Chalukyas of Vemulavada


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The Chalukyas of Vemulavada were an Indian dynasty that ruled in and around the present-day Telangana between 7th and 10th centuries. Their capital was located at Vemulavada, and they were vassals of the Rashtrakutas.

History

The 966 CE Parabhani copper-plate inscription of king Arikesari III of Vemulavada claims that his dynasty descended from the Chalukyas of solar dynasty. Not much is known about the early rulers of the dynasty. The Kollapur copper-plate inscription attributes several military victories to Vinayaditya alias Yuddhamalla I. These victories amount to the subjugation of almost the entire Indian subcontinent, and therefore, appear to be gross exaggerations. It is possible that Vinayaditya was a feudatory of a powerful king, and participated in this king's military campaigns. This king could have been the Rashtrakuta ruler Dantidurga, who was a contemporary of Vinayaditya.
The dynasty's original capital was at Podana, but was later moved to Vemulavada, probably during the reign of Vinayaditya's successor Arikesari I. According to the dynasty's inscription, Arikesari conquered Vengi and Trikalinga; this probably refers to his subjugation of the Vengi Chalukya king Vishnuvardhana IV on the orders of his Rashtrakuta overlord Dhruva Dharavarsha.
Little is known about the next two rulers, Arikesari's son Narasimha I and grandson Yuddhamalla II. Baddega I, the son of Yuddhamalla II, was a distinguished general, and assumed the title Solada-ganda. He defeated the Vengi Chalukya king Bhima I. According to the Vemulavada court poets, Baddega's grandson Narasimha II subjugated the Latas, the seven Malavas, and the Gurjara-Pratihara king Mahipala. He achieved these victories in the service of his Rashtrakuta overlord Indra III, in a campaign against the Gurjara-Pratiharas.
Arikesari II, the son of Narasimha II, married two Rashtrakuta princesses, including Lokambika and Revakanirmadi. His mother Jakavve was probably a sister of Indra III. Several military successes are attributed to him. The noted Kannada poet Pampa was a court poet of Arikesari II. His Vikramarjuna Vijaya is an important source of the dynasty's history.
Arikesari had two sons: Vagaraja and Bhadradeva, who were half-brothers. Vagaraja and Bhadradeva appear to have ruled simultaneously for a few years. Vagaraja, who is known to have been ruling in 959 CE, was a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III. He accompanied Krishna III in a military campaign to Melpadi in present-day Chittoor district, and nothing else is known about his reign. Vagaraja probably died without an heir, and was succeeded by Bhadradeva's son Arikesari III, who is attested by the 966 CE Parbhani inscription.
The subsequent history of the dynasty is unknown. It appears to have been overthrown by the Chalukyas of Kalyani by the early 970s CE.

Cultural activities

commissioned the Baddegeshvara temple at Vemulavada, which is identified with the modern Bheemeshvara temple. During the reign of Arikesari II, his father Narasimha's officer tantrapala Peddanarya established a temple of the Sun god. His 10th-century inscription alludes to two other temples - Rajeshvara and Nagareshvara - which may have been commissioned by the Chalukyas of Vemulavada.
Although the Chalukyas of Vemulavada patronized Shaivism, they also favoured Jainism. Arikesari's Jain court poet Adikavi Pampa composed the Kannada classic Vikramarjuna Vijaya. Pampa's brother Jina-vallabha established a Jain shrine called Tri-bhuvana-tilaka-Jinalaya on the Bommalagutta hillock near Kurikyala village in modern Karimnagar district. Jina-vallabha's wife Bhagiyabbe installed a metal Chatur-vimshati-patta image of Jina, and also established a basadi named after her.
Baddega II commissioned at Jain temple at Repaka, and endowed it with land grants. He also commissioned the Shubha-dhama Jinalaya for the Jain poet Somadeva Suri, who migrated from the Pratihara kingdom to the Chalukya kingdom during his reign. He also granted a village to Somadeva for the maintenance of this shrine. In the year 959, Somadeva composed Yashodhara-charita at Gangadhara in the Chalukya kingdom.

Rulers

Following is a list of the Vemulavada Chalukya rulers, with estimated periods of their reign:
The following inscriptions of the dynasty have been discovered:
Find spotDateIssuerLanguageSource
Kuravagatta, Mahboobnagar districtc. 9th centuryViragriha, son of VinayadityaSanskrit and Kannada
Kolliparac. 9th centuryArikesari ISanskrit
VemulavadaUndatedArikesari IISanskrit
KurikyalaUndatedArikesari IISanskrit, Kannada and Telugu
Karimnagar946 CEArikesari IIISanskrit and Kannada
Parbhani966 CEArikesari IIISanskrit
Repaka, Karimnagar district968 CEArikesari IIISanskrit and Kannada