The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c14.s1.t5: Mahādeva

The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c14.s1.t5

Language: English

Mahādeva

Mahādeva, the younger brother of Kṛishṇa, succeeded him in the latter half of A.D. 1260. There is no evidence to show that he was acting as a regent for his minor nephew. He bore full imperial titles.

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There were two Śilāhāra families ruling in the Konkan at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Of these the one, the capital of which was Kolhapur, was overpowered by Siṃhaṇa in about A.D. 1215. The other continued in authority in the northern Konkan with Thana as its capital down to about A.D. 1260, governing of course as a feudatory of the Yādavas. Keśirāja Śilāhāra ruled at Thana from about A.D. 1195 to 1240. There were even then occasional clashes between him and his Yādava overlords.¹ But the relations between the Śilāhāras and the Yādavas became much more strained during the reign of his successor, Someśvara (c. 1240-65), for reasons as yet undiscovered. A.D. 1260 is the last known date for Someśvara, and Hemādri tells us that his patron Mahādeva defeated and exterminated this ruler. The invasion of the northern Konkan was probably the first military undertaking of the new Yādava king. The expeditionary force, which was strong in elephants, signally defeated the Śilāhāra army on land. Someśvara then took to his ships. Mahādeva pursued him at sea with his naval squadron, and in the engagement that ensued Someśvara was drowned. Hemādri states that the Śilāhāra king preferred to sink beneath the waves, because he thought that the fire burning under the ocean would be less oppressive than the wrath of Mahādeva.²

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¹ See for instance v, 18 of the Tasgaon plates of Kṛiṣhṇa, where Chandradeva, a son of Jahlana, claims to have defeated the king of Konkan.

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² IC, ii, 417.

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It is usually presumed that the Śilāhāra kingdom of Thana was annexed to the Yādava empire after the death of Someśvara, for we find that it was being governed by a Yādava governor in A.D. 1273.³ But a fragmentary inscription now raises some doubt about this matter;⁴ for it shows that Mahārājādhirāja Koṅkaṇachakravarti Jaitugideva was ruling Konkan in A.D. 1266. Since this ruler assumed the title Koṅkaṇachakravarti, usually borne by the Śilāhāras, and since two of his ministers, Māināyaka and Chandraprabhu, were also officers under Someśvara, it would appear that Jaitugideva, a son or a relation of Someśvara, had managed to re-establish the Śilāhāra power by A.D. 1266. On the other hand the imperial title Mahārājādhirāja assumed by Jaitugi, as well as his name, would suggest that he was a prince of the imperial Yādava family who was governing the province with the help of the ministers of the old régime.⁵ This uncertainty as to the actual facts can be resolved only by the discovery of new material, which may yet prove decisive.

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³ JRAS, v, 178.

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⁴ EI, xxvi, 129.

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⁵ There is nothing improbable in this; Purnia, the minister of Tippu, was administering the kingdom even under the British, when the latter deposed the old dynasty and placed the Hindu ruler on the throne.

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The Kākatīya king Gaṇapati died in A.D. 1261 soon after the demise of the Yādava emperor Kṛiṣhṇa, and was succeeded by his daughter Rudrambā. The presence of a woman upon the throne was naturally a temptation for her feudatories to rebel, and for a time there was chaos in the Andhra country.

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Mahādeva decided to exploit this situation and invaded the Kākatīya kingdom. We may well credit the statement of Hemādri that the Yādava army was victorious and captured several elephants from the enemy. Whether this was only a frontier skirmish or whether Mahādeva penetrated as far as the capital, but refrained from pressing home his victory because his opponent was a woman—as claimed by Hemādri—it is difficult to say.

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The Hoysaḷa kingdom had by this time been divided into two parts, and Narasimha II, who was ruling its northern half, was only a youth of twenty-two at the time of his accession in A.D. 1262. When by about A.D. 1266 Mahādeva became free from his commitments in the Konkan and Andhra country, he determined to attack the new Hoysaḷa king. Hemādri claims no specific victory for his patron Mahādeva over the king of the Karnatak; on the other hand two Hoysaḷa records describe how, underrating the power of Nārasimha, the Sevuṇa king Mahādeva entered the battle on his elephant in grandiose style; how, being unable to withstand the enemy's attack, he took to his horse; and how, overcome by terror, ‘he galloped away at night, thinking flight his best hope under the circumstances’.¹ This detailed and circumstantial description leaves no doubt that Mahādeva was in fact completely defeated by the Hoysaḷa forces.

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¹ EC, iv, Ngm. no. 9; v, Chn. no. 269.

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This disaster to the Yādava arms inspired the Kadambas to rebel and Mahādeva sent his general Balige-deva to suppress the uprising.² He appears to have succeeded in his mission and to have re-established his master's supremacy about A.D. 1268.

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² Ibid., vii, Ś. no. 41; xi, Dg. no. 79.

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Let us now survey the relations of the Yādavas with their northern neighbours during this reign. It is claimed in the Paithan plates that Mahādeva had defeated Visaladeva, but since this ruler had died in A.D. 1262 the statement probably refers to the campaign undertaken in Kṛṣṇa's reign, in which Mahādeva may have participated as yuvarāja. Hemādri states that the Mālavas put a boy upon the throne, because they knew that Mahādeva would not attack a minor. The real reason, however, for Mahādeva's not launching an attack against Mālwā and Gujarāt seems to have been his preoccupation with military operations in the south.

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‘The Gauḍas entered anthills and the Utkalas, losing shame, fled away’, says one record regarding Mahādeva.³ These victories over the rulers of Bengal and Orissa seem to be purely imaginary.

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³ Ibid., no. 59 (Harihara Inscription).

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Mahārāja Tapparasa was the Sarvādhikārin or prime-minister under Mahādeva. He continued to hold this post down to A.D. 1275.⁴ Devarāja was an officer working in the southern provinces.⁵ Noḷambavāḍi (the Shimoga District) was in charge of two brothers, Chaṭṭarāja and Kucharāja, who had their headquarters in Belur.⁶ These brothers belonged to the Brāhman caste; they were as eager to cherish and encourage the Brāhmanical faith as they were to distinguish themselves in their new Kshatriya profession. Kolhapur was under the charge of a feudatory named Māideva.¹ Lastly Hemādri himself was an important officer. He continued to hold office under Rāmachandra after he had been entrusted with the superintendence of the secretariat and the elephant corps.² He completed his *Vratakhaṇḍa* in the reign of Mahādeva.

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⁴ Ibid., Dg. nos. 102 and 70.

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⁵ SIER, 1932-3, no. 172.

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⁶ EC, vii, Ci. no. 21.

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¹ SMHD, iii, 22. ² Thana plates, *JRAS*, v, 183. ³ Fleet, *Dynasties*, p. 529. ⁴ Tikkama was so attached to Mahādeva that in A.D. 1280, ten years after Mahādeva's death, he built a temple at Harihara to commemorate the memory of his late master. *EC*, xi, Dg. 59. ⁵ *EI*, xxv, 290.

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May-June, A.D. 1270, is the last known date in the reign of Mahādeva.³ He died soon after that time and was succeeded by his son Ammaṇa.

Cites (1)

Vratakhaṇḍa — Hemādri, Sanskrit