The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s11.52

Language: English

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Maharashtra—The Maratha country (Vâmana P., ch. 13), the country watered by the Upper Godâvarî and that lying between that river and the Kṛishṇa. At one time it was synonymous with the Deccan. At the time of Asoka, the country was called Mahâraṭṭha; he sent here the Buddhist missionary named Mahâdhammarakkhita in 245 B.C. (Dr. Geiger’s Mahâvaṃsa, ch. XII, p. 85 note). Its ancient capital was Aśmaka or Assaka at the time of Buddha (see Aśmaka). Its ancient capital was Pratishṭhâna (Paiṭhân) on the Godâvarî. It was the capital of the junior princes of the Andhrabhṛitya dynasty of the Purâṇas, who were also called Śâtakarṇis or in the corrupted form of the word Śâlivâhanas (see Dhanakaṭaka). The most powerful of the Andhrabhṛitya kings was Pulumâyi, who reigned from 130 to 154 A.C. He overthrew the dynasty of Nahapâna who probably reigned at Jîrṇanagara (Juner). After the Andhrabhṛityas, the Kshatrapa dynasty was in possession of a portion of the Deccan from 218 to 232 A.D., and after them the Âbhîras reigned for 67 years, that is up to 399 A.D.; then the Râshṭrakuṭas (modern Râthors) called also Raṭṭhis or Râshṭrikas, from whom the names of Mahâ-raṭṭis (Mah-râṭṭâ) and Mahâ-râshṭrika (Mahârâshṭra) are derived, reigned from the third to the sixth century A.D. Then the Chalukyas reigned from the beginning of the sixth century to 753 A.D. Pulakesi I, who performed the asvamedha sacrifice, removed his capital from Paiṭhân to Bâṭâpipura (now called Bâdâmi).

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His grandson Pulakesi II was the most powerful king of this dynasty. He was the contemporary of Khusrau II of Persia. He defeated Harshavarddhana or Silâditya II of Kanauj. During his reign Hiuen Tsiang visited Mahârâshṭra (Mo-ho-la-cha). Dantidurga of the later Râshṭrakuṭa dynasty ascended the throne in 748 A.C., by defeating Kîrttivarman II of the Chalukya dynasty. Govinda III was the most powerful prince of the later Râshṭrakuṭa dynasty. His son Amoghavarsha or Sarva made Mânyakheta (modern Malkhed) his capital. The Râshṭrakuṭa dynasty was subverted in 973 A.C., by Tailapa of the later Chalukya dynasty. Âhavamalla or Someśvara I, who reigned from 1040 to 1069, removed his capital from Mânyakheta to Kalyâṇa in Kuntala-deśa. His son Tribhuvanamalla Vikramâditya II was the most powerful king who reigned from 1076 to 1126 A.C. In his court flourished Vijñâneśvara, the author of the Mitâksharâ, and Bilhaṇa, the author of the Vikramâṅkadeva-charita. The throne was usurped by Vijjala of the Kalachuri dynasty, who had been a minister of Tailapa II, in 1162 A.C., but the dynasty became extinct in 1192, and the Yâdavas became the sovereigns of the Deccan. Bhillama of this dynasty founded the city of Devagiri, modern Daulatâbad, and made it his capital in 1187 A.C. Siṅghana was the most powerful king of this dynasty. In his court flourished Chaṅgadeva, the grandson of Bhâshkarâchârya (born in Saka 1036=A.D. 1114), and son of Lakshmîdhara, who was his chief astrologer.

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In the reign of Râmachandra, Hemâdri, was probably called Hemadpant and who was the author of the Chaturvarga-chintâmaṇi, was his minister. He is said to have constructed in the Deccan most of the temples of a certain style called Hemadpanti temples. Vopadeva, the author of the Mugdhabodha Vyâkaraṇa, flourished also in the court of Râmachandra. Dr. Bhau Daji, however, is of opinion that there were many persons of the name of Vopadeva: one the author of the Mugdhabodha, another the author of the Dhâtupâṭha or Kavikalpadruma, and a third the commentator of Bhâshkarâchârya’s Lîlâvatî, who was the son of Bhîmadeva, while Keśava was the father of the author of the grammatical treatise. According to Bhau Daji, the last flourished in the court of Râmachandra (Râmachandra Ghosha’s Literary Remains of Dr. Bhau Daji, ch. viii, pp. 149, 150). Râmachandra or Râmadeva was the last of the independent Hindu sovereigns of the Deccan. Alâuddîn Khilji defeated Râmachandra, killed his son Śaṅkara and absorbed his dominions into the Muhammadan empire in 1318 A.C. (Dr. Bhandarkar’s Early History of the Dekkan. sec, xv).