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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
BOMBAY - KARNATAKA INSCRIPTIONSINTRODUCTIONThe
Kalachuryas
As
already noted above, the earliest member of this dynasty
mentioned in the inscriptions of this Volume is
Bijjarasa referred to as a feudatory of Somesvara I in
A.D. 1057 in a record (No. 37) from Chadchan in the Indi
Taluk of the Bijapur District. His son Kannamarasa or Krishnaraja is represented
by a single inscription (No. 133), which also comes from
the same place and is dated Saka 988 or A.D. 1067.
He is stated to have been ruling from mangaliveda
an, through he is associated with feudatory titles like
Samadhigata-pancha-maha-sabda and Mahamandalesvara, no
over-lord is mentioned in the record.
The inscription is important in that it is the
only record of Kannamarasa or Krishnaraja discovered so
far. He was
the great-grandfather of Bijjala II who usurped the
Chalukya kingdom. Permadi,
the father of Bijjala II, is represented by one record
(No. 134). It is dated in his 12th regnal year, Saumya, which
corresponded to A. D. 1129.
Though this year falls right within the reign
period of theChalukya king Somesvara III, Permadi does
not mention any over-lord nor are any feudatory titles
associated with him.
This may suggest that he was trying to assert his
independence. In
the concluding portion of the record, it is stated that
Mahaprabhu Vikramadityarasa
would protect the gift.
But it is not certain who this Vikramatiya living
in A.D. 1129 could be. The
next ruler, Bijjala II, who was responsible for usurping
the Chalukya kingdom, is represented by sixteen records
in the Volume. The
earliest of them (No. 135) comes from Chikkalgi and is
dated in the year.[1]
Isvara, Karttika su. 9, Monday, regularly corresponding
to October 14, A.D. 1157.
The record does not mention the ruling monarch
Taila III but straightaway applies imperial titles to
the Bijjala. The
non-mention of the Chalukya overlord and the assumption
of the imperial titles would indicate that Bijjala was
trying to declare himself independent and that he was
probably acknowledged as such as early as A.D. 1157. in
some suggested by the Lakshmesvara inscription (No. 137)
wherein the genealogy of the Chalukya king Taila
III is given, though the formal preamble indicating the
rule or the latter king is not there.
This would show that Bijjala did acknowledge some
sore of suzerainty of Taila III, though he did not
hesitate to record is own regnal reckoning. The
Chikkalgi inscription is also interesting in that it
associates Bijjalaâs son (Kumara) Mailugi in the rule
of the kingdom. This
is the earliest mention, of this prince. A
feudatory of Bijjala is introduced in the person of
Mahapradhana Lakshmideva-Dandayanaka as the governor of
the 36-village-division in a record (No. 138) from
Bhuyar dated in the 7th regnal year of the
king, falling in the year Chitrabhanu or A.D. 1162.
If the chief Lakshmideva-dandanayaka is identical
with lakshmidevayya-dandanayaka who was an officer under
Sankama in A.D. 1178, then an earlier date is furnished
for him in the Bhuyar record under review.
Another
feudatory of Bijjala, in the person of
Sridhara-dandanayaka mentioned in No. 144, dated in A.D.
1166, is evidently the same for whom Fleet found the
dates A.D. 1157 and 1162 and suggested that he was
governing the territory in the neighbourhood of Anigere.
The record under review expressly states that he
was governing Huligere-300 and supplies a later date,
viz. , A.D. 1166 for him.
It also informs us that he was the son of
Hariyanayya-dandadhisa and Muddikavve and the grandson
of Dasiraja and Dugganavve. Bijjalaâs
son Rayamurari Sovideva, in whose favour the former is
known to have abdicted the throne, is represented by
thirteen inscriptions in this Volume. The earliest of them (No. 151) is dated in A.D. 1168 while
the latest (No. 159) bears the date A.D. 1176. The
former record mentions his feudatory Mahamandalesvara
Singidevarasa fo the Silahara family as governing
Elamelu. Another
record (No. 154) refers to the kingâs feudatory
Dandanayaka Kumara Bammidevarasa as governing Sagara,
Hagarittage and Elamela divisions and under him,
Mahamandalesvara Singidevarasa, apparently the person of
this name mentioned above, was administering Elamelu.
Mallugi
or Mallikarjuna is represented as an independent ruler
in three records, Nos. 164, 165 and 166.
Two of them (Nos. 164 and 166) are dated in his
second regnal year Durmukhi, corresponding to A.D. 1176,
thereby indicating that he commenced his rule from the
year Manmatha or A.D. 1175.
He is mentioned as a prince (Kumara) in two
records (Nos. 135 and 143) of his father Bijjala dated
in A.D. 1157 and 1166 respectively.
The former mentions him as associated with his
father in the rule of the kingdom.
No. 165, dated Saka 1098 or A.D. 1176, states
Mallikarjuna was ruling from his capital at Masanur. There
are two inscription (Nos. 167 and 168) of Sankama and
one (No. 169) of Ahavamalla.
No. 167 is dated in the kingâs 3rd
regnal year, Vilambi, corresponding to A.D. 1179, which
shows that his first year was Durmukhi or A.D. 1176.
No. 168 states that the king was ruling from his
capital at Kalyana.
Ahavamallaâs inscription is dated in his 4th
regnal year, Sobhakrit, corresponding to A.D. 1183 and
accordingly his first year would be Sarvari or A.D.
1180. A
word may be said about the capitals (nelevidu) of the
Kalachurya rulers as gleaned from their inscriptions in
this Volume. While
Krishna or Kannama had his capital at Mangaliveda (no.
133), no less than three places are mentioned as the
capitals of Bijjala II, viz., Mangaliveda(no. 149(,
Kalyana (nos. 138 and 142, and Kangara (no. 143).
Sovideva also had three capitals, Mangaliveda
(nos. 151 and 158), Seleyahalli (No. 154) and Modeganur
(No. 162). The
records of Mallugi and Sankama mention Masanur (no. 165)
and Kalyana (No. 168) respectively.
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