Western Chalukya Empire

The Western Chalukya Empire ruled most of the western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. The dynasty rose to power and grew into an empire under Someshvara I who moved the capital to Kalyani. Most of its monuments are in the districts bordering the Tungabhadra River in central Karnataka.

About Western Chalukya Empire in brief

Summary Western Chalukya EmpireThe Western Chalukya Empire ruled most of the western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. The dynasty rose to power and grew into an empire under Someshvara I who moved the capital to Kalyani. For over a century, the two empires of Southern India fought many fierce wars to control the fertile region of Vengi. The genealogy of the kings of this empire is still debated. One theory, based on contemporary literary and evidence, suggests that the Western ChalUkya kings belonged to the same family line as the illustrious Badami dynasty of 6th-century, while other Westerna evidence indicates they were a distinct line unrelated to the early ChaluKYa dynasty. The other major ruling families of the Deccans, the Hoysalas, the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri, the Kakatiya dynasty and the Southern Kalachuris of Kalyni, gained their independence only when the power of the Chalu Kyas waned during the later half of the 12th century. The Western Chaloukyas developed an architectural style known today as a transitional style, an architectural link between the style of the early Chola dynasty and that of the later Hoysala empire. Most of its monuments are in the districts bordering the Tungabhadra River in central Karnataka. Well known examples are the Kasivisvesvara Temple at Lakkundi, the Mallikarjuna Temple at Kuruvatti, the Kallesvara temple at Bagali and the Mahadeva Temple at Itagi.

The earliest record is dated 957, during the rule of Tailapa II when the Western Chukyas were still a feudatory of the Rashtrakutas and governed from Tardavadi in present-day Bijapur district, Karn Bangalore. This was an important period in the development of fine arts in Southern India, especially in literature as the Western cholas encouraged writers in the native language Kannada, and Sanskrit. A few years later, during Tailapa’s successor Vikramaditya II-established the re-established ChaluKya rule. This rebellion was unfruitful but paved the way for his successor Tail Papa II- established the Karkarka rule and defeated the Rashututas during the reign of Karkas II- Karkasi II. The Karka ruled from 973 to 983. The first Kannadiga king, Chattadeva, was killed in a battle in 987. He was the last ruler of the Kalkadiga dynasty to rule from 988 to 993. The last ruler to rule was Karkadeva I, who died in 994, and was succeeded by his son, Kalkadeva II-Bhagavadhi. He ruled between 994 and 999. The Chalukias were related to the Cholas of Tanjore by marriage, but were not related to them by blood.