Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas

South Indian Kingdoms – II : Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas

Besides the Pallavas, the Western Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas in the Deccan constitute important political forces. Both these kingdoms had their rivals in the far south, namely the Pallavas and later the Cholas. Their period has also been important in the history of India for their cultural contributions.

Political History 

1. Chalukyas (543 – 755 A.D.) 

• Pulakesin I was the founder of the Chalukya dynasty. He established a small kingdom with Vatapi or Badami as its capital.

2. Pulakesin II (608-642 A.D.)

• The most important ruler of this dynasty was Pulakesin II. The Aihole inscription issued by him gives the details of his reign.
• He fought with the Kadambas of Banavasi and the Gangas of Mysore and established his suzerainty.
• Another notable achievement of Pulakesin II was the defeat of Harshavardhana on the banks of the river Narmada. He put a check to the ambition of Harsha to conquer the south.
• In his first expedition against the Pallavas, Pulakesin II emerged victorious. But he suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Narasimhavarman I near Kanchi. Subsequently, the Chalukya capital Vatapi was captured and destroyed by the Pallavas. The most important event in the reign of Pulakesin II was the visit of Hiuen Tsang to his kingdom.
• The successor of Pulakesin II was Vikramaditya. He once again consolidated the Chalukya kingdom and plundered the Pallava capital, Kanchi. Thus he had avenged his father’s defeat and death at the hands of the Pallavas. 
• Kirtivarman II was the last of the rulers of the Chalukyas. He was defeated by Dantidurga, the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. 

Administration and Social Life under the Chalukyas

• The Chalukya administration was highly centralized unlike that of the Pallavas and the Cholas. Village autonomy was absent under the Chalukyas.
• The Chalukyas had great maritime power. They also had a small standing army.
• The Badami Chalukyas were Brahmanical Hindus but they gave respect to other religions. Importance was given to Vedic rites and rituals. A number of temples in honour of Vishnu, Siva and other gods were also built during this period.
• Hiuen Tsang mentioned the decline of Buddhism in western Deccan. But Jainism was steadily on the path of progress in this region. Ravikirti, the court poet of Pulakesin II who composed the Aihole inscription was a Jain. 

Art and Architecture under chalukyas

• The Chalukyas were great patrons of art. They developed the vesara style in the building of structural temples. However, the vesara style reached its culmination only under the Rashtrakutas and the Hoysalas.
• The structural temples of the Chalukyas exist at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal.
• Cave temple architecture was also famous under the Chalukyas. Their cave temples are found in Ajanta, Ellora and Nasik.
• The best specimens of Chalukya paintings can be seen in the Badami cave temple and in the Ajanta caves. The reception given to a Persian embassy by Pulakesin II is depicted in a painting at Ajantha.
• The Chalukya temples may be divided into two stages.
• The first stage is represented by the temples at Aihole and Badami. Among the seventy temples found at Aihole, four are important.
• Ladh Khan temple is a low, flat-roofed structure consisting of a pillared hall.
• Durga temple resembles a Buddha Chaitya.
• Huchimalligudi temple.
• The Jain temple at Meguti.
• Among the temples at Badami, the Muktheeswarar temple and the Melagutti Sivalaya are notable for their architectural beauty. 
• The second stage is represented by the temples at Pattadakal. There are ten temples here, four in the northern style and the remaining six in the Dravidian style.
• The Papanatha temple is the most notable in the northern style.
• The Sangameshwara temple and the Virupaksha temple are famous for their Dravidian style. The Virupaksha temple is built on the model of the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram. It was built by one of the queens of Vikramaditya II.

Rashtrakutas (755 – 975 A.D.)

• The Rashtrakutas were of Kannada origin and Kannada language was their mother tongue.
• Dantidurga was the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. He defeated the Gurjaras and captured Malwa from them. Then he annexed the Chalukya kingdom by defeating Kirtivarman II.
• His successor Krishna I was also a great conqueror. He defeated the Ganges and the eastern Chalukyas of Vengi. He built the magnificent rock-cut monolithic Kailasa temple at Ellora.
• Amoghavarsha I (815- 880 A.D.) lost control over Malwa and Gangavadi. Yet, his reign was popular for cultural development. He was a follower of Jainism. Jinasena was his chief preceptor. He was also a patron of letters and he himself wrote the famous Kannada work, Kavirajamarga. He had also built the Rashtrakuta capital, the city of Malkhed or Manyakheda.
• Among the successors of Amoghavarsha I, Krishna III (936- 968 A.D.) was famous for his expeditions. He marched against the Cholas and defeated them at Takkolam. He marched further south and captured Tanjore. He built several temples in the conquered territories including the Krishneswara temple at Rameswaram. After his death, the power of the Rashtrakutas declined. 

Administration 

The Rashtrakuta Empire was divided into several provinces called rashtras under the control of rashtrapatis.

• They were further divided into vishayas or districts governed by vishayapatis.
• The next subdivision was bhukti consisting of 50 to 70 villages under the control of bhogapatis. These officers were directly appointed by the central government.
• The village administration was carried on by the village headmen. 

Society and Economy

• The Hindu sects of Vaishnavism and Shaivism flourished during the period of Rashtrakutas. Yet, they did not affect the progress of Jainism under the patronage of Rashtrakuta kings and officers. Almost one third of the population of the Deccan were Jains.
• There were some prosperous Buddhist settlements at places like Kanheri, Sholapur and Dharwar. There was harmony among various religions.
• There was an active commerce between the Deccan and the Arabs. The Rashtrakuta kings promoted the Arab trade by maintaining friendship with them.

Cultural Contributions

• The Rashtrakutas widely patronized Sanskrit literature.
• There were many scholars in the Rashtrakuta court. Trivikrama wrote Nalachampu and the Kavirahasya was composed by Halayudha during the reign of Krishna III.
• The Jain literature flourished under the patronage of the Rashtrakutas. Amogavarsha I, who was a Jain, patronized many Jain scholars. His teacher Jinasena composed Parsva Budaya.
• Sakatayana wrote the grammar work called Amogavritti.
• The great mathematician of this period, Viral Acharya was the author of Ganitasaram.
• The Kannada literature saw its beginning during the period of the Rashtrakutas. Amogavarsha’s Kavirajamarga was the first poetic work in Kannada language.

Art and Architecture

The art and architecture of the Rashtrakutas were found at Ellora and Elephanta.
At Ellora, the most remarkable temple is the Kailasa temple. It was excavated during the reign of Krishna I. It is carved out of a massive block of rock.

• The temple consists of four parts - the main shrine, the entrance gateway, an intermediate shrine for Nandi and mandapa surrounding the courtyard.
• It has a three-tiered sikhara or tower resembling the sikhara of the Mamallapuram rathas.
• The sculpture of the Goddess Durga is shown as slaying the Buffalo demon.  
• In another sculpture Ravana was making attempts to li Mount Kailasa, the abode of Siva. The scenes of Ramayana were also depicted on the walls. 
• The general characteristics of the Kailasa temple are more Dravidian.

Elephanta is an island near Bombay. The Portuguese after seeing the large figure of an elephant named it Elephanta. The most imposing figure of this temple is Trimurthi. The sculpture is six metre high. It is said to represent the three aspects of Shiva as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer.  

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