Krishna III whose
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
name was Kannara (r. 939 – 967 C.E.) was the last great warrior and able monarch of the
Rashtrakuta dynasty
Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...
of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring back the glory of the Rashtrakutas and played an important role in rebuilding the Rashtrakuta empire. He patronised the famous
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
poets
Sri Ponna
Ponna ( kn, ಪೊನ್ನ) (c. 945) was a noted Kannada poet in the court of Rashtrakuta Dynasty king Krishna III (r.939–968 CE). The emperor honoured Ponna with the title "emperor among poets" (''Kavichakravarthi'') for his ...
, who wrote ''Shanti purana'', Gajankusha, also known as Narayana, who wrote on erotics, and the
Apabhramsha poet Pushpadanta who wrote ''Mahapurana'' and other works.
[Kamath (2001), p84, p90][Sastri (1955), p356]Reu
Reu or Ragau ( he, רְעוּ, Rə'ū; grc-x-biblical, Ῥαγαύ, Rhagaú), according to Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, was the son of Peleg and the father of Serug, thus being Abraham's great-great-grandfather and the ancestor of the Israelite ...
(1933), p86 His queen was a
Chedi princess and his daughter Bijjabbe was married to a
Western Ganga prince. During his rule he held titles such as ''Akalavarsha'', ''Maharajadhiraja'', ''Parameshvara'', ''Paramamaheshvara'', ''Shri Prithvivallabha'' etc.
[Reu (1933), p82] At his peak, he ruled a vast empire stretching from the
Narmada river in the north to the
Kaveri
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu dis ...
river delta in the south. A copper grant of 993 issued by the Shilahara king of Thana claims the Rashtrakuta control extended from the Himalayas in the north to Ceylon in the south and from the eastern sea to the western seas. The grant states that when King Krishna III mobilised his armies, the kings of Chola, Bengal, Kannauj, Andhra and Pandya regions used to quiver.
[Reu (1933), p43]
Southern invasion
He killed the
Western Ganga ruler Rachamalla II and made his brother-in-law
Butuga II
Butuga II (938–961 CE) became the ruler of the Western Ganga Dynasty after his elder brother Rachamalla III.
Relations with Rashtrakutas
In order to ascend the throne he had to first seek help from the Rashtrakutas who were hitherto their a ...
the king of the
Gangavadi territory. He invaded the territory of Gurjara
Prathihara
The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj.
The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the ...
and captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjara regions. He even defeated his own family relations, the
Kalachuris of Tripuri
The Kalachuris of Tripuri ( IAST: ), also known the Kalachuris of Chedi, ruled parts of central India during 7th to 13th centuries. They are also known as the Later Kalachuris to distinguish them from their earlier namesakes, especially the Kal ...
(Chedi) who had turned against the Rashtrakutas.
[Kamath (2001), p82] Later he invaded the southern
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
and recaptured
Kolar
Kolar or Kolara is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar district. The city is known for its milk production and gold mines. It is also known for Someshwara temple and Kolaramma temple.
History
The Wes ...
and
Dharmapuri
Dharmapuri is a special grade town in the north western part of Tamil Nadu, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district which is the first district created in Tamil Nadu after the independence of India by spli ...
from the
Banas and Vaidumbas who had given shelter to
Govinda IV due to his matrimonial relations with the
Cholas. Though he initially may have experienced setbacks, Tondaimandalam (northern Tamil regions) was secured by 944. He defeated the
Cholas and captured
Kanchi
Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its temple ...
and
Tanjore
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
, according to the Siddalingamadam plates of 944.
[Kamath (2001), p83]
In c. 949, he defeated the Cholas decisively in a
battle of Takkolam
The Battle of Takkolam (948–949) was a military engagement between a contingent of troops led by Rajaditya, crown prince and eldest son of the Chola king Parantaka I (907–955), and another led by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III (939–96 ...
in the
North Arcot
North Arcot was a former district in Madras Presidency, acquired by the annexation of the Arcot State in 1855 when its Nawab died without issue. It had Chittoor as its headquarters (currently in Andhra pradesh). On 1 April 1911, the Chittoor ...
district.
[From the Karhad record of 949 (Kamath 2001, p83)] Krishna III was helped by his Western Ganga feudatory Butuga II in these campaign. Chola prince
Rajaditya
Rajaditya Chola (''fl.'' mid-10th century AD) was a Chola prince, son of king Parantaka I (r. 907–955) and a Chera/Kerala princess ( the Ko Kizhan AdigalNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 96- ...
Chola was killed "while seated on his elephant with a well-aimed arrow". From the famous
Atakur inscription
The Atakur inscription (sometimes spelt Athakur, Athagur, Athkur, Atkur or Atukur) dated 949-950 C.E. is an inscribed memorial stone (Hero stone) with classical Kannada composition inscription.Fleet in Hultzsch (1900), p.51Datta (1988), p.1717 I ...
it is known that Krishna III gave Buthuga II extensive Ratta territories near
Banavasi
Banavasi is an ancient temple town located near Sirsi in Karnataka. Banavasi was the ancient capital of the Kannada empire Kadamba that ruled all of modern-day Karnataka state. They were the first native empire to bring Kannada and Karnataka t ...
in return for this victory.
[From the ]Atakur inscription
The Atakur inscription (sometimes spelt Athakur, Athagur, Athkur, Atkur or Atukur) dated 949-950 C.E. is an inscribed memorial stone (Hero stone) with classical Kannada composition inscription.Fleet in Hultzsch (1900), p.51Datta (1988), p.1717 I ...
(Kamath 2001, p83)[Sarma (1992), p20, p28, p133][Adiga (2006), p120, p307] With the fall of the Cholas, he was able to extract tribute from the
Pandyas and the Chera ruler of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
.
[Narayanan, 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. 100-101.] He also obtained the submission of the King of Ceylon, extracted tributes from the Manadlika rulers, and erected a pillar of victory at Ramesvaram.
[From the Sholapur copper plate inscriptions of 958 (Reu 1933, p84, p85)] This victory is narrated in Somadeva's writing ''Yashatilaka Champu'' of 959 as well.
[Krishna III is described as the conqueror of Chola, Chera, Pandya and Simhala (]Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
) (Reu 1933, p86)
However, from location of the inscriptions it is argued that Krishna III had full control only of Tondaimandalam (northern
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
) as his inscriptions are not found further south in modern
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
.
[Sathianath Ayer in Kamath 2001, p83] After these victories he proclaimed himself "Conqueror of Kacci and Tanjai" (Kanchi and Tanjore).
[from the Tirukkalukkunram and Lakshmeshvara inscriptions (Reu 1933, p83, p85)] He exerted influence on
Vengi
Vengi (or Venginadu) is a delta region spread over the Krishna and Godavari River, (also called Godavari and Krishna districts), the region is also known as Godavari Delta, that used to house world famous diamond mines in the Medieval period ...
(modern
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
) by helping Badapa secure the throne against his competitor Amma II. Later, Danarnava of Vengi became his feudatory.
Northern expedition
While Krishna III focussed on southern
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
, the
Chandela
The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region (then called ''Jejakabhukti'') between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs.
...
s had captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjar. This prompted Krishna III to send his Western Ganga feudatory Marasimha, son of Buthuga II, to retrieve the lost areas. Marasimha defeated the Gurjara Prathiharas. The northernmost
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
inscription of the Rashtrakutas, dated about 964 is the Jura record (near
Jabalpur
Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. J ...
) in present-day
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
. The details of these victories are inscribed in this inscription.
Two inscriptions of Marasimha, dated 965 CE and 968 CE, state that his forces destroyed
Ujjayani (which lies in the
Paramara
The Paramara dynasty (IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.
The dynasty was established in either th ...
territory of
Malwa
Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...
). Based on this, some historians such as
A. S. Altekar conclude that the Paramara king
Siyaka
Siyaka (IAST: Sīyaka; reigned c. 949-972 CE), also known as Harsha (IAST: Harṣa), was a Paramara king, who ruled in west-central India. He appears to have been the first independent ruler of the Paramara dynasty.
Siyaka is the earliest Para ...
must have rebelled against the Rashtrakuta suzerainty, resulting in a military campaign against him. Thus, Marasimha must have also defeated the Paramaras. However, K. N. Sethi believes that Krishna III only targeted the Gurjara-Pratiharas: there is no evidence to show that Siyaka rebelled against Krishna III or faced a battle against his forces.
At his peak, Krishna III ruled an empire that extended from
Narmada river in the north and stretched south covering large parts of present-day northern
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
in the south. The
Prathihara
The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj.
The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the ...
, the
Paramara
The Paramara dynasty (IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.
The dynasty was established in either th ...
, the
Seuna
The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri (IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada River, Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the west ...
(ruled by Vaddiga) and the
northern Kalachuris were his feudatories in the northern Deccan and central India.
[However the Deoli inscriptions claim the Rashtrakuta control extended from the Himalayas in the north to Ceylon in the south and from the eastern sea to the western sea (Reu 1933, p83, p84)]
This enmity with the northern Kalachuris of Tripuri proved fatal to the empire towards the end of his rule. Krishna III was also perhaps reckless in giving large ''fiefs'' (land grants) to his commanders. He gave the province of Tardavadi (present day
Bijapur district) sometime before 965 to
Tailapa II
Tailapa II (r. c. 973-997), also known as Taila II and by his title ''Ahavamalla'', was the founder of the Western Chalukya dynasty in southern India. Tailapa claimed descent from the earlier Chalukyas of Vatapi, and initially ruled as a Rashtr ...
his Chalukya feudatory right in the heart of his empire. This later turned out to be to the Rashtrakutas' undoing.
Notes
References
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External links
History of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krishna 03
967 deaths
Hindu monarchs
10th-century rulers in Asia
Rashtrakuta dynasty