Political History of Rashtrakuta Dynasty
Indra II was followed by his Chalukyavanshi wife Bhavanaga The son born from Dantidurga (735-756 AD) became the king, who is considered to be the real founder of the Rashtrakuta kingdom. Although Dantidurga was also initially a feudatory of the Chalukya ruler Vikramaditya II of Vatapi, but with his ability and foresight, he transformed the Rashtrakuta kingdom and the state into an independent dynasty and empire. The date of its accession can be determined around 735 AD as it had acquired considerable fame by 742 AD.
Two inscriptions from the reign of Dantidurga have been found - one Fragmented Dashavatara inscription from Ellora of 742 AD And another Samanag inscription of 753-54 AD , These inscriptions throw light on his achievements. Apart from this, discussion of his victories is also found in the records of his successors.
Dantidurga's Political Achievements
Political Situation: At the time of the ascension of Dantidurga, there was chaos in Kathiawar and Gujarat region due to the invasion of Arab general Zubaid in the north. The kingdoms of Nausari, Nandipuri and Vallabhi had become economically weak due to the continuous invasion of Arabs. Maitraka ruler Shiladitya Pancham and Gurjar king Jayabhatta III made successful attempts to block his campaign, but they could not get permanent success. But the Chalukya king of Gujarat, Janashray Pulakeshin was successful in blocking the attack of Zubaid. Although the entire credit of this victory is given to Chalukyaraj Vikramaditya in the Nausari copper plate, historians like Altekar estimate that Dantidurga also helped Pulakeshin in this war on the orders of his master Chalukya Vikramaditya, due to which Vikramaditya was pleased with Dantidurga. He was given the titles of Prithvivallabh and Khadwalok.
Dantidurga increased his power and prestige as a feudatory of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya on the strength of his ability and foresight. In the Ellora, Samanagad and Begruma writings of Indra III, he is credited with fighting on the banks of the Mahi, Mahanadi and Rewa rivers and defeating the rulers of Kanchi, Kalinga, Kosala, Srisaila, Malav, Lat, Tank and Sindh. According to the article, he captured Ujjain and performed a yagya called Hiranyagarbha Mahadan, in which the Gurjara Pratihara king acted as a gatekeeper.
Dutidurga's most important achievement was to establish its independent power by defeating the Chalukyas in 753 AD. Contemporary writings refer to him conquering the Carnatic army and defeating Vallabha. In later writings also, Dantidurga is said to be free from the rule of the Chalukyas and the conqueror of many kings from the Himalayas in the north to Rameswaram in the south.
But the exact sequence of these conquests of Dantidurga is difficult to determine. According to Altekar, he defeated some rulers as feudatories of Chalukyas and some rulers after independence. Most historians believe that Dantidurga was the first to succeed as a feudatory under the Chalukyas against the Arabs, the Pallavas. After this he conquered Gurjar, Malwa, Ujjain and Central India. The ultimate achievement of Dantidurga would have been Dantidurga's attainment of universal status by defeating the Chalukyas of Vatapi.
Dantidurga's early victories
Collaboration Against the Arabs: Probably the first success of Dantidurga as a feudatory of the Chalukyas was against the Arabs. In the Ellora inscription of 742 AD of Dantidurga, the titles of Prithvivallabh and Khadgavaloka have been decorated, whereas in the same article its predecessor rulers are only SamadhigatPanchmahashabd and feudalpati The titles have been conferred. From this it seems that around 742 AD, it had earned a special reputation in a war.
Altekar is estimated to have given military support to the Chalukyaraj Janashraya Pulakeshin of Gujarat on the orders of his master in the war against the Arabs and prevented them from advancing. Pleased with this cooperation, Vikramaditya honored Dantidurga with the titles of Prithvivallabh and Khadvalok, which is mentioned in the Ellora inscription of 742 AD.
Campaign against Pallavas and Srisailam: Dantidurga probably participated in the campaign against the Pallavas of Kanchi along with the Chalukya crown prince Kirtivarman II around 743 AD and was instrumental in defeating Pallavaraja.
Returning from the Kanchi campaign, he also defeated the ruler of Srisaila at Kurnool. It is estimated that at that time the whole of Karnataka was under Kirtivarman II and Dantidurga would have attacked Kanchi and Srisaila as his feudatory.
Dantidurga thus participated in campaigns against the Arabs, the Pallavas and Srisaila at the behest of his Adhiraj Chalukya Vikramaditya.
Attempt to establish independent state
The success achieved in the wars against the Arabs, the Pallavas and Srisaila was bound to fuel Dantidurga's ambition. His mother was a Chalukya princess, so social ambition was present in him from birth. Fortunately, at this time the Chalukya king Vikramaditya died and his successor Kirtivarman II was not as capable and experienced as him.
Dantidurga was a courageous warrior and conqueror as well as a visionary ruler. He started his conquest around 744 AD to establish his independent empire. Since Dantidurga was the owner of only a part of Berar (modern Elichpur in Maharashtra) and western central India and Karnataka was under powerful rule of Chalukyas. Therefore, he started his conquest from the west and east, so that he would have to bear the least resistance from the Chalukya emperor.
Victory to Nandipuri and Nausari: The power of the Gurjars of Nandipuri and the Chalukya feudatories of Nausari was greatly weakened due to the invasion of the Arabs. Taking advantage of this favorable situation, Dantidurga with the help of his cousin Govind defeated the Gurjars of Nandipuri and the Chalukya feudatories of Nausari. He appointed his cousin Govind as the ruler of southern Gujarat and included Nandipuri in the Rashtrakuta kingdom.
Invasion of the Pratiharas of Malwa: Dantidurga looked towards the east at Malwa, a kingdom subordinated to the Gurjara Pratiharas. At this time the struggle for the throne was going on in Malwa between Seluk and Devraj. Taking advantage of this, Dantidurga attacked Malwa and captured its capital Ujjayini. To commemorate this victory, he performed the Hiranyagarbha-Mahadan in the royal palace of Ujjaini and presented a jewel-encrusted crown to the famous god of the city, Mahakal. Sanjan of the article According to the Gurjara Pratihara king did the work of gatekeeper in Hiranyagarbha Yagya-
hiranyagarbham rajanyarujjayanyam yadasitham.
Pratihararitam yen Gurjareshadirajakam.
According to Altekar the invasion of Malwa was a mere raid. Dantidurga did not control the Pratihara kingdom and was satisfied only by bringing it under his influence.
Victory to Kosala and Kalinga: After returning from Malwa, Dantidurg proceeded towards East Madhya Pradesh and took possession of Mahakoshal i.e. Chhattisgarh region of Madhya Pradesh. According to the Samanagad inscription, Hastisena of Dantidurga enjoyed bathing in Mahi and Mahanadi. Who was the king of Mahakosala? There is no information regarding this. On his way back he also defeated Kalinga.
Campaign in the Far South: Historians like Neelkanth Shastri estimate that after this Dantidurga made a military campaign to the far south and conquered the kingdom of Srisailam, reaching Kanchi, the capital of the Pallavas, the enemy of the Chalukyas. Earlier it had attacked Kanchi as an assistant to the Chalukyas. In this attack too, Dantidurga defeated the Pallava king Nandivarman II. But later the two rulers became friends and Dantidurga married his daughter Reva with Nandivarman, who later became the chief lady of Nandivarman Pallavamalla.
Conflict with Chalukyas: The conquests of Dantidurga and its military successes were an open challenge to Kirtivarman. To maintain the balance of power, it was necessary for Kirtivarman II to fight with Dantidurga. Altekar estimates that when Kirtivarman tried to re-establish his Gurjara feudatory of Nausari in Gujarat, Dantidurga opposed it and refused to leave southern Gujarat. As a result, a war started between the two. Although the details of this battle are not available, but Rashtrakuta inscriptions show that Dantidurga was decisively won in the war. Samangad Articles ( According to 753-54 AD), Dantidurga had defeated the huge Karnata army of Chalukyas without taking up arms.
Asranthampratihatagnampetayatnam.
Yo Vallabham Sapadi Dandbalen Jitva.
Bhrityaih kyadbhirapiyah sahasa jigaay.
The place where this war took place between the armies of the Rashtrakutas and the Chalukya emperor is not clearly known. Probably this war took place at some place in Madhya Maharashtra.
After defeating the Chalukya emperor, Dantidurga took control of the northern regions of the Chalukya Empire and celebrated this victory as Maharajadhiraja, Parameshwara, Parambhattaraka As emperor-indicative titles.
Although Dantidurga conquered Maharashtra by defeating Kirtivarman, this defeat did not destroy the power of the Chalukyas and continued to dominate Vatapi and Karnataka. Sources reveal that Kirtivarman donated a village at Satara in 754 AD and set up a camp for his Vijayavahini army on the banks of river Bhima in 757 AD.
Early capital of the Rashtrakutas: There is no clear information regarding where was the capital of Rashtrakutas during the reign of Dantidurga. In the Kathakosha, Shubhatunga, who was the title of Krishna I, is described as the ruler of Malkhed. On this basis some historians suggest that Manyakheta was the capital of the Rashtrakutas from the very beginning. According to Altekar, Shubhatunga was the title of Krishna II and it is clearly stated in the donation letters of Karka II that Amoghavarsha I first made Manyakheta the capital of the Rashtrakutas. Thus it is clear that before Amoghavarsha I, the capital of the Rashtrakutas was somewhere other than Manyakhet.
Some historians believe that Mayurkhindi located in Nashik district Or Marekhind fort was the capital of the early Rashtrakutas as the Vanni Dindori donation sheet was issued from this place. But according to Altekar, 'Mayurkhindishma Vasitenmaya' used in the article. It is known that Govind III had set up a temporary camp here at the time of issue of this donation. Therefore Mayurkhindi was a military base, not a capital. Similarly, Nashik cannot be considered as their initial capital because in the Dhulia and Pipperi grant letters, Nashik has been described as the center of the Viceroy.
Similarly, Lattalur and Paithan cannot be considered as their initial capital. Solobanjun near Ellora, possibly the early capital of the Rashtrakutas This site has yielded some archaeological remains and evidence of a huge reservoir. It is possible that in Berar Ellichpur It may have been the capital of the early Rashtrakutas.
denture evaluation
Dantidurga was a great conqueror, a skilled diplomat and a great administrator. He was the real founder of the Rashtrakuta Empire. He took full cooperation of nephew Karka II and uncle Krishna I in his strategic campaigns. He defeated almost all the important rulers of his contemporary Central India, the Dakshinapatha and the far south and established a vast empire, which extended from the northern border of Gujarat and Malwa in the north to the northern border of the Pallava kingdom in the south.
Dantidurga was a Brahmin religious ruler. He ruled according to the ideals of the scriptures and donated many villages according to the orders of his mother. He also donated a large amount of gold and gems on the occasion of Hiranyagarbha Mahadan Yagya at Ujjaini. On the auspicious occasion of Rathasaptami of 754 AD, he also distributed golden tulabhar donation among Brahmins.
समनगद दानपत्र 753-54 ई. में प्रकाशित किये गये थे, इसलिए दंतिदुर्ग के शासनकाल की अंतिम तिथि 754 ई. है। इसके उत्तराधिकारी की प्रथम ज्ञात तिथि 758 ई. है। संभवतः 754 और 758 ई. के बीच 756 ई. के आसपास इसकी मृत्यु हुई होगी।
इस प्रकार दंतिदुर्ग ने राष्ट्रकूट राजवंश को स्वतंत्र स्थायित्व प्रदान कर अपने उत्तराधिकारियों के लिए साम्राज्य-विस्तार का स्वर्णिम मार्ग प्रशस्त किया।
Political History of Rashtrakuta Dynasty
राष्ट्रकूट शासक कृष्ण प्रथम
Rashtrakuta ruler Sharva 'Amoghvarsha' the first