Hoysala Empire
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent. It ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The empire is remembered today primarily for its architecture. Over a hundred surviving temples are scattered across Karnataka.
About Hoysala Empire in brief
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent. It ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The Hoysalas were originally from Malenadu, an elevated region in the Western Ghats. They annexed areas of present-day Karnataka and the fertile areas north of the Kaveri delta. The empire is remembered today primarily for its architecture. Over a hundred surviving temples are scattered across Karnataka. Well known temples include the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu, and the Chennakesha Temple, Somanathapura. The rulers also patronised the fine arts, encouraging literature to flourish in Kannada and Sanskrit. During this time, the four-way struggle for hegemony – Pandya, Kakatiya, Seuna and Seuna – saw a four- way struggle for power. The king Vishnuvardhana’s ambition of creating an independent empire was fulfilled by his grandson Veera Ballala II, who freed the Hoyalas from subordination in 1187–1193. He founded the city of Bangalore and assumed the title of Emperor of the Chola Kingdom, south of Tamil Nadu, making it the most important city of the 12th century. He was succeeded by his son and successor, VeeraBallala III, who ruled between 1187 and 1193. The word ‘Hoy’ literally translates to ‘hoy’ in Old Kannado, hence the name ‘Hoysala-sala’ The legend may have come into existence or gained popularity after a fight between the mythical warrior Sala and a tiger, the tiger being the emblem of theCholas.
The legend first appeared in the Belur inscription of Vishnuvarhana, but owing to several inconsistencies in the Sala story it remains in the realm of folklore. It is not known if the legend came into existence after King VishnuVarhana’s victory over the Cholas at Talakadu as the Haysala emblem depicts the fight between a tiger and a mythical warrior. But there are no early records directly linking the Hysalas to the Yadavas of North India. Early inscriptions, dated 1078 and 1090, have implied that the HYSALas were descendants of the Yadava by referring to the Yadava vamsa as the \”Hoyala vamssa\”. The first Hoyala family record is dated 950 and names Arekalla as the chieftain, followed by Maruga and Nripa Kama I. The next ruler, Munda, was succeeded to Nripo Kama II who held such titles as Permanadi that show an early alliance with the Western Ganga dynasty. From these modest beginnings, the dynasty began its transformation into a strong subordinate of the Western Chalukya Empire. By the 13th century, they governed most of Karnataka,. minor parts of Tamil Chennai and parts of western Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the Deccan Plateau.
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This page is based on the article Hoysala Empire published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 03, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
