THE CHÁLUKYAS
(a.d. 634–740.)
Chapter IX.
The Chálukyas, a.d. 634–740. The Chálukyas conquered their Gujarát provinces from the south after subduing the Konkan Mauryas of Purí either Rájápurí that is Janjira or Elephanta in Bombay harbour. The fifth century Váda inscription of king Suketuvarmman proves that this Maurya dynasty[1] ruled in the Konkan for at least a century before they came into collision with the Chálukyas under Kírtivarmman.[2] They were finally defeated and their capital Purí taken by Chaṇḍadaṇḍa an officer of Pulakeśi II. (a.d. 610–640).[3] The Chálukyas then pressed northwards, and an inscription at Aihole in South Bijápur records that as early as a.d. 634 the kings of Láṭa, Málava, and Gurjjara submitted to the prowess of Pulakeśi II. (a.d. 610–640).
Jayasiṃhavarmman, a.d. 666–693.The regular establishment of Chálukya power in South Gujarát seems to have been the work of Dháráśraya Jayasiṃhavarmman son of Pulakeśi II. and younger brother of Vikramáditya Satyáśraya (a.d. 670–680). A grant of Jayasiṃhavarmman’s son Śíláditya found in Navsárí describes Jayasiṃhavarmman as receiving the kingdom from his brother Vikramáditya. As Jayasiṃhavarmman is called Paramabhaṭṭáraka Great Lord, he probably was practically independent. He had five sons and enjoyed a long life, ruling apparently from Navsárí. Of the five Gujarát Chálukya copperplates noted below, three are in an era marked Saṃ. which is clearly different from the Śaka era (a.d. 78) used in the grants of the main Chálukyas. From the nature of the case the new era of the Gujarát Chálukyas may be accepted as of Gujarát origin. Grants remain of Jayasiṃhavarmman’s sons dated Ś. 421, 443, and 490.[4] This checked by Vikramáditya’s known date (a.d. 670–680) gives an initial between a.d. 249 and 259. Of the two Gujarát eras, the Gupta-Valabhi (a.d. 319) and the Traikúṭaka (a.d. 248–9), the Gupta-Valabhi is clearly unsuitable. On the other hand the result is so closely in accord with a.d. 248–9, the Traikúṭaka epoch, as to place the correctness of the identification almost beyond question.
Jayasiṃhavarmman must have established his power in South Gujarát before a.d. 669–70 (T. 421), as in that year his son Śryáśraya made a grant as heir apparent. Another plate of Śryáśraya found in Surat shows that in a.d. 691–2 (T. 443) Jayasiṃhavarmman was still ruling with Śryáśraya as heir apparent. In view of these facts the establishment of Jayasiṃhavarmman’s power in Gujarát must be taken at about a.d. 666. The copperplates of his sons and grandson do not say whom Jayasiṃhavarmman overthrew. Probably the defeated rulers were Gurjjaras, as about this time a Gurjjara dynasty held the Broach district with its capital at Nándípurí the modern Nándod in the Rájpipla State about thirty-five miles east of Broach. So far
Chapter IX.
The Chálukyas, a.d. 634–740.
Jayasiṃhavarmman a.d. 666–693. as is known the earliest of the Nándod Gurjjaras was Dadda who is estimated to have flourished about a.d. 580 (T. 331).[5] The latest is Jayabhaṭa whose Navsárí copperplate bears date a.d. 734–5 (T. 486)[6] so that the Gurjjara and Chálukya kingdoms flourished almost at the same time. It is possible that the power of the earlier Gurjjara kings spread as far south as Balsár and even up to Konkan limits. It was apparently from them that, during the reign of his brother Vikramáditya, Jayasiṃhavarmman took South Gujarát, driving the Gurjjaras north of the Tápti and eventually confining them to the Broach district, the Gurjjaras either acknowledging Chálukya sovereignty or withstanding the Chálukyas and retaining their small territory in the Broach district by the help of the Valabhis with whom they were in alliance.[7] In either case the Chálukya power seems to have hemmed in the Broach Gurjjaras, as Jayasiṃhavarmman had a son Buddhavarmman ruling in Kaira. A copperplate of Buddhavarmman’s son Vijayarája found in Kaira is granted from Vijayapura identified with Bijápur near Parántij, but probably some place further south, as the grant is made to Bráhmans of Jambusar. Five copperplates remain of this branch of the Chálukyas, the Navsárí grant of Śryáśraya Śíláditya Yuvarája dated a.d. 669–70 (T. 421); the Surat grant of the same Śíláditya dated a.d. 691–2 (T. 443); the Balsár grant of Vinayáditya Mangalarája dated a.d. 731 (Śaka 653); the Navsárí grant of Pulakeśi Janáśraya dated a.d. 738–9 (T. 490); the Kaira grant of Vijayarája dated Śaṃvatsara 394; and the undated Nirpan grant of Nágavarddhana Tribhuvanáśraya.
Śryáśraya Śíláditya (Heir Apparent), a.d. 669–691.The first four grants mention Jayasiṃhavarmman as the younger brother of Vikramáditya Satyáśraya the son of Pulakeśi Satyáśraya the conqueror of Harshavarddhana the lord of the North. Jayasiṃhavarmman’s eldest son was Śryáśraya Śíláditya who made his Navsárí grant in a.d. 669–70 (T. 421); the village granted being said to be in the Navasáriká Vishaya. Śryáśraya’s other plate dated a.d. 691–2 (T. 443) grants a field in the village of Osumbhalá in the Kármaneya Áhára that is the district of Kámlej on the Tápti fifteen miles north-east of Surat. In both grants Śíláditya is called Yuvarája, which shows that his father ruled with him from a.d. 669 to a.d. 691. Both copperplates show that these kings treated as their overlords the main dynasty of the southern Chálukyas as respectful mention is made in the first plate of Vikramáditya Satyáśraya and in the second of his son Vinayáditya Satyáśraya. Apparently Śryáśraya died before his father as the two late grants of Balsár and Kheḍá give him no place in the list of rulers.
Mangalarája, a.d. 698–731.Jayasiṃhavarmman was succeeded by his second son Mangalarája. A plate of his found at Balsár dated a.d. 731 (Śaka 653) records a grant made from Mangalapurí, probably the same as Purí the doubtful Konkan capital of the Śiláháras.[8] As his elder brother was heir-apparent in a.d. 691–2 (T. 443), Mangalarája must have succeeded some years later, say about a.d. 698–9 (T. 450). From this it may be inferred that the copperplate of a.d. 731 was issued towards the end of his reign.
Chapter IX.
The Chálukyas, a.d. 634–740.
Pulakeśi Janáśraya, a.d. 738. Pulakeśi Janáśraya, a.d. 738.Mangalarája was succeeded by his younger brother Pulakeśi Janáśraya. This is the time of Khalif Hashám (H. 105–125, a.d. 724–743) whose Sindh governor Junaid is recorded to have sent expeditions against Marmád, Mandal, Dalmaj (Kámlej?), Bárus, Uzain, Máliba, Baharimad (Mevad?), Al Bailáimán (Bhinmál?), and Juzr. Though several of these names seem to have been misread and perhaps misspelt on account of the confusion in the original Arabic, still Marmád, Mandal, Barus, Uzain, Máliba, and Juzr can easily be identified with Márvád, Mandal near Viramgám, Bharuch, Ujjain, Málwa, and Gurjjara. The defeat of one of these raids is described at length in Pulakeśi’s grant of a.d. 738–9 (T. 490) which states that the Arab army had afflicted the kingdoms of Sindhu, Kacchella, Sauráshṭra, Chávoṭaka, Maurya, and Gurjjara that is Sindh, Kacch, the Chávaḍás, the Mauryas of Chitor,[9] and the Gurjjaras of Bhínmál.[10]
Chapter IX.
The Chálukyas, a.d. 634–740.
Pulakeśi Janáśraya, a.d. 738. Pulakeśi was at this time ruling at Navsárí. It is uncertain how much longer this Chálukya kingdom of Navsárí continued. It was probably overthrown about a.d. 750 by the Gujarát branch of the Ráshṭrakúṭas who were in possession in a.d. 757–8.[11]
Buddhavarmman, a.d. 713 (?).The Kaira grant dated 394 gives in hereditary succession the names Jayasiṃha, Buddhavarmman, and Vijayarája.[12] The grant is made from Vijayapura, which, as the late Colonel West suggested, may be Bijápur near Parántij though this is far to the north of the otherwise known Chálukya limits. The village granted is Pariyaya in the Káśákula division. If taken as Traikúṭaka the date 394 corresponds to a.d. 642–3. This is out of the question, since Vijayarája’s grand-uncle Vikramáditya flourished between a.d. 670 and 680. Professor Bhandarkar considers the plate a forgery, but there seems no sufficient reason for doubting its genuineness. No fault can be found with the character. It is written in the usual style of Western Chálukya grants, and contains the names of a number of Bráhman grantees with minute details of the fields granted a feature most unusual in a forged grant. In the Gupta era, which equally with the Traikúṭaka era may be denoted by the word Saṃ. and which is more likely to be in use in North Gujarát the 394 would represent the fairly probable a.d. 713. Jayasiṃha may have conquered part of North Gujarát and sent his son Buddhavarmman to rule over it.
Nágavarddhana.Jayasiṃha appears to have had a third son Nágavarddhana ruling in West Násik which was connected with South Gujarát through Balsár, Párdi, and Penth. The Nirpan grant of Nágavarddhana is undated,[13] and, though it gives a wrong genealogy, its seal, the form of composition, the biruda or title of the king, and the alphabet all so closely agree with the style of the Gujarát Chálukya plates that it cannot be considered a forgery.