The Vishnukundina dynasty (
IAST: Viṣṇukundina) was an Indian dynasty based in
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 ...
, which ruled 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 ...
,
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 3 ...
,
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
and parts of
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
during the 5th and 6th centuries, carving land out from the
Vakataka Empire. It played an important role in the history of the Deccan during the 5th and 6th centuries. The dynasty initially ruled from Indrapalanagara (in present day
Nalgonda district
Nalgonda district is a district in the Telangana state of India. Nalgonda district has the highest number of mandals in the state with 31 mandals. The district shares boundaries with Suryapet, Rangareddy, Yadadri and Nagarkurnool districts an ...
of Telangana), and later shifted to
Denduluru, and
Amaravathi.
The area north of the
Godavari
The Godavari (IAST: ''Godāvarī'' od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga river and drains into the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwa ...
,
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to:
Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology
* Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India
** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature
** Kalinga script, an ancient writ ...
became independent, the area south of the
Krishna River fell to the
Pallavas
The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...
. The Vishnukundina reign came to an end with the conquest of the eastern Deccan by the
Chalukya
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty ...
,
Pulakeshin II. Pulakeshi appointed his brother
Kubja Vishnuvardhana
Kubja Vishnuvardhana I "Vishama-Siddhi" also known as Bittarasa (reigned 624–641 AD) was the brother of Chalukya Pulakeshin II. Vishnuvardhana I ruled the Vengi territories in eastern Andhra Pradesh as the viceroy under Pulakeshin II from a ...
as viceroy to rule over the conquered lands. Eventually, Vishnuvardhana declared his independence and started the
Eastern Chalukya
Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan region. Subsequen ...
dynasty.
Origin
"Vishnukundina" is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
ised name for ''Vinukonda''. The early rulers of the dynasty migrated from eastern deccan to the west deccan in search of employment and under the
Vakataka
The Vakataka dynasty () was an ancient Indian dynasty that originated from the Deccan in the mid-3rd century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in th ...
s they might have attained feudatory status.
During the reign of Madhava Varma, they became independent and conquered coastal
Andhra
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 ...
from the
Salankayana
The Salankayana (IAST: Śālaṇkāyana) dynasty of ancient India ruled a part of Andhra region in India from 300 to 440 CE. Their territory was located between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers. Their capital was located at Vengi, modern Pedave ...
s and established their capital at Denduluru near
Eluru
Eluru is a city and the district headquarters of Eluru district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the 14 municipal corporations in the state and the mandal headquarters of Eluru mandal in the Eluru revenue division. The cit ...
,
West Godavari district.
Chronology
The Vishnukundina reign might be fixed between the end of the
Salankayana
The Salankayana (IAST: Śālaṇkāyana) dynasty of ancient India ruled a part of Andhra region in India from 300 to 440 CE. Their territory was located between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers. Their capital was located at Vengi, modern Pedave ...
and the rise of the
Eastern Chalukya
Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan region. Subsequen ...
n power in 624. Some historians mention Vishnukundinas' reign was from 420 to 624, while some other historians say their reign was from the early 5th century to the 7th century.
Govinda Varma I
Govinda Varma I took the imperial title of Maharaja and his son Madhava Varma I was the founder of the power based on grants from Sriparvata (Nagarjunakonda) and Indrapalagutta.
Madhava Varma I
![Ananta Padmanabha Swami Temple](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Ananta_Padmanabha_Swami_Temple.jpg)
The reign of Madhava Varma (c. 420 – c. 455). He was the founder of the Vishnukundina power.
Madhava Varma II
Madhava Varma II was the most successful ruler of the Vishnukundina dynasty, controlling parts of the Deccan and eastern coast of India in the mid-5th century AD. He is regarded as the greatest ruler of his dynasty. The Vishnukundina Empire rea ...
Madhava Varma II, was the most powerful ruler of Vishnukundina dynasty. The reign of
Madhava Varma II
Madhava Varma II was the most successful ruler of the Vishnukundina dynasty, controlling parts of the Deccan and eastern coast of India in the mid-5th century AD. He is regarded as the greatest ruler of his dynasty. The Vishnukundina Empire rea ...
(c. 440 – c. 460) was a golden age in the history of the
Vishnukundinas
The Vishnukundina dynasty (IAST: Viṣṇukundina) was an Indian dynasty based in Deccan, which ruled modern Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and parts of South India during the 5th and 6th centuries, carving land out from the Vakataka Empir ...
, he is regarded as the Greatest Ruler of Vishnukundina dynasty, the Vishnukundina dynasty reached its greatest territorial extent under Madhava Varma II. He defeated Prithvishena II, the powerful ruler og
Vakataka dynasty
The Vakataka dynasty () was an ancient Indian dynasty that originated from the Deccan in the mid-3rd century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the ...
, the daughter of Prithvishena II, Vakataka Mahadevi, was given in marriage to
Madhava Varma II
Madhava Varma II was the most successful ruler of the Vishnukundina dynasty, controlling parts of the Deccan and eastern coast of India in the mid-5th century AD. He is regarded as the greatest ruler of his dynasty. The Vishnukundina Empire rea ...
.
By the middle of the 5th century, the dynasty began its imperial expansion under its most efficient ruler
Madhava Varma II
Madhava Varma II was the most successful ruler of the Vishnukundina dynasty, controlling parts of the Deccan and eastern coast of India in the mid-5th century AD. He is regarded as the greatest ruler of his dynasty. The Vishnukundina Empire rea ...
, during this period, the small Vishnukundina dynasty rose to imperial heights. A princess of the then powerful ruling family of the
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
Vakataka
The Vakataka dynasty () was an ancient Indian dynasty that originated from the Deccan in the mid-3rd century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in th ...
s was given in marriage to Madhava Varma's son, Vikramendra Varma.
This alliance gave them great power and made it easy for them to extend their influence to the east coast and vanquishing the petty chieftains lingering on in that area. Madhava Varma II led his arms against
Ananda Gotrikas who were ruling over
Guntur,
Tenali
Tenali is a city in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Tenali mandal and Tenali revenue division. The city is renowned for art, culture, drama and hence, it is called ''Andhra ...
and
Ongole
Ongole is a city in Prakasam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Prakasam district and also the mandal headquarters of Ongole mandal in Ongole revenue division. Ongole cattle, an indigenous breed of oxen, ...
, probably enjoying subordinate position under the
Pallavas
The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...
of
Kanchipuram.
After occupying these areas from the
Ananda Gotrikas, Madhava Varma II made Amarapura (modern
Amaravati
Amaravati () is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the river Krishna in Guntur district.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone at a ceremonial event in Uddandara ...
) his capital. Keeping in view the constant threat from the
Pallavas, he created an out-post to check their activities and appointed his son, Deva Varma and after his death the grandson Madhava Varma III as its
Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
.
![Undavalli caves munis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Undavalli_caves_munis.jpg)
Madhava Varma II next turned his attention against the
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 ...
kingdom which was under the
Salankayana
The Salankayana (IAST: Śālaṇkāyana) dynasty of ancient India ruled a part of Andhra region in India from 300 to 440 CE. Their territory was located between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers. Their capital was located at Vengi, modern Pedave ...
s. The Vengi region was annexed. The
Godavari
The Godavari (IAST: ''Godāvarī'' od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga river and drains into the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwa ...
tract became part of the Vishnukundina territory. After these conquests the capital might have been shifted to
Bezwada (
Vijayawada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises N ...
), a more central location than Amarapura. These extensive conquests entitle him to the title of the lord of
Dakshinapatha __NOTOC__
Dakshinapatha is an important historical region which is an ancient equivalent of present day South India or Deccan plateau and which may mean;
*the "Ancient South of the Indian subcontinent" below Uttarapatha. The term can encompass ...
(southern country). After these various conquests Madhava Varma performed many
Asvamedha
The Ashvamedha ( sa, अश्वमेध, aśvamedha, translit-std=IAST) was a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Śrauta tradition of Vedic religion. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accomp ...
,
Rajasuya and other
Vedic sacrifices.
Successors of Madhava Varma II
The fortunes of the Vishnukundinas were at a low point during the reign of the next ruler Vikramendra Varma I (508–528). The next two and half decades also experienced the constant strife and dynastic struggles during the reign of Indra Bhattaraka Varma (528–555). Though Indra Bhattaraka could not withstand the hostile Kalinga subordinate, Indra Varma and lost his life in battle. The Vishnukundinas lost their Kalinga possessions north of the Godavari.
Vikramendra Varma II
With the accession of Vikramendra Varma II (555–569), the fortunes of the Vishnukundina family were restored. To have immediate access to the Kalinga region, he shifted his capital from Bezwada to Lenduluru (modem
Denduluru in the
West Godavari district). He repulsed the attack of the
Pallava ruler Simhavarman. He was successful enough to restore the fortunes of the Vishnukundinas in the Kalinga region. His son Govinda Varma II enjoyed a comparatively short period of rule (569–573).
Janassraya Madhava Varma IV
The Vishnukundina empire set about again to imperial expansion and cultural prosperity under its able ruler Janassraya Madhava Varma IV (573-621). This prudent king spent his early years of rule in consolidating his position in Vengi. The later part of his reign is marked by wars and annexations. In his 37th regnal year, he suppressed the revolt of his subordinate chief the Durjaya Pruthvi Maharaja in Guddadivishya (modern
Ramachandrapuram in the
East Godavari
East Godavari is a district in the Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Its district headquarters is at Rajahmundry. As of census 2011, it became the most populous district of the state with a population of 5,151,549.
In the Madras Pre ...
district).
Madhava Varma IV had to face the
Chalukya
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty ...
n onslaught in his last years of rule. By about 616,
Pulakeshin II and his brother
Kubja Vishnuvardhana
Kubja Vishnuvardhana I "Vishama-Siddhi" also known as Bittarasa (reigned 624–641 AD) was the brother of Chalukya Pulakeshin II. Vishnuvardhana I ruled the Vengi territories in eastern Andhra Pradesh as the viceroy under Pulakeshin II from a ...
conquered Vengi from the Vishnukundinas and the
Pithapuram
Pithapuram, historically known as Pittapore, is a town and a municipality in the Kakinada district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The town also forms a part of Godavari Urban Development Authority. The town is home to one of the eighteen ...
area from their subordinate Durjayas. In 621 in his 48th regnal year, Madhava crossed the Godavari probably to oust the Chalukyas from his territories. However, he lost his life on the battlefield. His son Manchana Bhattaraka also might have been expelled by the Chalukyas. Thus the Vishnukundina rule was brought to a close by 624.
Vishnukundina country
They had three important cities, Indrapalanagara,
Denduluru, and
Amaravati
Amaravati () is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the river Krishna in Guntur district.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone at a ceremonial event in Uddandara ...
.
Administration
For administrative convenience, the empire was divided into a number of ''Rashtras'' and ''
Vishaya A vishaya (IAST: Viṣaya) was a historical administrative unit of India, generally equivalent to a modern district.
Several other terms for units equivalent to a modern district appear in historical inscriptions, including ''āhāra'', ''rashtra'' ...
s''. Inscriptions refer to Palki Rashtra, Karma Rashtra, Guddadi Vishaya, etc.
Madhava Varma III appointed members of the royal family as
Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
s for various areas of the kingdom.
The king was the highest court of appeal in the administrator of justice. The Vishnukundina rulers established various kinds of punishments for various crimes. They were known for their impartial judgment and high sense of justice.
Army
Their army consisted of traditional fourfold divisions:
*Elephants
*Chariots
*Cavalry
*Infantry
The Hastikosa was the officer-in-charge of elephant forces and the Virakosa was the officer-in-charge of land forces.
These officers issued even grants on behalf of the kings.
Taxes
![VishnukundinCastCpr2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/VishnukundinCastCpr2.jpg)
There may have been well-organized administrative machinery for the collection of land revenue.
Agrahara villages enjoyed tax exemptions. Sixteen types of coins of the Vishnukundina rulers have been found by archaeologists.
Religion
All the records of the Vishnukundinas and the kings prior to the Madhava Varma II seem to be patrons of
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
.
From the time of the accession of Madhava Varma II, an aggressive self-assertion of the
Vedic Brahmanism
The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...
occurred. Elaborate Vedic ceremonies like
Rajasuya,
Sarvamedha, and
Aswamedha
The Ashvamedha ( sa, अश्वमेध, aśvamedha, translit-std=IAST) was a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Śrauta tradition of Vedic religion. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accompa ...
were undertaken. The celebration of all these sacrifices represents the traditional spirit of the Brahmanical revival. Some of the rulers referred to themselves as 'Parama Mahesvaras'. The inscriptions refer to their family deity Sri Parvata Swami.
The names of rulers like Madhava Varma and Govinda Varma show their
Vaishnavite
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
leanings. Thus both the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
sects of
Saivism and
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
might have received equal patronage from them.
Literature
![1 1149A old telugu language-Vishnu Kundi indravarma sasanam 6th century 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/1_1149A_old_telugu_language-Vishnu_Kundi_indravarma_sasanam_6th_century_1.jpg)
The Vishnukundinas were also great patrons of learning. They established colleges for Vedic learning. Learned
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 (gur ...
s were encouraged by gifts of lands and colleges were established for the propagation of
Vedic
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 ...
studies. Indra Bhattaraka established many schools for imparting education on Vedic literature. The performance of several elaborate Vedic ceremonies by Madhava Varma is evidence of the faith of the rulers in
Brahmanism
The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...
and the popularity of Vedic learning with the people during this period.
Some of the Vishnukundina kings were credited with authorship of several books. Vikramendra Varma I was described as ''Mahakavi'' – a great poet in a record. Further, an incomplete work on Sanskrit poetics called 'Janasraya Chando Vichiti' was attributed to Madhava Varma IV who bore the title of 'Janasraya'.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
enjoyed royal patronage.
Art and Architecture
Being great devotees of
Siva, the Vishnukundinas seem to have been responsible for the construction of a number of cave temples dedicated to Siva. The cave structures at Bezwada (
Vijayawada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises N ...
), Mogalrajapuram,
Undavalli caves, and Bhairavakonda were dated to this period. Though some of these cave temples were attributed to the
Pallava Mahendra Varman I, the emblems found on the caves and the areas being under the rule of the Vishnukundinas during this period clearly show that these were contributions of the Vishnukundinas. The big four-storeyed cave at Undavalli and the 8 cave temples in Bhairavakonda in
Nellore district show however clear resemblances with the architecture of Pallava Mahendra Varman's period.
See also
*
Vakataka
The Vakataka dynasty () was an ancient Indian dynasty that originated from the Deccan in the mid-3rd century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in th ...
*
Salankayana
The Salankayana (IAST: Śālaṇkāyana) dynasty of ancient India ruled a part of Andhra region in India from 300 to 440 CE. Their territory was located between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers. Their capital was located at Vengi, modern Pedave ...
*
Eastern Chalukya
Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan region. Subsequen ...
*
History of India
References
Bibliography
* Durga Prasad, History of the Andhras up to 1565 A. D., P. G. PUBLISHERS, GUNTUR (1988)
* South Indian Inscription
* Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
External links
Map of find-spots of inscriptionsissued by Vishnukundinas and other neighbouring dynasties
*
{{Telangana
History of Andhra Pradesh
Dynasties of India
Ancient empires and kingdoms of India
Empires and kingdoms of India
Hindu dynasties
420 establishments
624 disestablishments