Post Gupta - Chalukyas dynastry

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  • Two families of Chalukyas: Chalukyas of Badami (Vatapi) & Chalukyas of Kalyani.
  • Chalukyas of Badami emerged strong power founded by Pulikesin I (535 – 566 CE). Declare independence from kadmabas.
  • Capital Badami by Kirtivarman (566 - 597 CE)
  • Chalukyas was centred around the Raichur Doab, between the rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra.
Pulikesin II (609 – 642 CE)
  • Famous Chalukya ruler Pulakeshin II (know about him from a prashasti, composed by his court poet Ravikirti).
  • Defeat of Harshavardhana’s, king of malwa, kalinga & eastern deccan accept his suzerainity.
  • Capital Aihole (Important trade center).
  • Led expeditions along both the west and the east coasts.
  • He attacks Mahendravarma Pallava king behind the wall of Kanchipuram create long Conflict between Pallavas and Chalukyas frequently raided one another’s lands from 6th to 9th Century
  • Narasimha Varman I (630 – 668 CE), pallava king attack and occupied Badami. Pulikesin died.
  • In 8th century Badami overpowered and replaced by the Rashtrakutas.
Administration
State
  • Rule according to dharma-sastra and niti-sastra.
  • Pulikesin I (543-566) was well-versed in manu-sastra, puranas, and itihasas.
  • Performer of agnistoma, vajapeya and asvamedha sacrifices.
  • Represented the varaha avatar of Vishnu in which he is said to have rescued the Goddess of the Earth.
  • The bull, Siva’s mount, was the symbol of the Pallavas.
Royal Women
  • Appoint as Provincial Governors & also issued coins.
  • Vijya Bhattariga, a Chalukya princess, issued inscriptions.
  • Pallavas not active part in administration of kingdom, but build shrines.
King and his Ministers
  • Official called maha-sandhi-vigrahika.
  • Pradhana (head minister),
  • Mahasandhi-vigrahika (minister of foreign affairs),
  • Amatya (revenue minister), and
  • Samaharta (minister of exchequer).
  • Political Division -  Vishayam, Rastram, Nadu and Grama.
  • Vishayapatis exercised the power at the behest of the kings.
  • Samantas were feudal lords functioning under the control of the state.
  • Grampohis and gramkudaswere village officials.
  • Mahatras were the prominent village men.
Provincial and District Administration
  • Appointed son as Provincial governor (Some held title maha-samanta & Maintain troops).
  • Chief of vishayawas vishayapati.
  • Vishayawas divided into Pukti, headed by pogapati.
Village Administration.
  • Nalakavundas - Revenue officials.
  • kamundaor pokigan - Central figure in village administration (Appointed by king).
  • karana or gramani - Village accountant.
  • mahajanam(Group of people) -  Law and order.
  • mahapurush - A special officer to maintaining order and peace.
  • Nagarapatisor Purapatis- Officials of the towns.
Religion
  • Mainly Saivism and Vaishnavism.
  • Kirtivarman (566-597), Mangalesa (597-609), and Pulikesin II (609-642) performed yagnas
  • Prominent Place - Kartikeyan, the war god.
  • Patronised heterodox sects & donate land to Jain center.
  • Ravikirti, the poet-laureate of Pulikesin II, was a jain scholar.
  • Kirtivarman II (744 – 755 CE) – Built Jain temple.
  • The prince Krishna (756-775) appointed Gunapatra, a Jain monk, as his master.
  • Pujyapatar the author of Jainentriya-viyakarnam was a Jain monk in period of Vijayadityan (755 – 772 CE)
Literature and Education
  • Sanskrit in Pillar inscription. Kannada as local prakrit.
  • Pulikesin II authored a grammar work Saptavataram in Sanskrit.
Architecture
  • Introduce building temples using soft sandstones as medium.
  • Two Vishnu temple, one siva temple & one to jaina tirthankaras.
Painting
  • Vakataka style in painting.
  • Mostly dedicated to Vishnu (incarnations of Vishnu).
  • Most popular Chalukya painting is in the palace built by the King Mangalesan (597-609 CE).
Cities
  • Aihole (Ayyavole)
    • Important commercial centre.
    • Earliest stone-built temple is Lad Khan Temple.
    • Temple dedicated to the goddess Durga was built on the model of Buddha Chaitya.
  • Huccimalligudi, which is rectangular in Shape another temple for Durga. Also build jain temple.
  • The mandapa-type caves are preserved at Aihole.
  • Badami (Vatapi)
  • Largest cave temple built by Mangalesa is dedicated to Vishnu.
  • Reclining posture of Vishnu on the snake bed and Narasimha are exquisite examples of Chalukya art.
  • Pattadakal
  • Famous for its exquisite temples. Temples are classified into two groups: Indo-Aryan and Dravidian.
  • Virupaksha temple - built at the order of queen Lohamahadevi to commemorate the conquest of Kanchipuram by her husband Vikramaditya II.
  • Architect was given the title Tribhuavacharya (Maker of the three world).
  • South-eastern corner of village is the Papanatha temple. Similar to the Virupaksha temple in its basic plan, it has a shikara in the northern style.
  • The eastern wall has a short Kannada inscription, giving the name of the architect Revadi Ovajja, who designed the shrine.

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