Krishna (
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: Kṛṣṇa, r. c. 1246-1261 CE), also known as Kanha or Kannara, was a ruler of the
Seuna (Yadava) dynasty
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 in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of t ...
of
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in South India, 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 bou ...
region in India. He successfully invaded 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 ...
kingdom 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 ...
, and fought inconclusive wars against the
Vaghelas and the
Hoysala
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...
s. The Yadava inscriptions also credit him or his generals with several other victories, but these claims are of doubtful veracity.
Early life
Krishna was a grandson of the Yadava king
Simhana
Simhana ( IAST: Siṃhaṇa, also transliterated as Singhana; r. c. 1210-1246 was the most powerful ruler of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty of Deccan region in India. He expanded his kingdom southwards at the expense of the Hoysalas, and fought the C ...
, and succeeded Simhana presumably because his father Jaitugi II died before Simhana. An inscription dated 2 November 1248 was issued during the second year of Simhana's reign, and an inscription dated 25 December 1248 was issued during the third year of his reign. This suggests that Simhana ascended the throne in November or December 1246.
In various Kannada inscriptions, Krishna's name appears as Kanha, Kanhara or Kandhara.
Wars
Krishna maintained the territory that he had inherited from his grandfather. The Yadava inscriptions credit him with several conquests. For example, the Munoli inscription describes him as:
Paramaras
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 ...
dynasty ruled the
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 ...
kingdom located to the north of the Yadava kingdom. By the time of Krishna's ascension, the Paramara power and prestige had declined because of invasions from the
Iltutmish
Shams ud-Din Iltutmish ( fa, شمس الدین ایلتتمش; died 30 April 1236, ) was the third of the Mamluk kings who ruled the former Ghurid territories in northern India. He was the first Muslim sovereign to rule from Delhi, and is thus ...
-led
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). . Krishna took advantage of this situation, and invaded Malwa sometime during the reign of the Paramara king
Jaitugideva
Jaitugi-deva (reigned c. 1239-1255 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty, who ruled in the Malwa region of central India.
Jaitugi succeeded his father Devapala as the Paramara king. He assumed the title ''Bala-Narayana''. No inscrip ...
. The invasion must have happened in or before 1250, when the Yadava records first mention it.
The Munoli inscription compares Krishna to
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
(''trinetra'') and the Paramara king to the
Madana (in
Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...
, Shiva incinerates Madana). The Mamadapur inscription also alludes to Krishna's victory over the Paramara king. The invasion does not seem to have resulted in any territorial annexation.
Vaghelas
Krishna also attempted an invasion of the
Vaghela-ruled
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
(
Gurjara
Gurjaradesa ("Gurjara country") or Gurjaratra is a historical region in India comprising the eastern Rajasthan and northern Gujarat during the period of 6th -12th century CE. The predominant power of the region, the Gurjara-Pratiharas eventual ...
) region. The Vaghela king Visala-deva had married a
Hoysala
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...
princess: both these kingdoms were traditional rivals of the Yadavas, and the marriage may have provided additional provocation for Krishna's invasion.
The conflict was probably limited to a few frontier skirmishes, which variously resulted in advantage for the Yadavas and the Vagehlas, and did not result in any significant territorial changes. Both Yadava and Vaghela records claim victory in this inconclusive conflict. The Yadavas'
Paithan
Paithan pəɪ.ʈʰaɳ(), historically Pratiṣṭhāna ɾə'tɪʂʈʰana is a town with municipal council in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India. Paithan is located south of present-day Aurangabad on the Godavari River.
It was the cap ...
inscription and a eulogy by their court-poet
Hemadri
Hemādri Paṇḍit, popularly known as Hemāḍapanta, was a polymath and a prime minister from 1259 to 1274 C.E. in the regimes of King Mahādev (1259–1271) and King Ramachandra (1271–1309) of Seuna Yādav Dynasty of Devagiri, which ruled i ...
claim that Krishna destroyed the forces of Visala-deva. On the other hand, the Vaghelas' Dabhoi inscription claims that Visala-deva defeated Krishna.
Hoysalas
Krishna's general Chamunda claims to have "humbled the pride" of the
Hoysala
The Hoysala Empire was a Kannada people, Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially loca ...
king
Someshvara Someshwara or its variant spellings ''Someshwar'', ''Someshvara'' and ''Someshvar'' may refer to:
* Soma (deity), a Vedic Hindu deity
* Shiva, a Hindu deity
People
* Someshvara I, 11th century Indian king from the Western Chalukya dynasty
* Somes ...
sometime before 1250. According to historian A. S. Altekar, this may be a reference to the Yadava success in a frontier skirmish. Historian T. V. Mahalingam theorizes that the Yadava forces were able to capture a part of the Hoysala territory, as attested by the discovery of Krishna's inscriptions in the present-day
Chitradurga district
Chitradurga district is an administrative district of Karnataka state in southern India. The city of Chitradurga is the district headquarters. Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found there. Tradition ...
. The Hoysala records claim victory for Someshvara.
Pandyans
Krishna's general Bichana, who was the viceroy of the southern part of Yadava kingdom, claims to have defeated the
Pandyans sometime before 1253. Historian T. V. Mahalingam believes this to be conventional claim without any historical basis. According to historian A. S. Altekar, there may be some truth to this claim: the Pandyan king
Jatavarman Sundara had invaded the
Kakatiya
The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was an Indian dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region comprising present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and parts of eastern Karnataka and southern Odisha between 12th and 14th centuries. Th ...
kingdom, advancing as far as
Nellore
Nellore is a city located on the banks of Penna River, in Nellore district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of the district, as well as Nellore mandal and Nellore revenue division. It is the List of cities in ...
. It is possible that the Kakatiya king Ganapati, who ruled as a Yadava feudatory for several years, requested Krishna's help against the Pandya invasion, and Krishna dispatched Bichana to help him.
Cholas
The Munoli inscription of Krishna's general Chamunda states that Krishna defeated the Cholas, but this appears to be an exaggeration.
Kalachuris
The Munoli inscription states that Krishna captured the
Kalachuri capital
Tripuri
Tripuri refer to:
*Tripuri people, an ethnic group in India and Bangladesh, also known as Tipra people
**Tripuri language
**Tripuri nationalism
**Tripuri calendar
**Tripuri culture
**Tripuri cuisine
**Tripuri dances
**Tripuri dress
**Tripuri games ...
. The Kalachuri kingdom had ceased to exist by the mid-13th century, and their former territory had practically turned into a
no-man's land
No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...
. it is possible that Krishna or one of his generals occupied Tripuri for a while.
Last days
Krishna's last inscription is dated May 1261. His son
Ramachandra
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
was probably not born or was not old enough to hold the title of ''yuvaraja'' (heir apparent) at the time of his ascension, or to ascend the throne at the time of his death. Krishna's brother
Mahadeva Mahadeva may refer to:
Religion
*Mahadeva, a title of the Hindu god Shiva
** Parashiva, a form of Shiva
** Parameshwara (god), a form of Shiva
*Para Brahman, a Hindu deity
*Adi-Buddha, in Buddhism, the "First Buddha" or the "Primordial Buddha"
*M ...
, who was designated the heir apparent since at least 1250 and assisted the king in the administration, succeeded him in 1261. Mahadeva was succeeded by his son
Ammana, but Ramachandra forcefully dethroned him and became the new king in 1271.
Administration
Simhana's generals and officers, such as Bichana and his elder brother Mallisetti, continued to serve Krishna. Mallisetti, who was a district officer under Simhana, rose to the rank of ''sarva-deshadhikari'' (viceroy) early in Krishna's reign. His son Chamunda-raya held the titles ''maha-pradhana'' and ''maha-matya'' since around 1250.
Lakshmideva, a
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
i
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
, was another important minister of Krishna, and claims to have helped consolidate the king's rule. His son Jalhana was a counsellor as well as a leader of the
elephant force, and claims to have won several battles for Krishna. Jalhana also compiled or commissioned the compilation of the Sanskrit anthology ''
Sukti-muktavali''. His sons Ramachandra and Keshava held fiefs in present-day Satara district, and continued to serve the Yadavas after their father's death.
Religion
Krishna followed
Vedic Hinduism, and one of his inscriptions describes him as ''Vedoddhara'' ("upholder of the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
"). 13th century Yadava court scholar
Hemadri
Hemādri Paṇḍit, popularly known as Hemāḍapanta, was a polymath and a prime minister from 1259 to 1274 C.E. in the regimes of King Mahādev (1259–1271) and King Ramachandra (1271–1309) of Seuna Yādav Dynasty of Devagiri, which ruled i ...
credits him with performing several ritual sacrifices and rejuvenating the weakened ''
dharma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
''. The
Mahanubhava
Mahanubhava (also known as Jai Krishni Pantha) refers to Krishnaite Hindu denomination in India that was founded by Sarvadnya Shri Chakradhar Swami (or Shri Chakradhara Swami),an ascetic and philosopher who is
considered as a reincarnati ...
text ''Lila-charita'' states that Krishna had high regard for the Mahanubhava saints, he visited the sect's founder
Chakradhara
Chakradhara ( mr, चक्रधर), also known as Sarvadnya Shri Chakradhar Swami or Kunwar Haripaladeva was an Indian saint and philosopher, who is considered as an avatara of Krishna by his disciples and one of the most important exponents ...
at
Lonar
Lonar is a town and municipal council in Buldhana district of Vidarbha region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The town is the headquarter of Lonar taluka and is located near Mehkar.
Lonar is famous for Lonar crater and Lonar Lake, which is l ...
.
Cultural activities
The literary works composed during Krishna's reign include:
* ''
Sukti-muktavali'', a Sanskrit anthology containing selections of writings from celebrated poets: it was compiled or commissioned by Krishna's minister Jalhana
* ''Vedanta-kalpataru'', Amalananda's commentary on Vachaspati-mishra's ''
Bhamati''
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{Seuna (Yadava) dynasty
Seuna (Yadava) dynasty