Kirttivarman I(IAST:Kīrtti-varman; r. c. 566-592) was a ruler of theChalukya dynastyofVatapi(present-day Badami) in India. He ruled parts of present-day Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
| Kirttivarma I | |
|---|---|
| Maharaja, Shri-prithvi-vallabha, Satyashraya | |
| Chalukya king | |
| Reign | c. 566– c. 592 |
| Predecessor | Pulakeshin I |
| Successor | Mangalesha |
| Issue | Pulakeshin II,Vishnuvardhana,Buddha-varasa |
| Dynasty | Chalukyas of Vatapi |
| Father | Pulakeshin I |
Kirttivarman was the son of his predecessorPulakeshin I,the first sovereign ruler of the dynasty. He expanded the Chalukya kingdom by defeating theNalas,theMauryas of Konkana,theKadambas,theAlupas,and the Gangas ofTalakad.
Names and titles
editSome of the dynasty's inscriptions call him Kirtti-raja. TheGodachiinscription calls him Katti-arasa, which is probably aKannada languagevariant of his name.[1]
Besides the regal titleMaharaja,the dynasty's inscriptions accord him the Chalukya family epithetsShri-prithvi-vallabha,Vallabha,andSatyashraya.TheMahakuta pillarinscription of his brother Mangalesha compares him to the legendary kingPuru,calling himPuru-rana-parakrama( "valourous in war like Puru" ).[1]
Early life
editKirttivarman I was a son ofPulakeshin I,the first sovereign ruler of the Chalukya dynasty. TheAmminabhaviinscription, which is the last extant record from Pulakeshin's reign, is dated to the 566-567 CE (Shakayear 488). The 578 CE Badami inscription, which was issued during the 12th regnal year of Kirttivarman, is dated to the 31 October 578 CE (theKarttika PaurnamasiofShaka year500).[1]Thus, Kirttivarman must have ascended the throne in 566-567 CE.[2]
Military conquests
editThe 578 CE Badami inscription and the Godachi inscription issued during Kirttivarman's reign do not provide any information about the political events of his reign. TheAiholeinscription of Pulakeshin II states that Kirttivarman was "the night of doom" for theNalas,the Mauryas, and theKadambas.[2]TheMahakuta Pillarinscription of Kirttivarman's brother and successorMangaleshacredits him with victories over rulers of several other kingdoms, but this is an obvious exaggeration.[2]
Kadambas
editApart from the Aihole inscription, several other Chalukya records credit Kirttivarman with victory over theKadambas,whose capital was located at Vaijayanti (modernBanavasi), and whose various branches ruled in the adjacent areas. The Mahakuta Pillar inscription states that the ruler of Vaijayanti was one of the kings vanquished by Kirttivarman. The inscriptions of the laterKalyani Chalukyas,who claimed descent from the Vatapi Chalukyas, poetically describe Kirttivarman "as an axe that cut at the very roots of the Kadambas" (kadambais also the name of a tree).[3]
Kirttivarman's fatherPulakeshin Iappears to have achieved some military successes against the Kadambas. Kirttivarman adopted a more aggressive policy against them, and annexed their capital to the Chalukya kingdom.[4]The Chalukya inscriptions do not mention the contemporary Kadamba king, but he was most probably Ajavarman, the son of Krishnavarman II.[5]
The Chalukya inscriptions issued during and after the regency ofVijaya(r.c. 650– c. 655) state that Kirttivarman obtained "pure fame" by defeating the rulers of Banavasi and othermandalas(provinces), which suggests that he defeated the Kadambas of Banavasi, but also the rulers of other Kadamba branches.[3]The Aihole inscription states that he broke up a confederacy of the Kadambas: this confederacy may have included theGangasand the Sendrakas, who were allowed to rule as Chalukya vassals after Kirttivarman's victory.[4]
Nalas
editTheNala dynastyruled in and around present-dayChhattisgarhduring the 6th century. Besides the Aihole inscription, Kirttivarman's victory over the Nalas is also mentioned in the later Chalukya records which state that he destroyed the habitations (nilaya) of the Nalas.[6]
During the time of Kirttivarman's grandsonVikramaditya Iand his successors, the Chalukya empire had avishaya(province) named Nalavadi, whose name may have derived from its former rulers, the Nalas.[6]
Mauryas of Konkana
editTheMauryas of Konkana(modernKonkan) ruled the coastal region of present-dayMaharashtra,from their capital at Puri, which is generally identified with Gharapuri on theElephanta Island.After defeating the Mauryas, Kirttivarman appears to have appointed a new governor for the former Maurya territory.[6]
According to one theory, this governor was Satyashraya Dhruva-raja Indra-varman, who is variously identified as Kirttivarman's maternal relative or a member of his family. The Nerur inscription from the reign of Kirttivarman's successor Mangalesha records the donation of the Kundivataka village in Konkanavishaya(province) by this governor. According to another theory, the governor appointed by Kirttivarman was Svamiraja, a Chalukya chief, who according to the Nerur inscription, was defeated and killed by Mangalesha.[6]
Alupas
editAccording to the Mahakuta Pillar inscription, Kirttivarman subjugated theAlupas(also called Alukas or Aluvas), who subsequently became Chalukya feudatories. Thefind spotsof the Alupa inscriptions suggest that they ruled in theDakshina Kannadaregion.[7]
Gangas
editThe Mahakuta Pillar inscription also mentions Kirttivarman's victory over the Gangas, who like the Alupas, ended up as Chalukya feudatories. These Gangas were most probably the Gangas ofTalakad,who had earlier served asKadambafeudatories. Kirttivarman may have defeated them during his campaign against the Kadambas, and probably reinstated them after they agreed to accept his suzerainty. The Ganga rival of Kirttivarman was most probably Durvinita.[7]
Other purported victories
editThe Mahakuta Pillar inscription also claims that Kirttivarman defeated the rulers ofVanga,Anga,Kalinga,Vattura (unidentified),Magadha,Madraka,Kerala(Cheras of western Tamil Nadu and central Kerala[8]),Ganga,Mushaka(northern Kerala[8]),Pandya,Dramila (possibly thePallava[9]),Choliya,AlukaandVaijayanti.This is an obvious poetic exaggeration,[10]and these claims do not appear even in the inscriptions of Kirttivarman's own son,Pulakeshin II.[2]Most of these territories were not a part of the Chalukya empire even at its zenith.[11][8]
Extent of the kingdom
editKirttivarman inherited a small kingdom centered aroundVatapi,and expanded it substantially. At its height, his kingdom extended from theKonkancoast of present-dayMaharashtrain north to theShimoga districtof Karnataka in the south; and from theArabian Seain the west to theKurnoolandGunturdistricts (Andhra Pradesh) in the east.[11]
Administration
editThe Godachi inscription describes Kirttivarman as someone "who felt delighted in fostering justice to his subjects".[12]
His minister Vyaghrasvamin, who held the offices ofRajyasarvasyaandDhurandhara,was a learned man.[12]
TheChipluninscription of Satyashraya describes Kirttivarman I as "the first maker" of the Vatapa city,[11]although other Chalukya inscriptions credit his fatherPulakeshin Iwith making Vatapi the dynasty's capital and constructing a fort there.[13]This discrepancy can be explained by assuming that the construction of the Vatapi fort was started during Pulakeshin's reign, and was completed during Kirttivarman's reign.[14]
Religion
editAccording to the Mahakuta Pillar inscription, Kirttivarman performed the Agnishtoma and Bahusuvarna ritual sacrifices. The Godachi inscription states that he was well-versed in all theShastrasandSmritis.[12]The Mahakuta Pillar inscription of his brother Mangalesha states that Mangalesha constructed aVishnutemple on his orders.[15]
Personal life
editKirttivarman married a sister of the Sendraka king Shri-vallabha Senanada, as attested by the Chiplun inscription of Pulakeshin II. The Sendrakas were former Kadamba vassals, who had transferred their allegiance to the Chalukyas after Kirttivarman's conquest of the Kadamba kingdom.[5]
He had at least three sons:Pulakeshin II,Vishnuvardhana,and Buddha-varasa. The Nirpan grant inscription namesDharashraya Jayasimhaas a son of Kirttivarman, but according toJ. F. Fleet,this inscription is spurious.[12]
Succession
editKirttivarman was succeeded by his brotherMangalesha,who was succeeded by Kirttivarman's son Pulakeshin II. The inscriptions of the Kalyani Chalukyas suggest that Mangalesha assumed the throne because Pulakeshin II was a minor at the time of Kirttivarman's death, and returned the kingdom to Pulakeshin II when the latter became an adult. However, theAiholeprashastiinscription of Pulakeshin II suggests that there was a conflict over the throne, which resulted in the murder of Mangalesha.[12]
The later records of the family largely ignore Mangalesha, and the inscriptions from the reign of Mangalesha are not dated in acalendar era.J. F. Fleetassumed 597-598 CE as the beginning of Mangalesha's reign, but this cannot be said with certainty.[16]Therefore, the length of Kirttivarman's reign cannot be determined with certainty based on the available evidence.[2]He seems to have ruled up to 591-592 CE.[12]
Inscriptions
editThe following inscriptions from Kirttivarman's reign have been discovered:[1]
- 578 CE Badami inscription
- Records the construction of aVishnutemple by the king's younger brother Mangalishvara (Mangalesha)
- Godachicopper-plate inscription
- Issued during the 12th regnal year of the king
- Records the gift of a field to abrahmanaat the request of the minister Vyaghrasvamin, who held the titlesRajya-sarvasaandDhurandhara
Some scholars have dated theAdurinscription to his reign, but that is inscription was issued during the reign of Kirttivarman II.[1]
References
edit- ^abcdeDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 38.
- ^abcdeDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 39.
- ^abDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 40.
- ^abDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,pp. 40–41.
- ^abDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 41.
- ^abcdDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 42.
- ^abDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 43.
- ^abcNarayanan, M. G. S.Perumāḷs of Kerala: Brahmin Oligarchy and Ritual Monarchy: Political and Social Conditions of Kerala Under the Cēra Perumāḷs of Makōtai (c. AD 800 - AD 1124).Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 90.
- ^C. R. Srinivasan 1979,p. 28.
- ^Dineschandra Sircar 1971,p. 165.
- ^abcDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 44.
- ^abcdefDurga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 45.
- ^Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 35.
- ^Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980,p. 37.
- ^K. A. Nilakanta Sastri 1960,p. 208.
- ^Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980,pp. 48–49.
Bibliography
edit- C. R. Srinivasan (1979).Kanchipuram Through the Ages.Agam Kala Prakashan.
- Dineschandra Sircar (1971).Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India.Motilal Banarsidass.ISBN978-81-208-0690-0.
- Durga Prasad Dikshit (1980).Political History of the Chālukyas of Badami.Abhinav.OCLC8313041.
- K. A. Nilakanta Sastri(1960). "The Chaḷukyās of Bādāmi". In Ghulam Yazdani (ed.).The Early History of the Deccan.Vol. I–VI. Oxford University Press.OCLC174404606.
- T. V. Mahalingam (1969).Kāñcīpuram in early South Indian history.Asia Publishing House.ISBN9780210227015.