The Deccan: Chalukyas to Yadavas, 543 to 1200 CE; the Hoysalas and Yadavas to 1346

The Aihole inscription of 634, by Ravikirti on the Meguti temple, celebrates Pulakesi II and his defeat of Harsha.
Mangalesha's inscription dates Badami's Cave 3 to 578, and a Pallava inscription records Vikramaditya II sparing Kanchipuram's temples.
Bilhana's Vikramankadevacharita, on the Western Chalukya Vikramaditya VI, is important for Deccan political history.
The Manasollasa of Someshvara III, about 1131, is an encyclopaedia of kingship written by a reigning king.
The Arab traveller Sulaiman ranked the Rashtrakuta king next to the Caliph, and Al Masudi visited Manyakheta about 943.
Amoghavarsha I's Kavirajamarga is the earliest surviving literary work in Kannada.
Vijnanesvara's Mitakshara, on the Yajnavalkya Smriti, is the source for joint family property law.
Rock and pillar inscriptions of the Rashtrakutas and copper plate grants of every dynasty record grants, boundaries and genealogies.

The Chalukyas of Badami ran from Pulakesi I through Kirtivarman I and Mangalesha to Pulakesi II, the greatest, and Kirtivarman II, the last.
Vikramaditya II occupied Kanchipuram twice, and his queen Lokamahadevi built the Virupaksha at Pattadakal.
The Rashtrakutas ran from Dantidurga and Krishna I through Govinda III and Amoghavarsha I to Indra III and Krishna III.
Pampa, Ponna and Ranna are the three gems of early Kannada literature.
Tailapa II founded the Western Chalukyas, and Vikramaditya VI kept Bilhana and Vijnanesvara at his court.
Kubja Vishnuvardhana founded the Eastern Chalukyas, Nannaya wrote Telugu under them, and Kulottunga I joined them to the Cholas.
The Hoysala Vishnuvardhana turned Vaishnava under Ramanuja, and the Yadava Ramachandra lost Devagiri to Ala ud din Khalji.

Pulakesi I
king
About 543 to 566 CE; founder of the Chalukyas of Badami; performed the ashvamedha.
Kirtivarman I
king
About 566 to 597 CE; conquered the Kadambas.
Mangalesha
king
About 597 to 609 CE; commissioned Cave 3 at Badami; killed by his nephew.
Pulakesi II
king
About 609 to 642 CE; the greatest Chalukya; defeated Harsha on the Narmada; killed by Narasimhavarman I.
Vikramaditya I
king
About 655 to 680 CE; reconquered Vatapi.
Vijayaditya
king
About 696 to 733 CE; a major temple builder.
Vikramaditya II
king
About 733 to 744 CE; occupied Kanchipuram twice; the Pattadakal temples were built in his reign.
Lokamahadevi
queen
Vikramaditya II's queen; built the Virupaksha at Pattadakal to mark his victory over the Pallavas.
Kirtivarman II
king
About 744 to 753 CE; the last Chalukya of Badami.
Dantidurga
king
About 735 to 756 CE; founder of the Rashtrakutas; the Hiranyagarbha at Ujjain.
Krishna I
king
About 756 to 773 CE; built the Kailasanatha at Ellora.
Amoghavarsha I
king
About 814 to 878 CE; wrote the Kavirajamarga; a devoted Jain.
Krishna III
king
About 939 to 967 CE; defeated Parantaka I at Takkolam; a pillar at Rameswaram.
Sulaiman
merchant
Arab traveller who called the Rashtrakuta king the greatest in the world after the Caliph.
Pampa
poet
About 902 to 975 CE; the Adikavi of Kannada; the Vikramarjuna Vijaya and the Adipurana.
Ponna
poet
One of the three gems of early Kannada literature.
Ranna
poet
One of the three gems of early Kannada literature.
Tailapa II
king
About 973 to 997 CE; founder of the Western Chalukyas.
Vikramaditya VI
king
About 1076 to 1126 CE; the Chalukya Vikrama Era of 1076.
Vijnanesvara
scholar
Jurist at Vikramaditya VI's court; author of the Mitakshara.
Jimutavahana
scholar
Author of the Dayabhaga, followed in Bengal and Assam.
Kubja Vishnuvardhana
king
Brother of Pulakesi II; founder of the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi.
Kulottunga I
king
Born of a Vengi Chalukya prince and a Chola princess; united the two realms.
Vishnuvardhana
king; also Bittideva
Hoysala king who converted to Vaishnavism under Ramanuja.
Ramanuja
philosopher
Traditionally about 1017 to 1137 CE; under him the Hoysala Vishnuvardhana converted.
Ramachandra
king
The Yadava defeated by Ala ud din Khalji.
Ala ud din Khalji
king
Captured Devagiri in 1296.

Almost every new Deccan dynasty began as a samanta of the one before it: the Rashtrakutas of the Chalukyas, the Western Chalukyas of the Rashtrakutas.

The Chalukyas of Badami
about 543 to 753 CE
- They ruled the Deccan from Vatapi, modern Badami, at their peak from the Narmada to the Kaveri, crowning kings at Pattadakal.
- Pulakesi I founded the line and performed the ashvamedha; Shaivism led, but they patronised Vaishnavism, Buddhism and Jainism alike.
- Pulakesi II defeated Harsha on the Narmada and received a mission from the Sassanid Khusrau II.
- Narasimhavarman I killed Pulakesi II and sacked Vatapi about 642, and Vikramaditya I reconquered it.
- Kirtivarman II was overthrown by his own feudatory Dantidurga, the Rashtrakuta.
The Chalukya and Pallava rivalry
sixth to eighth century
- It was the defining political relationship of the age, a contest for cultural prestige, temple building and the southern routes.
- Pulakesi II won in the 620s; Narasimhavarman I held Vatapi for thirteen years and took the title Vatapikonda.
- Vikramaditya II occupied Kanchipuram twice, sparing its temples, before both powers weakened before the Rashtrakutas and early Cholas.
The Rashtrakutas
about 753 to 982 CE
- They began as Chalukya samantas, ruled from Manyakheta, modern Malkhed, and reached from Kanauj to Tamil Nadu.
- Dantidurga performed the Hiranyagarbha at Ujjain, and Krishna I built the Ellora Kailasanatha.
- Govinda III defeated the Pratiharas and Palas, and the Arab Sulaiman ranked the Rashtrakuta king next only to the Caliph.
- Amoghavarsha I, a Jain and a man of letters, wrote the Kavirajamarga, the earliest surviving Kannada literary work.
- Indra III sacked Kanauj about 916, and Krishna III won at Takkolam and set up a pillar at Rameswaram.
- Tailapa II, a former feudatory, overthrew them between 973 and 982.
The Western Chalukyas of Kalyani
about 973 to 1200 CE
- Former Rashtrakuta feudatories, they claimed descent from the Badami Chalukyas and ruled from Kalyani, modern Basavakalyan.
- Vikramaditya VI began the Chalukya Vikrama Era in 1076.
- Vijnanesvara's Mitakshara made joint family property belong to the coparcenary by birth, the law until 1956.
- Bengal and Assam followed instead the Dayabhaga of Jimutavahana, and the line fell to the Hoysalas and Yadavas by about 1200.
The Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi
about 624 to 1070 CE
- Kubja Vishnuvardhana, brother of Pulakesi II, governed Vengi between the Krishna and the Godavari and founded an independent line.
- They were the intermediaries between the Deccan and the far south, fought over by the Rashtrakutas and Cholas.
- Kulottunga I, born of a Vengi prince and a Chola princess, united the two realms, and Nannaya began the Telugu Mahabharata under them.
The Hoysalas and the Yadavas
about 850 to 1346 CE
- The Hoysalas ruled Karnataka from Dvarasamudra, modern Halebidu, and Belur, first as Jain patrons.
- The Yadavas ruled the northern Deccan from Devagiri, patronised Marathi, and fell to Ala ud din Khalji in 1296.

The Chalukya and Pallava rivalry

Round	Date	Event
Chalukya attack	About 620s CE	Pulakesi II defeated the Pallavas; Mahendravarman I suffered losses
Pallava revenge	About 642 CE	Narasimhavarman I killed Pulakesi II and held Vatapi thirteen years; Vatapikonda
Chalukya recovery	About 655 to 680 CE	Vikramaditya I reconquered Vatapi
Chalukya peak	About 733 to 744 CE	Vikramaditya II occupied Kanchipuram twice
Final phase	About 740s CE	Both weakening before the Rashtrakutas and the early Cholas

A see saw of two centuries between Vatapi and Kanchipuram.Source: Theme 12 handout

The Chalukyas of Badami

Ruler	Dates	Achievements
Kirtivarman I	About 566 to 597 CE	Conquered the Kadambas; Chalukya dominance in Karnataka
Mangalesha	About 597 to 609 CE	Commissioned Cave 3 at Badami; killed by his nephew
Pulakesi II	About 609 to 642 CE	Defeated Harsha on the Narmada; killed by Narasimhavarman I
Vikramaditya I	About 655 to 680 CE	Reconquered Vatapi
Vijayaditya	About 696 to 733 CE	A major temple builder
Vikramaditya II	About 733 to 744 CE	Occupied Kanchipuram twice; the Pattadakal temples; Arab pressure from Sindh
Kirtivarman II	About 744 to 753 CE	The last, overthrown by Dantidurga

Two centuries from Pulakesi I to their own feudatory's coup.Source: Theme 12 handout

The Rashtrakutas

Ruler	Dates	Achievements
Dantidurga	About 735 to 756 CE	Overthrew the Chalukyas; the Hiranyagarbha at Ujjain
Krishna I	About 756 to 773 CE	The Ellora Kailasanatha; defeated the Gangas and Vengi
Govinda III	About 793 to 814 CE	Defeated the Pratiharas and Palas; briefly held Kanauj
Amoghavarsha I	About 814 to 878 CE	The Kavirajamarga; a devoted Jain; the Prashnottara Ratnamala
Indra III	About 914 to 928 CE	Sacked Kanauj about 916
Krishna III	About 939 to 967 CE	Takkolam; the pillar at Rameswaram

The Deccan power that could devastate the north but not hold it.Source: Theme 12 handout

Hoysalas and Yadavas

Hoysalas, about 1000 to 1346 CE

Karnataka, from the Mysore plateau
Capital Dvarasamudra, modern Halebidu, and Belur
First Jain patrons; Vishnuvardhana turned Vaishnava under Ramanuja
The stellate plan, soapstone sculpture, several small towers

Yadavas, about 850 to 1317 CE

The northern Deccan, Maharashtra
Capital Devagiri, modern Daulatabad
Patrons of Marathi; the Jnaneshwari, about 1290
Devagiri taken by Ala ud din Khalji in 1296

The last two Deccan powers before the Delhi Sultanate.Source: Theme 12 handout

Six houses of the Deccan

About 543 CE
Pulakesi I founds the Chalukyas of Badami
About 624 CE
Kubja Vishnuvardhana founds the Eastern Chalukyas at Vengi
About 642 CE
Narasimhavarman I sacks Vatapi
About 753 CE
Dantidurga founds the Rashtrakutas
About 916 CE
Indra III sacks Kanauj
About 973 CE
Tailapa II founds the Western Chalukyas
About 1000 CE
The Hoysalas rise
About 1070 CE
The Eastern Chalukyas end; Kulottunga I unites Vengi and the Cholas
1076 CE
Vikramaditya VI begins the Chalukya Vikrama Era
1296 CE
Ala ud din Khalji takes Devagiri
1346 CE
The Hoysalas end

Each house rose as the samanta of the one before.Source: Theme 12 handout

Badami's four caves are Shaiva, with an eighteen armed dancing Shiva, two Vaishnava, and Jain; Cave 3 is dated 578.
Aihole, the cradle of Indian architecture, has about 125 temples: the apsidal Durga, the Lad Khan, and the Meguti.
Pattadakal has both styles on one site: Lokamahadevi's Virupaksha, Dravida and modelled on Kanchipuram, and Papanatha, Nagara.
The Ellora Kailasanatha was carved top down from one basalt cliff, removing about 200,000 tonnes of rock.
Its panels show Ravana shaking Kailash, Shiva as Nataraja, Vishnu, and Gaja Lakshmi.
The Ellora Jain caves, 30 to 34, were made under Rashtrakuta patronage, Cave 32, the Indra Sabha, the most elaborate.
Pampa, the Adikavi, wrote the Vikramarjuna Vijaya and Adipurana, and with Ponna and Ranna forms the ratnatraya.
Al Masudi visited Manyakheta about 943, and Arab traders, the Tajiks, settled on the Maharashtra and Karnataka coast.
The Hoysala style has a stellate plan, dense soapstone sculpture, low wide proportions and several small towers.
The Jnaneshwari, a Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, about 1290, is a foundational text of Marathi Bhakti.

Two KailasanathasTap to enlarge

Kanchipuram's was built up in stone; Ellora's was cut down from the rock, on Kanchipuram's model.Source: Theme 12 handout

Badami, Cave 3
The largest of Badami's four caves, Vaishnava, dated 578 CE by Mangalesha's inscription.
Booradleyp1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Durga temple, Aihole
Its apsidal plan derives from the Buddhist chaitya hall, at the cradle of Indian architecture.
Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Mallikarjuna and Virupaksha temples, Pattadakal
The Virupaksha, built by queen Lokamahadevi, is Dravida and modelled on the Kailasanatha at Kanchipuram.
Shivajidesai29, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Kailasanatha, Ellora Cave 16
Carved from a single basalt cliff from the top downward under Krishna I, about 756 to 773 CE.
Shishirdasika, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Indra Sabha, Ellora Cave 32
The most elaborate of the Ellora Jain caves, made under Rashtrakuta patronage.
Amitabha Gupta, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Chennakeshava, Belur
Built after Vishnuvardhana's conversion to Vaishnavism under Ramanuja.
Dineshkannambadi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Hoysaleshvara, Halebidu
At Dvarasamudra, the Hoysala capital: soapstone sculpture covering every surface.
Rohit Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Kesava temple, Somnathpur
A Hoysala temple on the stellate plan, one of the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas.
Jmadhu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ratnatraya: The three gems of early Kannada literature: Pampa, Ponna and Ranna.
Chalukya Vikrama era: The era Vikramaditya VI began in 1076 CE.
Mitakshara: Vijnanesvara's commentary on the Yajnavalkya Smriti; joint family property belongs to the coparcenary by birth.
Dayabhaga: Jimutavahana's law, followed in Bengal and Assam instead of the Mitakshara.
Coparcenary: The joint family whose members hold its property by birth.
Stellate plan: The star shaped plan of the Hoysala temples.
Kavirajamarga: Amoghavarsha I's work, the earliest surviving literary work in Kannada.

Is the Hoysala style Vesara?

Vesara

It is sometimes classed as Vesara, the Deccan hybrid of Nagara and Dravida.

Its own style

Its stellate plan and dense decoration give it an identity of its own.

The label is used, but the style is distinct.

Prelims

Try each before opening the answer; every question is also on the Prelims PYQs pages.

2023 · Q45

Consider the following dynasties:

1.Hoysala
2.Gahadavala
3.Kakatiya
4.Yadava.

How many of the above dynasties established their kingdoms in early eighth century AD?

(a)Only one
(b)Only two
(c)Only three
(d)NoneUPSC key

Show answer and explanation

None of the four belongs to the early eighth century. The Hoysalas emerged as hill chiefs in the Western Ghats and became a significant power only from the late eleventh century under Vishnuvardhana, with their capital at Dwarasamudra. The Gahadavalas of Kannauj and Varanasi rose in the late eleventh century under Chandradeva and ended with Jayachandra's defeat in 1194. The Kakatiyas of Warangal became independent of the Western Chalukyas in the twelfth century. The Yadavas or Seunas of Devagiri likewise asserted independence in the twelfth century as Chalukya power collapsed. All four are therefore products of the eleventh and twelfth century political reordering of the peninsula and the Ganga valley, not of the eighth century, which belongs to the Pratihara, Pala, Rashtrakuta and Pallava era. Hence (d).

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