A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c13.56

c13.56

Succession to the throne was usually hereditary in the eldest male line. Princes were educated according to the best standards of the time in literature, law, philosophy and the martial arts, and trained in administrative positions suited to their capacities and tastes. The attempt of Mangaleśa to shut Pulakeśin II, for whom he acted as regent, permanently out of his rights met with a deserved failure as public opinion supported Pulakeśin. The success of Vikramāditya in checking the disruption of the Chālukya empire after the death of Pulakeśin II has also been noticed above, and Vikramāditya was not the eldest son of Pulakeśin. The choice of Nandivarman II as king from a collateral branch when succession failed in the main line may also be recalled. The history of the Rāṣṭrakūṭas and of the Eastern Chālukyas was marred by a number of disputed successions and civil wars. Among the latter this was accentuated by the interference of the Rāṣṭrakūṭas. The choice of Govinda III for succession by Dhruva led inevitably to a civil war started by his eldest son Kambha whose claims had been passed over, but the event justified the choice of Govinda for rule.