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HISTORY
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LATER CHALUKYAS
Later Chalukyas.-Taila II, who overthrew Rashtrakuta Karka II (973-74 A.D.) claims to be a remote descendant of Chalukya dynasty of Badami. Two inscriptions, dated A.D. 957 and 965, reveal that Taila II was, in the early part of his life, a vassal of the Rashtrakuta Krshna III in Tardavadi now identified with the small village of Taddevadi on the south bank of the Bhima, in the Indi Taluka, Bijapur District. Taila I was required to fight with a number of
other Rashtrakuta claimants, but was able to hold his own against
all of them. Ultimately the feudatories of the Rashtrakutas transferred
their allegiance to him. He assumed the titles Ahavamalla and
Bhuvanaikamalla and his capital was Manyakheta up to A.D. 993.
His victory over the Paramaras made him a master of the southern
part of the Paramara kingdom. Taila 11 and his successors are mentioned as kings of Karnata, Kuhtala, or Rattapadi. The kingdom of the Chalukyas at the time included the three districts of the south viz. Shimoga, Chitaldurg and Bellary, southern Konkau and the border of Northern Konkan in the west, and extended up to the upper course of the Godavari and possibly even up to the Narmada in the North. The last known date of Taila II from an inscription is A.D. 996. He was succeeded by his son Satyasraya in 996 A.D. The Silaharas of northern Konkan fell a victim to his attack. Satyasraya assumed the titles of Irivabe-dariga, Ahavamalla and Akalarikacharita. Leading aggressive campaigns against his neighbours in the south, Satyasraya brought all territories up to the Kurnool and Guntur districts. In the latter district, his stone inscription (A.D. 1006) is found. During the reign of his successor Vikramaditya V (A.D. 1008-1014), the Chalukyas started expanding their kingdom in the east. Vikramaditya I was followed by his younger brother Ayyana II (A.D. 1014) who ruled for a year only and was followed by his youngest brother Jayasimha II in or before 1015 A.D. The dates of his inscriptions range from 1015 A.D. to 1043 A.D. He assumed the titles of Jagada-kamalla II, Trailokyamalla, Mallikamoda and Vikramasimha. Several inscriptions dated in 1028 A.D. and subsequent year reveal that he ruled from his capital Kalyana or Kalyani, modern Kalyani in Bidar, Mysore. The Chalukya capital appears to, have shifted from Manyakheta sometime after 993 A.D. Jayasimha II asserted his supremacy over the branch of the Silahara dynasty that ruled at Karahataka, modern Karad in the Satara district from the 10th century A.D. Sometime during the rule of this king, the Chalukya kingdom appears to have suffered from internecine quarrels. His son Someshvara I (1043 to 1068 A.D.) who assumed the titles of Ahavamalla. Rajanarayana and Viramartanda had to fight with the Cholas as well as other dynasties of his time. He also succeeded in subduing the revolt of the Yadavas of Seuna-desa shortly before 1060 A.D. Someshvara II, his son, ruled from 1068 to 1076 A.D. After him his brother Vikramaditya VI came to the throne in 1076 A.D. He started a new era, called after his name. He married the Silahara princess Chandralekha and cemented his friendship with the dynasty. Hoysalas of Gahgadem, Yadavas of Seuna-desa, Kadambas of Goa, Pandyas of Nolanibavadi and others accepted his supremacy. His court was graced by illustrious writers like Bilhana, the author of Mitaksara. The last known date of this great king is 1128 A.D. His son Someshvara III (1126-1138 A.D.) was given the honorific title Sarvajna-bhupa or Sarvajna-Chakravarti for his extensive knowledge. He was the author of Abhilashitartha-chihtamani and Manasollasa. Someshvara III was succeeded by Jagadekamalla (1138 to 1151 A.D.) who was followed by Taila III who came to
the throne in 1151 A.D. Sometime before 1153 A.D., he was taken a prisoner by Kakatiya Prola of Telingana, thus inflicting a shattering blow to the Chalukya Empire. Emboldened by this reverse of the Chalukyas, Bijjala, a feudatory chief belonging to Kalachuri dynasty wrested the sovereignty of Katyana from Taila III in 1156 A.D. Several inscriptions confirm this fact. He assumed the titles of Tribhuvanamalla, Nissakamalla and Giridurgamalla. The statements in some of the inscriptions of his successors that he invaded Simhala, Nepala, Magadha, etc. are hyperboles only. Someshvara, who assumed the title Riya-Murari ascended the throne in 1168 according to inscriptional evidence. He conquered Chola, Lata, and Gurjara countries before 1172 A.D.. His last known date is 1177 A.D. An inscription of the reign of his younger brother Sankarna II makes a very extravagant claim of his conquest of Ganda, Magadha, Turushka and Sinihala; but this must be a accepted with a grain of salt. He was succeeded by his younger brother Ahavamalla (1180 A.D.) who carried on campaigns against his neighbours. He worsted in battle the Silahara Aparaditya II of Northern Konkan and the Paramara Vindhyavarman of Malya. In 1181 A.D., however, Someshvara IV of the Chalukya dynasty succeeded in wresting from him, the larger portion of the Deccan including Kalyana. The last known date of Ahavamalla is 1183 A.D. He was succeeded by his younger brother Singhana, who, however, completely surrendered to Someshvara IV in 1183-84 A.D. An inscription dated 1184 A.D. mentions him as a feudatory of Someshvara IV.
Chalukya Someshvara IV, son of Taila III, thus was successful in recovering his ancestral kingdom. This is confirmed by an inscription from Kurgod, in the Bellary Taluka of the Bellary District dated 1181-82 A.D. Someshvara IV ruled the Deccan up to the Godavari river till 1184 A.D. The last known date of his rule over Bellary and Shimoga Districts is 1189 A.D. In this year, he was deprived of his supremacy by Yadava Bhillama, forcing him to take shelter with Kadainta jayakesin III of Goa who accepted his rule up to 1198 A.D.. Nothing further about him is known.
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