Eastern Chalukyas

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Eastern Chalukyas
Chalukyas of Vengi
624–1189
Eastern Chalukya coin. Central punchmark depicting a Boar standing left. Incuse of punchmarks. of Eastern Chalukyas
Eastern Chalukya coin. Central punchmark depicting a Boar standing left. Incuse of punchmarks.
Pitapuram
Vengi
Rajahmundry
Common languages
Religion
Hinduism
GovernmentMonarchy
Maharaja 
• 624–641
Kubja Vishnuvardhana
• 1018–1061
Rajaraja Narendra
History 
• Established
624
• Disestablished
1189
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Chalukya dynasty
Chola dynasty
Kakatiya dynasty

Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of

Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan region. Subsequently, they became a sovereign power, and ruled the Vengi region of present-day Andhra Pradesh until c. 1001 CE. They continued ruling the region as feudatories of the Medieval Cholas
until 1189 CE.

Originally, the capital of the Eastern Chalukyas was located at Pishtapura (modern-day

Western Chalukyas over the control of the strategically important Vengi country. The five centuries of the Eastern Chalukya rule of Vengi saw not only the consolidation of this region into a unified whole, but also saw the efflorescence of Telugu culture, literature, poetry and art during the later half of their rule. They had marital relationship with Cholas.[6]

Origin

The Chalukyas of Vengi branched off from the

Kannada stock.[9][10][11]

As per the Timmapuram plates of

Pandavas, Satanika and Udayana. 59 unnamed descendants of Udayana ruled at Ayodhya. Their descendant Vijayaditya was killed in a battle with Trilochana Pallava, during an expedition in Dakshinapatha (Deccan). His pregnant widow was given shelter by Vishnubhatta Somayaji of Mudivemu (modern Jammalamadugu). She named her son Vishnuvardhana after her benefactor. When the boy grew up, he became the ruler of Dakshinapatha by the grace of the goddess Nanda Bhagavati.[13]

History

Between 641 AD and 705 AD some kings, except Jayasimha I and Mangi Yuvaraja, ruled for very short durations. Then followed a period of unrest characterised by family feuds and weak rulers. Meanwhile, the

Western Chalukyas of Badami. The weak rulers of Vengi had to meet the challenge of the Rashtrakutas, who overran their kingdom more than once. There was no Eastern Chalukya ruler who could check them until Gunaga Vijayaditya III came to power in 848 AD. The then Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha treated him as his ally and after Amoghavarsha's death, Vijayaditya proclaimed independence.[14]

Administration

In its early life, the Eastern Chalukya court was essentially a republic of

Chalukyas of Kalyani.[15]

Type of Government

class=notpageimage|
The Eastern Chalukyas and main neighbouring polities in South Asia circa 800 CE.[16]

The Eastern Chalukyan government was a monarchy based on the

Hindu philosophy. The inscriptions refer to the traditional seven components of the state (Saptanga), and the eighteen Tirthas (Offices), such as:[17]

  • Mantri (Minister)
  • Purohita
    (Chaplain)
  • Senapati (Commander)
  • Yuvaraja (Heir-apparent)
  • Dauvarika (Door keeper)
  • Pradhana (Chief)
  • Adhyaksha (Head of department) and so on.

No information is available as to how the work of administration was carried out. The

Karmarashtra and the Boya-Kottams are examples of these. The royal edicts (recording gifts of lands or villages) are addressed to all Naiyogi Kavallabhas, a general term containing no indication of their duties, as well as to the Grameyakas, the residents of the village granted. The Manneyas are also occasionally referred in inscriptions. They held assignments of land or revenue in different villages.[18]

Fratricidal wars and foreign invasions frequently disturbed the land. The territory was parcelled out into many small principalities (estates) held by the nobility consisting of collateral branches of the ruling house such as those of Elamanchili,

Velanadus and Kondapadamatis, closely connected by marriage ties with the Eastern Chalukyas and families who were raised to high position for their loyal services. When the Vengi ruler was strong, the nobility paid allegiance and tribute to him, but when the weakness was apparent, they were ready to join hands with the enemies against the royal house.[19]

Society

The population in the

Buddhists and Jains who originally disregarded caste, adopted it. Besides the four traditional castes, minor communities like Boyas and Savaras (Tribal groups) also existed.[20]

The

Samanta Raju and Mandalika.[21]

Religion

Hinduism was the prominent religion of the Eastern Chalukya kingdom, with Shaivism being more popular than Vaishnavism. The Mahasena temple at Chebrolu became famous for its annual Jatra, which involved a procession of the deity's idol from Chebrolu to Vijayawada and back.[22] Some of the rulers, declared themselves as Parama Maheswaras (Emperors). The Buddhist religious centres eventually attained great celebrity as Siva pilgrim centres. Eastern Chalukya rulers like Vijayaditya II, Yuddhamalla I, Vijayaditya III and Bhima I took active interest in the construction of many temples. The temple establishments like dancers and musicians show that during this period, temples were not only a centre of religious worship but a fostering ground for fine arts.[23]

Satavahanas was in decline.[22] Its monasteries were practically deserted. Due to their love of sacred relics in stupas, a few might have lingered on, Xuanzang noticed some twenty or more Buddhist monasteries in which more than three thousand monks lived.[20]

Jainism, unlike Buddhism, continued to enjoy some support from the people.[22] This is evident from the several deserted images in ruined villages all over Andhra. The inscriptions also record the construction of Jain temples and grants of land for their support from the monarchs and the people. The rulers like Kubja Vishnuvardhana, Vishnuvardhana III and Amma II patronised Jainism. Vimaladitya even became a declared follower of the doctrine of Mahavira. Vijayawada, Jenupadu, Penugonda (West Godavari) and Munugodu were the famous Jain centres of the period.[21]

Literature

c. 10th century Sanskrit copper plates of Amma II written in Kannada–Telugu script.

Early Telugu literature was at its zenith during this period. Vipparla Inscription of Jayasimha I and the Lakshmipuram inscription of the Mangi yuvaraja were the earliest Telugu inscriptions of Eastern chalukyas found in 7 century AD.[24]

The copper plate grants of the early Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi are written in Sanskrit, but a few charters like the Aladankaram plates are written partly in Sanskrit and partly in Telugu[24]

Telugu poetry makes its early appearance in the

Nannaya was the poet-laureate of Rajaraja Narendra in the middle of the 11th century. An erudite scholar, he was well-versed in the Vedas, Shastras and the ancient epics, and undertook the translation of the Mahabharata into Telugu. Narayana Bhatta who was proficient in eight languages assisted him in his endeavour. Though incomplete, his work is acclaimed as a masterpiece of Telugu literature.[25]

Connection between Kannada and Telugu literature

Kubja Vishnuvardhana, the founder of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty, was the brother of the

Bezwada inscription. Another inscription notes that Narayana-Bhatta, who assisted Nannaya-Bhatta in composing the Bharata, was a Kannada poet and was granted a village by Rajaraja Narendra in 1053 for his contribution. Kannada poets, Adikavi Pampa and Nagavarma I, also hailed from families originally from Vengi.[26]

Architecture

Main article: Ambapuram cave temple
The Bhimesvara temple at Draksharama

Due to the widely spread

Chamundi and Surya.[27]

Ambapuram cave temple is

Jain cave temple constructed by Eastern Chalukyas in the 7th century. During the 7th—8th century CE, a total of five Jain caves were constructed in Ambapuram and Adavinekkalam hills.[28][29]

Rulers

Chalukya dynasties
Vatapi / Badami Chalukyas
Jayasimha 500-520
Ranaraga 520-540
Pulakeshin I 540–566
Kirttivarman I 566–597
Mangalesha 597–609
Pulakeshin II 609–642
Adityavarman 643-645
Abhinavaditya 645-646
Chandraditya 646-649
Vijaya-Bhattarika (regent) 650-655
Vikramaditya I 655–680
Vinayaditya 680–696
Vijayaditya 696–733
Vikramaditya II 733–746
Kirtivarman II 746–753
Vengi / Eastern Chalukyas
Kubja Vishnuvardhana 624–641
Jayasimha I 641–673
Indra Bhattaraka 673
Vishnu Vardhana II 673–682
Mangi Yuvaraja 682–706
Jayasimha II 706–718
Kokkili 719
Vishnuvardhana III 719–755
Vijayaditya I (Eastern Chalukya) 755–772
Vishnuvardhana IV 772–808
Vijayaditya II 808–847
Kali Vishnuvardhana V 847–849
Vijayaditya III 849–892
Chalukya Bhima I 892–921
Vijayaditya IV 921
Amma I 921–927
Beta Vijayaditya V 927
Tala I 927
Vikramaditya II 927–928
Bhima II 928
Yuddhamalla II 928–935
Chalukya Bhima II 935–947
Amma II 947–970
Tala I 970
Danarnava 970–973
Jata Choda Bhima 973–999
Shaktivarman I 1000–1011
Vimaladitya 1011–1018
Rajaraja Narendra 1019–1061
Vijayaditya VII 1061-1075
Kalyani / Western Chalukyas
Tailapa II 957–997
Satyashraya 997–1008
Vikramaditya V 1008–1015
Jayasimha II 1015–1042
Someshvara I 1042–1068
Someshvara II 1068–1076
Vikramaditya VI 1076–1126
Someshvara III 1126–1138
Jagadhekamalla II 1138–1151
Tailapa III 1151–1164
Jagadhekamalla III 1163–1183
Someshvara IV 1184–1200

References

Part of a series on
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Chronology of the Telugu people, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana history
History and Kingdoms
Dynasties
  1. ^ Nath Sen, Sailendra. Ancient Indian History and Civilization. p. 360. They belonged to the Karnataka country and their mother tongue was Kannada
  2. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0
    .
  3. ISBN 978-81-206-0155-0
    .
  4. ^ Epigraphia Indica. Vol. 29. Manager of Publications. 1987 [1888]. p. 46.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ Nigam, M. L. (1975). Sculptural Heritage of Andhradesa. Booklinks Corporation. p. 16.
  6. ^ Rao 1994, p. 36.
  7. ^ K. A. Nilakanta Sastri & N Venkataramanayya 1960, p. 471.
  8. ^ N. Ramesan 1975, p. 7.
  9. OCLC 34752106
    .
  10. ^ Altekar, A.S. Rashtrakutas And Their Times. Digital Library of India. p. 22.
  11. ^ Kamat 2002, p. 6.
  12. ^ A. Murali. Rattan Lal Hangloo, A. Murali (ed.). New themes in Indian history: art, politics, gender, environment, and culture. Black & White, 2007. p. 24.
  13. ^ N. Ramesan 1975, pp. 4–5.
  14. ^ Nagabhusanasarma 2008, p. 62.
  15. ^ Yazdani 2009, p. 498.
  16. ISBN 0226742210
    .
  17. ^ Rao 1994, pp. 53, 54.
  18. ^ Kumari 2008, p. 134.
  19. ^ Rao 1994, pp. 49, 50.
  20. ^ a b Rao 1994, p. 55.
  21. ^ a b Rao 1994, p. 56.
  22. ^ a b c N. Ramesan 1975, p. 2.
  23. ^ Rao 1994, pp. 54, 55.
  24. ^ a b SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EASTERN CHALUKYAN INSCRIPTIONS (April 2019). "SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EASTERN CHALUKYAN INSCRIPTIONS" (PDF). SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EASTERN CHALUKYAN INSCRIPTIONS by Shodhganga.
  25. ^ Rao 1994, p. 48.
  26. ISBN 9788120603035
    . Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  27. ^ Rao 1994, pp. 42, 55.
  28. ^ Varma, P. Sujata (1 October 2015). "Ancient Jain temple cries for attention". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  29. ^ "Jain sculpture of Mahavira at Vijayawada". British Library. 21 August 1815.

Bibliography

External links
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