Pulakeshin I

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Pulakeshin I
Satyashraya, Vallabha, Dharma-maharaja
Chalukya king
Reignc. 540 – c. 567
Predecessor
Chalukyas of Vatapi
FatherRanaraga
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

Pulakeshin (

Deccan region of India. Pulakeshin established the city of Vatapi, and performed the Ashvamedha
sacrifice to assert his sovereign status. The dynasty established by him went on to rule a major part of peninsular India in the subsequent years.

Names and titles

Various variants of the name "Pulakeshin" appear in the dynasty's inscriptions, including Polekeshin (Polekeśin), Polikeshin (Polikeśin), and Pulikeshin (Pulikeśin). According to historians

Kannada hybrid word meaning "tiger-haired". K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, on the other hand, derived the name from the Sanskrit words pula or pola ("great") and keśin ("lion").[1][2]

The Chalukya inscriptions confer a number of titles and epithets on Pulakeshin:[3]

  • Satyashraya (abode of truth)
  • Rana-vikrama (valorous in war); appears in the Satara copper-plate inscription of Vishnuvardhana and the Godachi copper plate inscription of Klrttivarman I
  • Shri-prithvi-vallabha (the husband of the goddess of fortune and the Earth i.e. Vishnu), and its variants (Vallabha, Vallabha-raja, Shri-vallabha); this title indicates paramountcy
  • Maharaja (great king)
  • Raja-simha (lion among kings); appears in the Altem copper-plate inscription
  • Dharma-maharaja (great king of dharma); appears in the Godachi inscription

Early life

Pulakeshin was the son and successor of

Kalyani Chalukyas, who claimed descent from the Vatapi Chalukyas, name Pulakeshin's father as Vijayaditya. However, these records can be dismissed as unreliable, as the Vatapi Chalukya records explicitly name Ranaraga as Pulakeshin's father.[1]

Reign

Pulakeshin was the first sovereign ruler of his dynasty, and as such, has been termed as the "real founder" of his dynasty.[3] Some scholars, such as K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, theorize that Pulakeshin was initially a Kadamba vassal, and later declared independence by taking control of the area around Vatapi. Others, such as Durga Prasad Dikshit, theorize that he was a feudatory of the Rashtrakutas of Manapura, and captured the former Kadamba territory as their subordinate.[5]

The Chalukya inscriptions suggest that Pulakeshin made Vatapi his capital by constructing a fort there.[6] His earliest inscription, issued under the title Vallabheshvara, has been discovered at Badami, and is dated to 543 CE (Shaka year 465). Pulakeshin probably ascended the throne a few years earlier, around 540.[7]

According to his 543 Badami inscription, Pulakeshin performed

D. C. Sircar suggested that the Chalukya military successes achieved during his reign can be attributed to his son and commander-in-chief Kirttivarman I.[5] This suggestion is corroborated by the fact that the Chiplun inscription credits Kirttivarman I with founding the city of Vatapi.[8] However, this statement can alternatively be explained by assuming that the construction of the Vatapi fort was started during Pulakeshin's reign and was completed during Kirttivarman's reign.[9]

Inscriptions

Map
Find spots
of the inscriptions issued during the reign of Pulakeshin I

The following inscriptions dated to Pulakeshin's reign have been discovered:

  • 543 CE (Shaka year 465) Badami rock inscription[3]
  • 566-567 CE (Shaka year 488, expired) Amminabhavi stone tablet inscription, records a grant to the shrine of the deity Kalideva[6]

Religion

Epigraphic evidence suggests that Pulakeshin followed the Vedic religion.[9] According to the Godachi inscription of his son Kirttivarman I, Pulakeshin bore the title Dharma-maharaja (great king of dharma). Historian K. A. Nilakanta Sastri theorized that this title suggests that Pulakeshin actively promoted the Vedic faith (dharma) against Buddhism and Jainism."[3]

Pulakeshin's 543 CE Badami inscription states that he performed

brahmanas (brahmaya), heeds to the elders (vriddhopadesha-grahi), speaks the truth, and never breaks promises.[9]

The Nerur inscription of Mangalesha states that Pulakeshin was fully knowledgeable about the Manusmriti; and had mastered the Puranas, the Ramayana, the Bharata, and other itihasa texts. It also states that he was like the deity Brihaspati in niti (politics). Other dynastic records compare him to the legendary kings of Hindu mythology, including Yayati and Dilīpa.[9]

Pulakeshin's 566-567 CE Amminabhavi, issued under the title Satyashraya, records the grants made by him to the deity Kalideva on the occasion of a solar eclipse, on the new moon day, in the month of Vaisakha. [6] He had his son Kirttivarman make an endowment to the shrine of god Makuteshvara-natha at Mahakuta near Badami.[9]

Personal life

Pulakeshin married Durlabha-devi, who came from the Bappura lineage. The Mahakuta pillar inscription states that she was like the legendary Damayanti in her devotion to her husband.[9] The Aihole inscription states that Pulakeshin, "though he was the consort of Indukanti and though he was the favourite lord of Shri (the goddess of fortune), had espoused the bride of Vatapi-puri (city of Vatapi)". According to various interpretations, "Induktani" (literally "lustre of the moon") is a poetic expression or means that before the foundation of Vatapi, Pulakeshin ruled a city called Indukanti. However, it is more likely that Indukanti was the name of Pulakeshin's another queen.[10]

Pulakeshin was succeeded by his sons, first Kirttivarman I, and then Mangalesha.[9] Pugavarman, a Chalukya prince attested by a Mudhol inscription, is sometimes thought to be a son of Pulakeshin, but this is not certain: he may have been a son of Mangalesha.[11]

Kirttivarman's Badami inscription, issued during his 12th regnal year, is dated to the Shaka year 500. Thus, he must have succeeded Pulakeshin in the Shaka year 488-489, that is, 566-567 CE.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 33.
  2. ^ K. V. Ramesh 1984, p. 31.
  3. ^ a b c d Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 34.
  4. ^ Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, pp. 27–32.
  5. ^ a b Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 36.
  6. ^ a b c d e Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 35.
  7. ^ Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, pp. 34–35.
  8. ^ Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, pp. 36–37.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 37.
  10. ^ K. V. Ramesh 1984, p. 38.
  11. ^ Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, pp. 37–38.
  12. ^ Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 39.

Bibliography

  • Durga Prasad Dikshit (1980). Political History of the Chālukyas of Badami. Abhinav.
    OCLC 8313041
    .
  • K. V. Ramesh (1984). Chalukyas of Vātāpi. Agam Kala Prakashan.
    OCLC 567370037
    .
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