Dhruva (r. 780 – 793 CE) was one of the most notable rulers of the Rashtrakuta Empire. He ascended the imperial throne after replacing his elder brother Govinda II. Govinda II had become unpopular among his subjects on account of his various misconducts as a monarch, including excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. This according to the historian Kamath is evident from the Karhad plates of Krishna III.Kamath (2001), p75 The Dhulia grant of 779 and Garugadahalli inscription of 782 proclaim Dhruva the emperor. Though some historians claim that Dhruva revolted and grabbed the throne, Reu (1933), p62 other historians feel the transition of the throne from Govinda II to Dhruva was peaceful and may have happened willingly. Dr. P. B. Desai and K. V. Subrahmanya Aiyar in Kamath (2001), p75 He earned titles like ''Kalivallabha'', ''Srivallabha'', ''Dharavarsha'', ''Maharajadhiraja'' and ''Parameshvara''.

Success in north and east

Dhruva Dharavarsha had a high political aspiration and he actively pursued the goal of expanding the frontiers of Rashtrakuta dominion. In

Northern India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...

, he subjugated the rulers of Kanyakubja. In central India, he defeated

Vatsaraja Vatsaraja (780–800) or Vatsraja was an Emperor of the Pratihara dynasty in Northern India. He was grand-nephew of Nagabhata I and his mother was queen Bhuyikadevi. He was the first ruler of Rajasthan to win victories over the distant regions ...

of the Gurjara Prathihara Empire, and

Dharmapala A ''dharmapāla'' is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "''dharma'' protector" in Sanskrit, and the ''dharmapālas'' are also known as the Defenders of the Justice (Dharma), or the Guardians of the Law. There are two kinds of ...

of the

Pala Empire The Pāla Empire was the empire ruled by the Pala dynasty, ("protector" in Sanskrit) a medieval Indian dynasty which ruled the kingdom of Gauda Kingdom, Gauda. The empire was founded with the election of Gopala, Gopāla by the chiefs of Kingdo ...

(who was eager to rule Kanyakubja) in a battle in the

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

doab. However, these great victories brought him no permanent land gains but only a lot of material gain and fame.A.S. Altekar in Kamath (2001), p75 However another historian has claimed that Dhruva's empire stretched from

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

in the north to

Rameshvaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about from ...

in the south.

Victories in the Deccan and the South

He humbled

Vishnuvardhana IV Vishnuvardhana IV was the tenth king of the Eastern Chalukyas, which ruled the region of Vengi. He reigned from 772 AD to 808 AD. He had martial ties with the imperial Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakuta emperor Dhruva Dharavarsha gave his daughter ...

, an Eastern or Vengi

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 dynas ...

king in 784 and forged an alliance by marrying his daughter named Silabhattarika as per the Jetvai grant of 786. Thereafter, he defeated

Shivamara II Shivamara II was the son of Sripurusha and ruled the Western Ganga Dynasty from 788 – 816 C.E. He was also a noted scholar in Kannada, Sanskrit and Prakrit. He succeeded to the Ganga throne during a time when the Rashtrakuta were the empi ...

, the

Western Ganga Dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 999 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, Eastern Gangas who in later centuries r ...

ruler of Gangavadi, and imprisoned him and appointed his own son, the Prince Kambarasa as the governor. He also forced the

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The ...

monarch

Nandivarman II Nandivarman II (718 CE – 796 CE) was a Pallava monarch who reigned in southern India. Sen states Nandivarman reigned from 731 CE to 796 CE and built the Vaikuntha-Perumal Temple. He was born in the country of Champa (present-day Vietnam), ...

to accept the suzerainty of the Rashtrakutas who paid him handsomely with many elephants. He undertook campaigns to Kanchi in 785 and again against the

in 788.

Pan-Indian power

During his reign, the Rashtrakutas emerged as a true pan-Indian power, controlling large regions across the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

.A. S. Altekar in Kamath 92001), p76 He was succeeded by his third son, Govinda III whose reign was also marked by brilliant military success and exploits.

Notes

References

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External links

History of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dharavarsha, Dhruva 793 deaths History of Karnataka Hindu monarchs Rashtrakuta emperors 8th-century Indian monarchs