The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c11.s8.36

v1.c11.s8.36

The names of the allies who aided Bijjaḷa in his enterprise occur in inscriptions of various dates. Thus the Śilāhāras are particularly praised at the end of one inscription engraved by command of Bijjaḷa himself,² while a Śilāhāra copper-plate grant of A.D. 1191 affirms that it was through the friendship of Vijayāditya of that family that Bijjaḷa reached the emperor's throne.³ Another general, Recha-daṇḍādhipa, a Jaina by faith, is praised highly for having gained the imperial crown for Bijjaḷa.⁴ The same record states that the *Rājya-lakṣmī* of the Chāḷukyas determined to assist King Bijjaḷa, the *tilaka* of the Kalachuris, with her aid and companionship; it also contains an exaggerated eulogium of Bijjaḷa's position, saying that the king of Siṃhala carried his tray, the Nepāḷa king was his perfumer, Kerala was his betel-bearer, Gurjara was his artificer, Turuṣka was his groom, Lāḷa was his valet, Pāṇḍya was his crutch, and Kaliṅga was the attendant on his elephant. It is true that just such laudatory exaggerations occur in many other inscriptions, even those of Bijjaḷa's successors, and so perhaps no special emphasis need be laid on their presence here. We have already mentioned the two generals Barmma and Keśirāja, who rose into prominence under Jagadekamalla but transferred their loyalty to Bijjaḷa. Keśirāja or Keśava-deva was Governor of the Banavase region under Bijjaḷa and also under his son Āhavamalla.⁵ The inscriptions of Bijjaḷa's reign make it clear that he became the ruler of a considerable part of the Chāḷukya empire and won over to his side the majority of its feudatory chieftains. Among his subordinate rulers figure Soma or Somideva of the Kadamba family of Hangal, Vijayāditya of the Śilāhāra family of Karāḍ, Kārtavīrya of the Raṭṭa family of Saundatti, Īśvara of the Sinda family with the hereditary title of ‘lord of Karahāṭaka the best of towns’, Kaliyammarasa of the Jimūtavāhana lineage and Khacara race, and others.⁶