Vikramaditya VI (1076 – 1126 CE) became the
Western Chalukya King after
deposing his elder brother
Somesvara
II. Vikramaditya's reign is marked by the start of the
Chalukya-Vikrama era. Vikramaditya VI was the
greatest of the Western Chalukya kings and had the longest reign in
the dynasty. He earned the title
Permadideva and
Tribhuvanamalla (lord of three worlds). Vikramadtiya VI is
noted for his patronage of art and letters. His court was adorned
with famous
Kannada and
Sanskrit poets. In Kannada, his brother Kirtivarma
wrote
Govaidya on veterinary science and Brahmashiva wrote
Samayaparikshe and received the title
Kavi
Chakravarti. More inscriptions in Kannada are attributed to
Vikramaditya VI than any other king prior to the twelfth century.
Noted Sanskrit poet
Bilhana wrote a eulogy
of the King in his
Vikramankadevacharita and Vijnaneshvara
wrote
Mitakshara on Hindu family
law. One of his queens Chandaladevi called
Abhinava
Sarasvati was a noted dancer. At his peak, the Vikarmaditya VI
controlled a vast empire stretching from the
Kaveri river in southern India to the
Narmada river in central India.
Chalukya Vikrama era
Vikramaditya ascended the Chalukya throne by deposing his elder
brother Somesvara II, with the help of some of the Chalukya
feudatories and by utilising the opportunities arising out of a
conflict with the
Cholas.
Vikramaditya's rebellion
As soon as Somesvara II, the eldest son of
Somesvara I came to the throne, Vikramaditya
started planning his overthrow. Making use of the Chola invasion,
he, along with some of the feudatories of Somesvara, especially the
Seuna, the
Hoysalas
and the
Kadambas of Hangala achieved his
goal. Vikramaditya went into negotiations with the Chola king
Virarajendra Chola. Vikramaditya
consented to rule the
Vengi kingdom as the
Chola feudatory. Virarajendra also forced Somesvara to bifurcate
his kingdom and let Vikramaditya rule the southern half (Gangavadi)
independently.
Vikramaditya married one of Virarajendra's daughters to strengthen
the alliance with the Cholas.
Trouble in Chola Empire
During this time Virarajendra Chola died (1070) and his son
Athirajendra Chola came to the
throne. Vikramaditya soon found his Chola alliance a liability.
Rajendra Chalukya (future
Kulothunga
Chola I), a Vengi prince with close Chola connection, having
been denied his rightful place on the Vengi throne by Vikramaditya,
wanted to assume the Chola throne instead. Rajendra Chalukya had
his opportunity when civil disturbances arose in the Chola kingdom.
To quell
rioting in Kanchipuram
Vikramaditya led his forces into the city to assist
his brother-in-law Athirajendra. Vikramaditya soon after
proceeded to the Chola capital and helped Athirajendra inaugurate
his reign and to defeat any attempts by Rajendra Chalukya to
overthrow the rightful Chola king.
Satisfied that order had been restored, Vikramaditya returned to
his capital. But news soon came to him that Athirajendra had been
murdered in the civil uprising and Rajendra Chalukya had assumed
the Chola throne under the title Kulothunga Chola I.
War preparations
Vikramaditya now found enemies on both sides of his domain:
Kulothunga in the south and his brother in the north. Vikramaditya
spent the next six years to protect himself from this dangerous
situation. He continued to undermine the position of his brother
Somesvara by inducing Somesvara's feudatories to desert him.
Finally with the help of the Seuna, the Hoysalas and the Kadambas
of Hangala, Someshwara II was defeated and Vikramaditya assumed
sovereignty in 1076. He marked his accession to the throne by
founding the new era called
Chalukya Vikram Era.
Chalukya civil war
The conflict eventually occurred in 1076 when Kulothunga launched
an attack on Vikramaditya.
The war began with a clash at Nangili in the
Kolar
district between Kulothunga and
Vikramaditya. Vikramaditya's forces were defeated and were
pursued up the Tungabhadra
by the Chola forces with heavy fighting all the
way. Kulothunga took over Gangavadi. However in 1085,
Vikramaditya seized Kanchi from the Cholas and in 1088 he conquered
major pats of the Vengi Kingdom. Though Kulottunga captured Vengi
in 1099, the Chalukya ruler regained it in 1118 CE and retained it
up to 1124. The Kadambas of Goa, the Shilaharas, the Seunas and the
Pandyas of Uchangi, Chaulukyas of Gujarat and
Chedi of Ratnapur were the other rulers who were
subdued by Vikramaditya VI. He married princess Mailaladevi of the
Kadamba family and Chandaladevi of the Shilahara family.
Hoysala Threat
Vikramaditya experienced some serious troubles during the first few
years of his rule. His younger brother Jayasimha rebelled and had
to be quelled. More seriously his former friends the Hoysalas, who
had assisted Vikramaditya in his fight against his brother, began
to undermine Vikramaditya's position. The Hoysala, although
professing allegiances to the Chalukya throne, steadily began go
build up their power and extend their territories.
Hoysala Vishnuvardhana turned on Vikramaditya in 1116
and captured territories up to Goa
on the west
coast and advanced up to the Krishna
River in the north.
Vikramaditya dealt firmly with this situation and expelled the
Hoysala from the Chalukyan territories. Vishnuvardhana had to seek
refuge in a hill fortress in his country. After many battles,
Vishnuvardhana submitted to Vikramaditya in 1123.
Sinhala relations
In the
island of Sri
Lanka
the Chola reign was coming to
an end with the success of Vijayabahu. Vikramaditya hailed Vijayabahu
as his natural ally and sent him an embassy with rich
presents.
Capture of Narmada Territory
Vikramaditya invaded Malava thrice, in 1077, 1087 and in 1097. He
conquered territories south of the Narmada. He erected a pillar of
victory at Dhara. The Paramara prince Jagadeva sought shelter in
the Chalukya Kingdom and became one of the trusted feudatories of
Vikramaditya VI. Vikramaditya's plan to make Jagadeva the Paramara
king did not succeed. However, Chalukya control over areas up to
Narmada was undisturbed.
Successes against Cholas
While still engaged with the Hoysalas, Vikramaditya, turned against
Kulothunga. In 1115 Kulothunga recalled his son
Vikrama Chola, who was ruling Vengi as the
viceroy. Utilising the vacuum in the leadership in Vengi,
Vikramaditya sent his general Anantapala to invade and conquer the
Vengi country who conquered Vengi. Around this time, the Chalukya
feudatory, Hoysala Vishnuvardhana also defeated the Cholas in the
battle of Talakadu.
However, the Cholas recovered both Vengi and Eastern Gangavadi from
both the Chalukyas and the Hoysalas. The death of Chalukya
Vikramaditya VI (1126) and the accession of his son, the mild
Somesvara III, enabled Vikrama Chola to re-establish Chola power in
Vengi. It was a gradual process which began about 1127 and reached
its completion in a battle on the banks of the Godavari about 1133
at which Somesvara was present. Fighting on the Chola side,
Velananti Choda Gonka II routed the army of the Western Chalukyas
and their Eastern Ganga ally Anantavarman Choda Ganga, taking
captive some prominent generals and capturing much booty in gold,
horses and camels.
For a brief time the Chalukya empire under Vikramaditya VI reached
its zenith and included territoriesas vast as that of their
ancestors, the Badami Chalukyas.
However, This was the beginning of the end for the Chalukyas as the
successors of Vikramaditya VI were weak and the Chalukyan capital
was occupied for around 40 years by the Kalachuris under Bijjala-I
and Bijjala-II from around 1135-40 AD and the Chalukyas predeceased
the Cholas in 1190 AD though the Chalukyan empire was starting to
dissolve by 1149 AD when Hoysala Vishnuvardhana occupied Bankapura
. The feudatories and other rivals of the Chalukyas like the
Hoysalas, Kakatiyas and the Seunas were preparing to defeat
them.
Final Decline
After the death of Vikramaditya VI, by 1150, Prolla II of
Kakatiya dynasty, in 1162, Bijjalla II of
Kalachuri and in 1173, Veera Ballalla II
of
Hoysala feudatories revolted against and
took large territories away from the Chalukya empire which went
into decline. A brief attempt to revive the kingdom by the last
king Somesvara IV failed and the Chalukyas became a part of the
past by 1200.
Vikramaditya's reign
Perhaps no other king in Indian history has left behind as many
inscriptions, all in Kannada language, as Vikramaditya VI did.
Legends recount that he followed a ritual of giving away land to
the needy on a daily basis. The rule of Vikramaditya, though marred
by repeated battles for supremacy in the south, was a glorious era
in Kannada literary history. Great poets such as Bilhana and
Vijnanesvara adorned his throne.Bilhana wrote
Vikramankadevacharita and was Vikramaditya's court poet.
Vijnanesvara, the author of
Mitakshara, was an authority
on Hindu law. Kirthi Verma wrote
Govaidya during this
period.
Vikramaditya's long reign came to an end in 1126. His son
Somesvara III became the Chalukya king.
See also
Notes
References
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP,
New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras,
Madras (Reprinted 1984).
- Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka,
MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002).
- History of Karnataka [251135]
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