The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c6.s3: The Rāṣṭrakūṭas
The Chālukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c6.s3
- Language
- English
The Rāṣṭrakūṭas
c6.s3.1
The Rāṣṭrakūṭas, as we have seen, were a formidable power in the fifth century A.D., for they had come into hostile contact with the Chālukyas during the time of Jayasiṃha I. whose fortunes, it would appear, emerged from some temporary eclipse caused by them; and, again, in the time of Pulikēśin II., do we hear of another Rāṣṭrakūṭa attack. The latter had thus been neighbours and rivals of the Chālukyas for some three hundred years or so.
c6.s3.2
Especially interesting, in the study of the remains of this period, is the fact that, when the Rāṣṭrakūṭas dispossessed the Chālukyas, they were engaged in excavating some of those wonderful cave-temples in the rock at Ēlūrā, the execution of which must have been temporarily delayed by their expeditions to the south.
c6.s3.3
It was Dantidurga who, by some crushing defeat of the Chālukyas, established Rāṣṭrakūṭa sway over the Kanarese districts; but their complete subjugation was effected by Kṛṣṇa I., his uncle and successor. Dantidurga's triumphs are recorded in the inscription upon the Daś Avatāra cave at Ēlūrā.¹ The Rāṣṭrakūṭa capital may, at this time, have been located in the vicinity of the Ēlūrā caves. There was, already, a series of Buddhist cave-temples excavated here, in the hill side, facing the west, and there appears to have been a settlement in the plain in front of them. Sundry remains may still be seen, especially old brick wells. These, which are more immediately in front of the Buddhist caves, are probably of the Buddhist period; and there was possibly a considerable colony here when Dantidurga called off their workmen to construct for him similar works to the glory of his Hindu gods. The Rāṣṭrakūṭa capital may have occupied a position on the plateau above, where, at a spot marked on the Indian Atlas sheets as 'Sooloobunjun,' are remains which might well be those of a town or city. Amongst other ruins are those of a very large tank or reservoir (not the later Muḥammadan one amongst the hills) which was surrounded on all sides with tiers of cut-stone masonry steps leading down into it, which make it look not unlike the remains of some large amphitheatre.²
c6.s3.4
¹ See separate pamphlets of the Archaeological Survey of Western India, No. 10, *Inscriptions of the Cave-temples*, p 92
c6.s3.5
² This spot is a mile south of the present town of Roza, above the caves, and four miles north-west of the celebrated hill fort of Dēvagiri or Daulatābād, which was subsequently made the citadel and site of the Yādava capital. The present village of Ēlūrā which name Sir R. G Bhandarkar identifies with Elāpura where there was a famous temple of the god Svayambhū-Śiva spoken of in one of Krishna's grants, lies to the north of the old site before the Buddhist caves, and in front of the Hindu excavations. *Indian Antiquary*, XII, 228, and *Bombay Gazetteer*, I, part II, 195 and 391. It is not a healthy spot, as we found to our cost, and does not look like the site of an older city. The old site, above, at 'Sooloobunjun' may have extended northwards and have embraced the site of the present Muhammadan town of Roza which is full of Muhammadan shrines and mosques, and is considered a sacred spot by that community. Aurangzib had his bones carried there and interred. What is quite probable is that the Muhammadans, when they first marched against Dēvagiri, found remains of the older city still there, with, perhaps, some ancient shrines to the Hindu gods which, as was their wont, they demolished and used their material in building their own mosques and tombs when they eventually settled in that locality. At the village of Ēlūrā is a temple, built by queen Ahalyābāi of Indor, to hold one of the most sacred *jyotirliṅgas* of India. Dr. Burgess says "Doubtless the *tīrtha* or *jyotirliṅga* was originally at the caves, but after their desecration by Aurangzib it lost its repute and was transferred to the village." *Ēlūrā Cave-Temples*, p 4. The Yādavas gravitated to the same spot, when, in the reign of Siṅghaṇa II., they converted the isolated conical hill, four miles to the south-east of 'Sooloobunjun,' into an impregnable fortress which they named Dēvagiri or 'the hill of the gods.' Its sugar-loaf shape, begirt with natural unclimbable cliffs, lent itself well to the work of the rock-cutters to improve these where necessary and to scarp its undefended sides. Beyond a complete survey of the caves, this locality has not been thoroughly examined and would well repay further exploration.
c6.s3.6
There is an inscription of Dhruva, the younger son and successor of Kṛṣṇa I., on a pillar in the north porch of the temple of the god Lokēśvara at Paṭṭadakal which tells us that he humbled the pride of the Pallavas. It is likely that they took advantage of the disruption of the Chālukyan kingdom to extend their borders in that direction.
c6.s3.7
During the reign of Amōghavarsha I. special activity was displayed in temple building, particularly Jaina ones, as he was a great patron of that sect, if, indeed, he was not a convert to that religion. Jainism was at the zenith of its prosperity during his long reign. He became so religiously inclined that he is said to have eventually abdicated the throne " in consequence of the growth of the ascetic spirit in him "; and several religious works are attributed to him.¹ He made Mānyakhēṭa his capital, which put the city of the gods (Ēlāpura?) to shame. Mānyakhēṭa has been satisfactorily identified with Mālk hēḍ in the Niẓām's territory (see map).
c6.s3.8
¹ Bombay Gazetteer, Vol I part II, p 201
c6.s3.9
His son, who succeeded him, was Akālavarsha or Kṛishṇa II., during whose reign there is mention of Jaina temples being built and grants being allotted to them. He was a warlike prince who carried out several expeditions against his neighbours. Jagaṭuṅga II. was possessed of very big ideas, for he is said to have set out on a campaign with the object of bringing the whole world into subjection to himself. There is nothing of special interest to record, bearing upon our subject, of the remaining kings of this family. Mānyakhēṭa continued to be their capital.
c6.s3.10
Some surviving branch of the Chālukya dynasty seems to have been gathering strength towards the middle of the tenth century, which culminated in one of the family, Taila by name, upsetting the Rāshṭrakūṭa supremacy.² By him were " easily cut asunder, in the field of battle, the two pillars of victory in war of Karkara, connected with the sovereignty of the family of the Rāshṭrakūṭas . . . now at length cut down after the lapse of a long time ". This occurred about A.D. 973.
c6.s3.11
² Dr. Fleet points out that, after the restoration of the family, the name was invariably written Chālukya with the long 'ā'