CHALUKYA DYNASTY [6th-12th CE AD] held sway over the southern and central region; ie. primarily present-day DECCAN PLATEAU of INDIA. Their period of reign can be split in 3 related, yet unique dynasties
TABLE OF CONTENT
1) BADAMI CHALUKYAS
2) WESTERN CHALUKYAS
3) EASTERN CHALUKYAS
The origins of the CHALUKYA DYNASTY, according to historian S.U. Kamath (late) is that they belong to the same lineage as THE KADAMBAS who ruled from Banavasi, Karnataka. This inference is based on Chalukyan inscriptions wherein they address themselves as Harithiputras of Manavyasagotra ie. same as KADAMBAS, moreover they came in control of the region previously under KADAMBAS.
BADAMI CHALUKYAS
This is the earliest CHALUKYA dynasty [mid-6th - 9th CE]. Their capital city was VATAPI (I.E. present-day BADAMI in North Karnataka).
The main source of information about the BADAMI CHALUKYAS comes from their inscriptions; written in Kannada (old Kannada script) and Sanskrit, much of which are found in the historical towns of BADAMI, PATTADAKAL & AIHOLE. Other methods are; coins from that period and travelogues of foreign travelers who visited the courts of their kings.
Kings of the BADAMI CHALUKYA DYNASTY [543 CE]
Pulakeshin I founded the CHALUKYA DYNASTY [543 CE]. His father Ranaraga [520-540 CE] and grandfather Jayasimha [500-520 CE], it is said may have ruled as vassals of the KADAMBAS before this. Pulakeshin I was Hindu and strongly advocated Dharma (Vedic faith).
Kirttivarman I [567-592 CE] was the next regent. He was an aggressive ruler and is credited with expanding the empire into central India by defeating the Nala dynasty kings. He also came victorious from other military conquests against the Kadambas, Konkan Maurayans and some other dynasties.
Since Kirttivarman's sons were minors, his brother Mangalesha [592- 610 CE] succeeded him and further consolidated control over the coastal region of Goa and Maharashtra. Inscriptions record that he made significant conquests over the KALACHURI DYNASTY territories (note- it is not clear which territories he may have conquered). The KALACHURI DYNASTY [550 CE to 625 CE] seems like a short-lived dynasty that controlled parts of present-day Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. There are inscriptions that explain beautifully what a virtuous and noble king Mangalesha was. Possibly at same point in time, his ambitions got the better of him and he preferred to have his own son as king.
Pulakeshin II [r. 610-642 CE] was Mangalesha's nephew ( & Kirttivarman's son) who became emperor thereafter. There is an inscription at AIHOLE recounting the reason and manner in which Pulakeshin II overthrew his uncle in order to ascend the throne.
A- Military conquests of Pulakeshin II
Since Pulakeshin II was notably a famous king, let us have a look at his achievements separately...
1- During the same period as the CHALUKYAS were many other dynasties in India; one of which was the PUSHYABHUTI or VARDHANA DYNASTY [6th-7th CE]. The PUSHYABHUTI EMPIRE comprised much of northern India, and at the height of its reign was a powerful emperor named Harsha-vardhana. When Harsha-vardhana attempted to conquer the Chalukyan kingdom, Pulakeshin II succeeded in defeating him. Thereafter both emperors entered into a treaty designating the Narmada river as boundary between Chalukya empire and Vardhan empire.
2- Pulakeshin II also subjugated rulers of many other great dynasties, such as~ Dakshina Kosala, and Kalinga dynasty. (Kalinga dynasty ruled present-day Orissa).
3- Pulakeshin II consolidated and subsequently put an end to the KADAMBA DYNASTY. This defeat of the KADAMBAS resulted in bringing territories belonging to Gangas of Talkad under the CHALUKYA EMPIRE fold. Apparently the Gangas of Talkad held matrimonial ties with the KADAMBAS.
4- The first ever Arabian raid to India took place in 636 CE, when Umar-bin-Akhtab the 2nd Caliph sent a military commander named Usman from the Sakib tribe on an Islamic mission (conversion and subjugation activity). Usman was to go to all the corners of the world for this purpose, so he sent a (separate) naval expedition to THANE (present-day suburb of Mumbai). Pulakeshin II and his CHALUKYAN Navy destroyed the Arabian mission and sent them back to Oman from where they came.
5- The LATAS of present-day South Gujarat, the MALAVAS of central India and the GURJARAS of present-day Bharuch region all accepted CHALUKYAN suzerainty during the period of Pulakeshin II.
6- The VISHNUKUNDINA DYNASTY [5th-6th CE] occupied parts of the Deccan region (comprising present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and South India). Pulakeshin II carried out a successful military campaign against them and captured the eastern territories fom the VISHNUKUNDINAS~ thus bringing an end to VISHNUKUNDINA DYNASTY and giving rise to a new dynasty called EASTERN CHALUKYAS
The only defeat Pulakeshin II suffered was at the hands of Emperor Narasimhavarman I ie. PALLAVA DYNASTY. Apparently the VISHNUKUNDINA DYNASTY was an ally to the PALLAVAS, and their defeat at the hands of Pulakeshin II brought both the BADAMI CHALUKYAS and PALLAVAS in a series of conflicts with each other, until the PALLAVAS got the upper hand and captured much of the CHALUKYA territories [642 CE]. This defeat brought the BADAMI CHALUKYA DYNASTY to a temporary standstill (for 13 years).
B- BADAMI CHALUKYA EMPIRE after PulakeshinII
Pulakeshin II had many sons. who ruled a weakened and splintered kingdom after his death.
Adityavarman [r. 643-645 CE], son of Pulakeshin II
Abhinavaditya [r. 645-646 CE] son of Adityavarman followed briefly.
Chandradirya [r. 646-649] son of Pulakeshin II and thereafter his wife Vijaya-Bhattarika took charge as regent for their minor son
Vikramaditya I [r. 655-680 CE], third son of Pulakeshin II~ came into his own and consolidated the fractured Chalukya kingdom and furthermore succeeded in driving out the PALLAVAS from VATAPI (BADAMI). There were several strifes between the two dynasties. In a later battle in 670 CE, CHALUKYAS were defeated thereby losing many territories to the PALLAVAS,
During the reign of Vikramaditya I, his brother Dharashraya Jayasimhavarman was appointed governor of Gujarat region by defeating the previous king of that place (Vallabhi, Vajjada the ruler of the Maitraka family). Thereby they now branched out as the CHALUKYAS OF NAVSARIKA also known as 'The Early Chalukyas of Gujarat'.
Vinayaditya [681 to 696 CE] ruled the kingdom after his predecessor/ father's death in 680 CE. Vinayaditya had previously fought alongside his father many military campaigns against the PALLAVAS.
Vijayaditya [696-733 CE] ascended the throne after his father Vinayaditya. His long reign is recorded as a peaceful and prosperous period in history under the BADAMI CHALUKYAS. During this time Vijayaditya built many temples.
Vikramaditya II [r. 733-744 CE] ascended the throne after the death of his father, King Vijayaditya. He too was part of many military campaigns against the PALLAVAS and captured their capital Kanchipuram on three occasions. Despite all this, he entered Kanchipuram victorious but humble of heart. All the war booty ie. wealth, war elephants etc was returned back to the temples. There is a pillar in the Mantapa hall of Kailasanathar temples which gives an account of the things he returned. The residents of the city and temples were unharmed.
Kirtivarman II [746-753 CE] was the last king of BADAMI
CHALUKYA DYNASTY
Unlike his predecessors, he was unable to hold his retractors at bay. The biggest challenge he faced was from Dantidurga who was responsible for bringing an end to the BADAMI CHALUKYA DYNASTY in 752 CE.
WESTERN CHALUKYA DYNASTY or KALYANI CHALUKYAS [973 - 1189 CE]
They are descendants of the BADAMI CHALUKYAS. Their capital city KALYANI ie. present-day BASAVAKALYAN is located approx 343km north of Badami and 200km east of HYDERABAD. Before the Western Chalukyas emerged; this part of the Deccan was under control of the RASHTRAKUTA EMPIRE under Manyakheta.
* Manyakheta is a place in present-day Gulbarga (or Kalaburgi) district named after King Manyakheta.
Origins of Western Chalukya Empire
So as we know~ Kirtivarman II faced severe challenges from Dantidurga.
Dantidurga or Dantivarman-II was a feudal chief under the BADAMI CHALUKYA DYNASTY. Kirtivarman-II may have well underestimated him, as a result~
Dantidurga strategically cornered Kirtivarman-II by first taking control of the Kalinga and Kosala (Telugu) territories thereby surrounding CHALUKYAS from east and south. He then captured their territories that lay on the northern front. Thereafter he entered into an alliance with Pallava Nandivarman II, burning all bridges for Kirtivarman-II who was left with nowhere to...
Dantivarman-II thus captured much of the CHALUKYA territories from Kirtivarman-II and founded the Manyakheta RASHTRAKUTA DYNASTY.
For the next 2 centuries the RASHTRAKUTA EMPIRE has several kings who brought under their control much of the Deccan, South Gujarat and Central India.
Then in 973 CE, things took a turn for the worst. The RASHTRAKUTA dynasty declined due to an invasion from the Paramara dynasty of Malwa.
Taking advantage of this situation, Tailapa-II [r. 973-997 CE] a feudal ruler of the RASHTRAKUTAS overthrew Karka-II and founded the Western Chalukya Empire.
Tailapa-II's ancestry can be traced to the BADAMI CHALUKYA DYNASTY (paternal) and Manyakheta RASHTRAKUTA dynasty + KALACHURI DYNASTY of Chedi (maternal).
Like the Badami Chalukya dynasty, much knowledge about Western Chalukyas also comes from Old Kannada royal inscriptions and literature from that period.
List of Western Chalukya dynasty kings
Tailapa-II's son Satyashraya [r. 997-1008 CE] was a great warrior like his father, and became king thereafter. Together they had fought many battles in an effort to consolidate their empire~
It is said that Satyashraya defeated Konkaneshwara; the Shilara ruler of Konkan, captured the GURJARA's territories (Gujarat-Rajasthan region), he also defeated Munja of the Paramara dynasty on several counts, not to mention battles with THE CHOLAS of THANJAVUR. His name is mentioned in Kannada literature wherein he is showered with praise, plus he is known by many other virtuous titles such as Sahasabhima, Akalavarsha etc.
Vikramaditya V (r. 1008 - 1015 CE), Satyashraya's nephew ascended the Western Chalukya Empire throne after his uncle. There isn't much info about his reign. He was in turn succeeded by his brother Jayasimha II (r. 1015-1043 CE). During his reign Jayasimha II continued fighting many battles against their staunch opponents ~ The Cholas of Thanjavur. From the northern end he had to contend himself with King Bhoja of Malwa from the Paramara dynasty.
Despite all this, he seized the opportunity to consolidate the Western Chalukya Empire.
Someshvara I (r. 1042-1068) was Jayasimha- II's son who succeeded the throne. His father had taken the empire to its peak. Someshvara was himself a formidable ruler and fought many victorious battles and reached the boundary of the Chalukya Empire all the way to Central India and Gujarat (northern side), Konkan on the western side, Kurnool to the east and the Malenadu region (under their feudatory Hoysala dynasty) to the south. Unlike his predecessors, no territories were lost by him to the powerful Cholas.
Western Chalukya civil war between 2 brothers
After Someshvara I's death, his son Someshvara II (r. 1068-1076) became king. The short span of his time as the regent was marred by continuous internal threats from his ambitious younger brother Vikramaditya VI who evidently deposed of him successfully.
At the time when king Virarajendra Chola attacked Chaluukyan territory of Gooty, Vikramaditya VI rather than helping his brother resist the opponents, took the opportunity to seize power, and later forged a solid alliance with the Chola king by marrying his daughter.
With the death of king Virarajendra Chola in 1170 a major confusion and setback occurred amongst the Chola ranks; between the Chola king's son Athirajendra Chola (who was already in alliance with Vikramaditya VI) and his cousin Kulothanga Chola~ Someshvara II taking this opportunity joined hands with Kulothanga Chola. It thus caused in a civil war between both parties. resulting in Vikramaditya VI's victory.
Vikramaditya VI (r. 1076-1126 CE) proved to be a great king and he reigned long. His 3 queens were talented and ably assisted him in administration. Arts and literature flourished plus he is notable for temple building.
The end is near for the once great Chalukya Empire
The numerous wars between Chalukya kings with their Chola counterparts during the course of their rule led to weakening of the both Empires. Their many feudatories taking advantage of the situation rebelled and powerful ones declared autonomous control.
Someshvara III (r. 1127-1138 CE) was Vikramaditya VI's son who ascended the throne after him. He had a scholarly bent of mind and patronised arts and literature. King Someshvara III was himself a historian and scholar and is known for his Sanskrit work called Manasollasa. After his death in 1138, his son Jagadekamalla II (r. 1138 - 1151 CE) took charge of the empire. However decadence had already set in and with the coming of Jagadekamalla the Western Chalukya Empire had lost complete control of their eastern region of VENGI.
Tailapa III (r. 1151-1164 CE) became the next regent to an Empire that was just clinging to straws. Some other feudatory rulers such as the Kakatiya dynasty, the Seunas and the Hoysalas now establishing their own autonomous rule. In fact, Prola II of the Kakatiya dynasty made Tailapa-III captive. The king was forced to flee to Annigeri (in Dharwad), but was finally captured and killed by the Hoysala vassal Vira Narasimha in 1162. Finally as destiny had it! Someshvara IV (r. 1189-1200 CE) ascended the throne. He was a valiant king and fought against the KALACHURIs and defeated them. But the combined efforts of Seunas, Hoysalas and Kakatiyas was overbearing.... And despite all efforts, by year 1200 CE the empire had come to end, thus making Someshvara IV the last king of the Western Chalukya Empire.
Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment if there is anything you wish to add. Bye!
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