Chalukya Dynasty (Chalukyas)

The Chalukyas were a prominent political power that emerged in the Deccan after the fall of the Satavahanas. They became a dominant power in the 6th century AD. The origin of the Chalukyas is unclear. There were three branches among them;

(1) Western Chalukyas or Chalukyas of Vatapi

(2) Later Western Chalukyas or Chalukyas of Kalyani

(3) Eastern Chalukyas or Chalukyas of Vengi

Chalukyas of Vatapi

The Chalukya rule in Vatapi (Badami) was initiated by Jayasimha. The dynasty he founded was known as the 'Western Chalukyas'. The first powerful king of this dynasty was Pulakeshi I. He made Vatapi his capital and built a fort there.

The most famous ruler of the Western Chalukyas was Pulakeshi II. He was a contemporary of Harsha. His attacks are described in the 'Aihole Prasad' written by Pulakeshi's court poet Ravikirti. Pulakeshi fought fiercely against Harsha and defeated him. This was one of his greatest achievements.

The Chera-Chola-Pandya kings had recognized Pulakeshi's supremacy. But he tasted defeat in the encounter with the Pallavas. The Pallava king Narasimhavarman I repeatedly attacked and defeated the Chalukyas and even captured their capital Vatapi. Pulakeshi was killed in a clash with the Pallavas. The supremacy of the Western Chalukyas ended with the defeat of the last Chalukya king, Kirtivarman II, by the Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga (750 AD).

Chalukyas of Kalyani

After their fall, the Chalukyas of Vatapi remained vassals of the Rashtrakutas for two centuries. However, they re-emerged as a powerful political force in the 10th century. In 973 AD, Tailapa defeated the Rashtrakuta king and seized power. With this, Chalukya rule was restored. Kalyani in Maharashtra was the capital of the New Chalukya kingdom. The dynasty founded by Tailapa came to be known as the "Chalukyas of Kalyani".

The most important event of their period was the Chola-Chalukya War. All the kings who succeeded Tailapa had to fight with the Cholas. The most prominent of the Chalukyas of Kalyani was Vikramaditya VI (1076–1126). He continued the war with the Cholas and captured Vengi from Kulothunga Chola. His kingdom extended from the Narmada in the north to the Tungabhadra in the south.

Vikramaditya encouraged art and literature. Bilhana, the author of the 'Vikramankadevacharita', was his chief poet. Vijnanesvara, the author of the 'Mitakshara', lived in Vikramaditya's court. In 1190, the last Chalukya king, Somesvara IV, was deposed by the Yadavas. This brought an end to the Chalukya rule in Kalyani, which had lasted for about a century and a half.

Chalukyas of Vengi

A branch of the Chalukyas ruled the area from Visakhapatnam to Nellore. They were known as the "Eastern Chalukyas" or "Chalukyas of Vengi". This royal family was founded by Vishnuvardhana, the brother of Pulakeshi II. Vishnuvardhana, who was the viceroy of the region of Pishtapuram in Pulakeshi's kingdom, broke away from his brother and established an independent kingdom.

The first capital of the Eastern Chalukyas was Pishtapuram. Later, the capital was shifted to the ancient city of Vengi and finally to Rajamahendri. All the kings who came to power after Vishnuvardhana tried to maintain the influence of the Chalukyas. Shaktivarman was the last prominent king of this dynasty. By the end of the 11th century, the Chalukyas had lost their independence and became vassals of the Cholas.

Temple Architecture

The Chalukya kings encouraged temple construction. They freely used the Nagara-Dravidian styles. This style came to be known as the Deccan style or Vesara (Shamaya) style. The Chalukyas built many cave temples. They carved many chaityas and viharas out of rock. The caves at Ajanta and Ellora are examples of their artistic prowess. The Chalukyas built about seventy temples in Aihole (Bijapur district). Many temples were also built in Badami and Pattadakal. The “Melagitti Shivalayam” in Badami is a must-see. There are 10 temples in Pattadakal. Four of them are built in the North Indian style and six in the South Indian style. The most important temples in Pattadakal are the “Papanatha Temple” and the “Virupaksha Temple”. The former exhibits the North Indian style and the latter the South Indian style. Many scenes from the Ramayana are depicted on the walls of the Virupaksha Temple.