Kalachuri dynasty

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Kalachuris of Mahishmati
c. 550 CE–c. 625 CE
Silver coin of king Krishnaraja (r. c. 550-575) of the Kalachuri dynasty, on the model of the Western Satraps. of Kalachuri dynasty
Silver coin of king Krishnaraja (r. c. 550-575) of the Kalachuri dynasty, on the model of the Western Satraps.
1500
Map of the Early Kalachuris and neighbouring polities circa 600 CE.[1]
CapitalMahishmati
Common languagesSanskrit
Religion
Shaivism
GovernmentMonarchy
History 
• Established
c. 550 CE
• Disestablished
c. 625 CE
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Western Satraps
Alchon Huns
Vakataka dynasty
Vishnukundina
Traikutaka dynasty
Aulikaras
Chalukya dynasty
Kalachuris of Tripuri
Today part ofIndia

The Kalachuris (

IAST: Kalacuri), also known as Kalachuris of Mahishmati, were an Indian dynasty that ruled in west-central India between 6th and 7th centuries. They are also known as the Early Kalachuris to distinguish them from their later namesakes, especially the Kalachuris of Tripuri. Their territory included parts of present-day Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Their capital was located at Mahishmati. Epigraphic and numismatic evidence suggests that the earliest of the Ellora and Elephanta
cave monuments were built during the Kalachuri rule.

The origin of the dynasty is uncertain. In the 6th century, the Kalachuris gained control of the territories formerly ruled by the

Chalukyas of Vatapi in the 7th century. One theory connects the later Kalachuri dynasties of Tripuri and Kalyani
to the Kalachuris of Mahishmati.

Origin

The origin of the Kalachuris is uncertain.

Chalukyas - also call them Haihayas Kshatriyas although the Kalachuris of Mahishmati do not call themselves by this name in any of their extant records. It is possible that Kalachuris came to be known as Haihayas simply because their capital was Mahishmati, which - according to Puranic tradition - had been established by Haihaya ruler Mahismanta [4] .According to RC Majumdar , kalachuris used the era of 248-249 CE ,which later was called chedi era , however they seems to have adopted that era after the conquest of baroch and nasik region. This is suggested by the use of Gupta era in earlier grants.[5][6][4] The later Kalachuris of Tripuri called themselves Haihayas, and traced their ancestry to the legendary Haihaya ruler Kartavirya Arjuna.[7]

According to numismatist Pankaj Tandon, they may have been descendants of Arjunayanas, a Kshatriya republic.[8][self-published source?]

Some earlier scholars, such as

Yavanas, and the Khasas. Bhandarkar therefore presumes that the Haihayas (from whom the Kalachuris claimed origin) were also a foreign tribe. Later scholars have rejected this theory.[4]

Territory

Map
Find spots of the inscriptions issued by the Kalachuris of Mahishmati (map of India)[9][10]

According to the Kalachuri inscriptions, the dynasty controlled

Ujjayini, Vidisha and Anandapura. Literary references suggest that their capital was located at Mahishmati in the Malwa region.[2]

The dynasty also controlled

Vishnukundina dynasties.[2]

In addition, the Kalachuris conquered northern Konkan (around Elephanta) by the mid-6th century. Here, they succeeded the Traikutaka dynasty.[2]

History

Krishnaraja

Krishnaraja (r. c. 550-575) is the earliest known Kalachuri ruler, and probably established the dynasty with its capital at Mahishmati. The political situation in the region around 550 CE likely favoured him: the death of

Maitraka power was declining in Gujarat.[11]

No inscriptions of Krishnaraja survive, but his coins have been found at several places, including in present-day Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. The find spots cover a vast region extending from Rajasthan in north to

Kalachuri year 461) Anjaneri copper plate inscription of Bhogashakti, which calls them "Krishnaraja-rupaka". Therefore, it is not certain if Krishnaraja's rule extended over this entire territory, or if these coins traveled to distant places after his death.[11]

Krishnaraja's extant coins are all of silver, round in shape, and 29

Guptas. The obverse features a bust of the king facing right, and the reverse features a figure of Nandi, the bull vahana of the Hindu god Shiva.[11] The Nandi design is based on the coins issued by the Gupta king Skandagupta.[2]

A

Ellora, where his coins have been discovered.[12][13][2]

Shankaragana

Coin of King Kalahasila, a Kalachuri feudatory. Circa (575-610).

Krishnaraja's son Shankaragana ruled during c. 575-600 CE.[11] He is the earliest ruler of the dynasty to be attested by inscriptions from his own reign, which were issued from Ujjain and Nirgundipadraka.[14]

Shankaragana's 597 CE (

Kalachuri Era 347) inscription, found at Abhona and issued from his camp at Ujjayini (present-day Ujjain),[15] is the earliest epigraphic record of the Kalachuri dynasty.[14] It records his grant of a land in Bhoga-vardhana (present-day Bhokardan) to a Brahmin from Kallivana (in present-day Nashik district).[16]

The Abhona inscription describes Shankaragana as the lord of a vast territory extending from the western ocean to eastern ocean. Another inscription, found at Sankhera and issued by Shankaragana's military officer Shantilla from his "victorious camp" at Nirgundipadraka (in present-day central Gujarat). This confirms that Gujarat on the western coast was part of his territory. He adopted the titles of the Gupta emperor Skandagupta, which suggests that he conquered western Malwa, which was formerly under the Gupta authority.[14] Abhona is in present-day Maharashtra, which suggests that his empire extended from Malwa in the north to northern Maharashtra in the south.[16]

Like his father, Shankaragana described himself as a Parama-Maheshvara (devotee of Shiva).[14] According to K. P. Jayaswal, king Gana-shankara mentioned in the 8th century text Arya-manju-shri-mula-kalpa, may be identified with the Kalachuri king Shankara-gana.[16]

Buddharaja

Buddharaja succeeded his father Shankaragana around 600 CE, and is the last known ruler of the early Kalachuri dynasty.[16][14]

During Buddharaja's reign, the

KE) Vadner and 610-611 CE (361 KE) Sarsavani grants, described as having been issued from his "victorious" camps at Vidisha and Anandapura respectively. The Vadner-Vidisha inscription records the grant of a village situated in the Vata-nagara (modern Vadner) subdivision, while the Sarsavani-Anandapura inscription records the grant of a village in the present-day Bharuch area. The inscriptions, issued around two and a half month apart, indicate that the Buddharaja controlled the territory between Anandapura in the east to Vidisha in the west, and that the king had to march from Vidisha to Anandapura during this period.[17]

According to one theory, Mangalesha could not consolidate his gains against the Kalachuris because of rebellions, first by his subordinate Svamiraja and then by Pulakeshin II.[16] Buddharaja probably lost his sovereignty during a second Chalukya invasion, by Mangalesha,[18] or by his nephew Pulakeshin II.[14] According to one theory, Mangalesha was the Chalukya ruler responsible for ending the Kalachuri power as his inscriptions mention his victory over the Kalachuris, while no inscriptions credit Pulakeshin with this achievement.[18] According to another theory, Pulakeshin's Aihole inscription alludes to his victory over Buddharaja: the inscription states that Pulakeshin conquered Konkana and the "three Maharashtras", which probably refers to the territories of the Kalachuris and their feudatories. The unnamed adversary referred to in this inscription may have been Buddharaja.[19]

By 630 CE, the Nashik area - formerly part of the Kalachuri kingdom - was under Chalukya control, as Pulakeshin's inscription records his village grants in this region. This suggests that the Buddharaja's reign ended sometime before 630 CE.[19]

The Chinese traveler

Maitraka king Shiladitya I alias Dharmaditya conquered Malwa from Buddharaja. However, a large numbers of scholars dispute this theory in absence of concrete evidence.[19]

Like his father and grandfather, Buddharaja described himself as a Parama-Maheshvara (devotee of Shiva). His queen Ananta-Mahayi belonged to the Pashupata sect.[14]

Descendants

No concrete information is available about the successors of Buddharaja, but it is possible that the Kalachuris continued to rule at Mahishmati. A 687 CE inscription of the Chalukya king Vinayaditya suggests that the Kalachuris had become Chalukya feudatories by this time. The Chalukya inscriptions suggest that the two dynasties may have established matrimonial relations in the later years.[20]

An inscription issued by a prince named Taralasvamin was found at Sankheda (where one of Shankaragana's grants was also found). This inscription describes Taralasvamin as a devotee of Shiva, and his father

V. V. Mirashi considered Taralasvamin's inscription as a spurious one.[21]

V. V. Mirashi connected the

Kalanjara, and from there to Tripuri.[22]

Cultural contributions

Elephanta

Elephanta Caves

The

Shaivite monuments are located along the Konkan coast, on the Elephanta Island near Mumbai. Historical evidence suggests that these monuments are associated with Krishnaraja, who was also a Shaivite.[13]

The Kalachuris appear to have been the rulers of the Konkan coast, when some of the Elephanta monuments were built.[13] Silver coins of Krishnaraja have been found along the Konkan coast, on the Salsette Island (now part of Mumbai) and in the Nashik district.[13] Around 31 of his copper coins have been found on the Elephanta Island, which suggests that he was the patron of the main cave temple on the island.[12] According to numismatist Shobhana Gokhale, these low-value coins may have been used to pay the wages of the workers involved in the cave excavation.[14]

Ellora

Ellora
Cave No. 29

The earliest of the Hindu caves at

Ellora, in front of Cave No. 21 (Rameshvara), was issued by Krishnaraja.[2]

Rulers

The following are the known rulers of the Kalachuri dynasty of Malwa with their estimated reigns (

IAST names in brackets):[23]

  • Krishnaraja (Kṛṣṇarāja), r. c. 550-575 CE
  • Shankaragana (Śaṃkaragaṇa), r. c. 575-600 CE
  • Buddharaja (Buddharāja), r. c. 600-625 CE

See also

  • Kalachuri Era
    , used by the Kalachuris and so named after them

References

  1. .
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Charles Dillard Collins 1988, p. 9.
  3. ^ P. 124 History and Culture of South India, to 1336 A.D. By H. V. Sreenivasa Murthy
  4. ^ a b c R. K. Sharma 1980, pp. 2–3.
  5. .
  6. .
  7. ^ R. K. Sharma 1980, p. 2.
  8. ^ "Kalachuris coins".
  9. ^ Om Prakash Misra 2003, p. 13.
  10. ^ Charles Dillard Collins 1988, p. 6.
  11. ^ a b c d e R. K. Sharma 1980, p. 4.
  12. ^ a b Charles Dillard Collins 1988, pp. 9–10.
  13. ^ a b c d e Geri Hockfield Malandra 1993, p. 6.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Charles Dillard Collins 1988, p. 10.
  15. ^ R. K. Sharma 1980, pp. 4–5.
  16. ^ a b c d e f R. K. Sharma 1980, p. 5.
  17. ^ R. K. Sharma 1980, pp. 5–6.
  18. ^ a b Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 57.
  19. ^ a b c R. K. Sharma 1980, p. 6.
  20. ^ R. K. Sharma 1980, pp. 6–7.
  21. ^ Charles Dillard Collins 1988, pp. 10–11.
  22. ^ V. V. Mirashi 1974, p. 376.
  23. ^ Ronald M. Davidson 2012, p. 37.

Bibliography

External links