muktavali — Part 3 pp. 143 and 144. The dates here are arrived at on the basis of conjecture according to the author.] Information about Dantidurga is available from Samangad plates dated 754 A.D. and the fragmentary Ellora Dashavatara cave inscription. The latter speaks of his victory over the rulers of Lata, Malva and Badami and refers to his Nrpatimahadana in Ujjayini which is confirmed by Sanjan plates of Amoghavarsha I. Dantidurga's victory over Kirtivarman II, referred to above, enabled him to occupy Khandesh, Nasik, Poona, Satara and Kolhapur districts as is clear from the first spot and the villages mentioned in the Samangad plates. In short, Dantidurga with his political insight and organising capacity, enlarged his kingdom including Gujarat, Khandesh, Berar and northern Maharashtra. Dantidurga was succeeded by his uncle Krshna I, probably because he left no male issue. He completed the Chalukya overthrow and succeeded in his offensive expedition against Gangawadi [Telegaon plates at Manne in Mysore State (Now Andhra Pradesh)—E.I. XIII, p. 275 ff.]. Chalukyas of Vengi were also subjugated by him in the next expedition carried under Yuvaraja Govinda. Krshna I was succeeded by his eldest son Govinda Prabhutavarsha Vikramavaloka, soon after 772 A.D. He gave himself to a life of pleasure and vice immediately after his accession (Karad plates of Krshna III—Ed. IV pp. 278ff as well as Kharda plates of Karka I 9 A-XII pp. 263ff). This event must have taken place alter 779 A.D. as Dhulia plates of Govinda II in the year speak of Dhruva as his subordinate. Dhruva, one of the ablest of the Rashtrakuta rulers, not only re-established Rashtrakuta power in the south but carried on a successful expedition in Northern India and made the Rashtrakutas an all-India power. Govinda III who succeeded Dhruva was not the eldest son; but proved to be the ablest ruler in the race. He is compared to Partha in the Baroda plates of his nephew Karka. In fact all territories between the Himalayas and Cape Camorin were conquered by his victorious armies. The statement of Vani-Dindori plates that with Govinda III, the Rashtrakuta dynasty became invincible to the enemies is only a statement of fact. During the long reign of his son namely Amoghavarsha I. the kingdom was weakened by internal struggles. He was a lover of peace and literature. He is taken to be the author or inspirer of Kavirajamarga, the earliest known work on poetics in Kannada. Sanjan plates (V. 44) speak of the sacrifice of his finger by Amoghavarsha to Goddess Mahalakshmi thus bearing evidence to his tendency to practise religion. His leanings towards Jainism are also borne out by contemporary records. The concluding verse of Prashnottaramalika informs that its author Amoghavarsha had abdicated due to being convinced of the futility of life. Sanjan plates confirm this. There is a discrepancy between the Saunadatti record of Prthivivarma (J.B.B.R.A.S. x P. 200) speaking of the rule of Krshna II ruling in 875 A.D. and the Kancheri record (I. A. XIII p. 135) referring to Amoghavarsha as a king in 877 A.D. This can be removed by saying that during the concluding years of his reign Amoghavarsha was only a theoretical sovereign; his son Krishna was the de facto ruler. This is confirmed by Sanjan plates issued in 861 A.D. that speak of his abdication more than once. Krishna II who was able to come to the throne without any war of succession in about 880 A.D., had to wage wars with most of his neighbours. On the south he had to fight with the Gangas and the Nolambas, on the east with the Vengi Chalukyas and on the north with Gujarat Rashtrakutas and Gujar Pratiharas. Krshna II cannot be considered an able and gifted ruler. He defeated and destroyed the petty Gujarat branch; but was worsted by Chalukya Bhima or Vengi. With difficulty he maintained his own against Bhoja I of Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty and Mahendrapala of Kananj. Like his father, he was a Jaina having for his preceptor Gunabhadra the famous Jaina author of the last five chapters of Adipurana. Krshna II was succeeded by Indra III, his grandson, who had a short but brilliant career. He defeated the Paramara Chief Upendraraja and rightly taking advantage of the troubles of accession at Kananj after the death of Mahendrapala in 908 A.D., carried out a successful campaign in Northern India finally capturing Kananj. He also succeeded in shattering the prestige of Imperial Pratiharas. India died in 917 A. D. and was succeeded by his eldest son Amoghavarsha II who had a very short reign of about a year. The Bhadan plates of Parajita Silahara as well as Deoli and Karad plates of Krshna II hear testimony to his rule. The omission in the Sangli plates of Govinda IV of his name and the mention there, that Govinda IV mediated upon the feat of India Nityavarsha and not upon those of Amoghavarsha show that the two brothers were not on good terms. This must have come in the way of the latter. Govinda IV who came to the throne in 918, was the very essence of love and its pleasures as Deoli and Karad plates describe. These plates speak of his having taken to evil ways, which, by no means, is unbelievable. Bhima II of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty claims to have defeated a great army sent by King Govinda [Epigraphica Indica VIII, p. 1127.]. This Govinda is certainly Govinda IV. This reverse must have hastened his fall. The manner of his losing his kingdom is described by Pampa in his Vikramarj-unavijaya where he praises his patron Arikesarin II under the title of Arjuna. Although this has to be accepted with a grain of salt, it is clear from the account that his feudatories rebelled against Govinda and offered the crown to his uncle Amoghavarsha III. Deoli and Karad plates confirm the version of Pampa.

The reign of Amoghavarsha III commenced in 935 A.D. and must have ended after about 4 years only as Krshna III was already upon the throne in May 940 A.D. when the Deoli plates were issued by him. Amoghavarsha III seems to have been a man of religious fervour; the actual administration during these four years also, was very probably in the hands of the crowned prince Krshna. As a Yuvaraja, he defeated the Chech's in the north [This conclusion was arrived at by the late Dr. A. S. Altekar after analysing the Deoli plates. For the details see his work. "The Rashtrakutas and their times" pp. 112-144. Cf. Sriharsadeva iti Khottigadevalaksmim Jagraha yo Yudhi..... Epigraphica Indica, I, p. 235.]. An inscription found at Jura in the Maihar slate of the Baghalkhand Agency, eulogizes Krsna III in Kannada. This confirms his conquest of Chitrakuta and Kalanjara. Amoghavarsha III died some time after the 3rd of December 939 and before May 940 A.D. Krshna III, who must have: peacefully ascended to the throne some time in December 939 A.D., invaded the Chola kingdom during the 3rd year of his reign. The state in the Karad plates regarding the defeat of the Pandyas and the Kerajas at the hands of Krshna III gets corroboration from Somadeva who completed his work Yashatilaka about two months later than the issue of the Karad plates of Krshna III i.e. in May 959 A.D. Jura inscription refers to Krshna's conquest of Kanchi and Tanjora. These conquests in the south, affected his position in the north. Alienating the sympathies of his Chedi relatives was also responsible for these reverses during the latter part of his reign. Any way Krshna III completed his mastery over the whole of the country towards the south of the Narmada by handing over the throne of Venzi to his ally. An inscription from Kollagallu, dated Sunday, the 6th day of the bright half of Kshaya Phalguna of Saka 889 A.D. (17th February 968 A.D.) mentions the death of this able monarch during the year and speaks of Khottiga's succession. In the reign of this king, the decline of the Rashtrakuta power set in. Udaipur prasnsti of the kings of Malya distinctly mentions the capture of royal glory and splendour of Khottigadeva by Shriharsha. This is corroborated by Dhanapala, the author of Paiyalacchi, who in V. 276 mentions that the work was written in Dhara in Vikrama Samvat 1029 (i.e. 972-73 A.D.) when Manyakheta, the Rashtrakuta capital was sacked by the King of Malva. Khottiga was alive in 972 A.D. when this event took place. He seems to have met his death in the war with the Paramaras as his successor is found issuing the Karad plates [Epigraphica Indica XII, p. 263.] in September of the same year. Thus the succession of Karka II can be plated in the Middle of 972 A.D. He was on the throne for hardly eighteen months, when he was defeated and ousted from the throne by Taila II, a nephew of Yuvaraja II, the reigning Chedi monarch. According to the inscription [Indian Antiquary XXI, p. 167.] of Vikramaditya VI, the Saka year in which the overthrow of the Rashtrakutas took place was Srimukha i.e. Saka 895; somtime between March 973 and March 974 A.D.; but as the latest known date [ Gundur inscription, Indian Antiquary XII, p. 272 (Asadha month).] of Karka is July 973, it is safe to assume that his defeat must have taken place in the autumn or winter of 973 A.D. The fall of the Rashtrakuta empire must be considered to be dramatic.

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