The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c8.s14.7

c8.s14.7

There was thus established a dynasty, the members of which are called, in their records, Châlukyas, or occasionally, in metrical passages, Chalukyas, and are represented as direct lineal descendants of the Western Chalukyas of Bâdâmi. The traditional connection is shewn in the table on page 379 above. But it gives only seven generations to fill the interval of two hundred and forty years, from Vijayâditya to Taila II. This yields an average perceptibly in excess of the twenty-five years which are usually accepted as a Hindû gèneration. And there can, thus, be but little doubt, either that some steps are wanting in the pedigree here, or that Taila II. belonged to some side-branch of the Chalukya stock, which could not in reality claim the direct lineal descent that is allotted to it: the difference of name already noted,—the invariable use, in the records of Taila II. and his successors, of the form "Châlukya," with the long vowel â in the first syllable, except under metrical necessity;¹ whereas this form does not once occur in the records of the Western Chalukyas of Bâdâmi,—is rather suggestive in favour of the latter view. Where the break in the genealogy comes in, on the assumption of direct descent,—or, on the other view, who is to be looked upon as the first historical personage in the branch of the family which Taila II. raised to power,—is not certain. Ayyaṇa I. was very possibly, as we have seen,² an authentic Chalukya prince, with a date that would well accord with the assertion that he was the grandfather of Taila II. But it may at least be taken as fairly certain that the records are correct in stating that Taila's father was Vikramâditya IV., whose wife was Bonthâdêvî, a daughter of Lakshmaṇa of the Kalachuri family of Central India. And this person is, therefore, placed at the head of the annexed table of those who may conveniently be called the Western Châlukyas of Kalyâṇi. Their capital, indeed, is not specified until the time of Sômêśvara I.; and very possibly it was at first Mâlk hêḍ. But Kalyâṇa or Kalyâṇapura, which is the modern Kalyâṇi in the Niẓâm's Dominions,³ was made the capital by Sômêśvara I., and is mentioned as such in one of his inscriptions, dated in A.D. 1053; and it continued to be the capital of all his successors, and of the Kalachuryas after them.