View source for Dantidurga

{{Short description|Founder of the Rashtrakuta Empire}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox royalty
| title        = 
| image        = Rashtrakutas Coins 25-07-23 15-44-48-445.png
| caption      = A Coin Attributed to Dantidurga, founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty
| succession   = [[Emperor]] of [[Rashtrakuta Empire]]
| reign        = {{circa|753|756 CE}}
| predecessor  = Indra II
| successor    = [[Krishna I]]
| death_date   = {{Circa|756 CE}}
| father       = Indra II
| mother       = Bhavanaga
| religion     = [[Jainism]]<ref>Altekar, A.S. (1934). ''The Rashtrakutas and Their Times''. Poona: Oriental Book Agency. pp. 48–55.</ref><ref>Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha. pp. 20–25.</ref><ref>Sastri, K.A. Nilakanta (1955). ''A History of South India''. Oxford University Press. pp. 219–221.</ref>
<br>
}}
{{Rashtrakuta Manyakheta Kings Infobox}}
'''Dantidurga''' (reigned 753–756 CE), also known as '''Dantivarman II''' was the founder of the [[Rashtrakuta Empire]] of [[Manyakheta]].<ref name="dan">[[Bisheshwar Nath Reu|Reu]] (1933), p54</ref> His capital was based in [[Kalburgi]] region of [[Karnataka]]. His successor was his uncle [[Krishna I]] who extended his kingdom to all of [[Karnataka]].

The Ellora record of Dantidurga narrates that he defeated the [[Chalukyas]] in 753 and took the titles ''Rajadhiraja'' and ''Parameshvara''. The [[Indian inscriptions|inscription]] calls him son of Indra II. The [[Samangad]] inscription (modern Kolhapur district, Maharashtra) states his mother was a Chalukyan princess from [[Gujarat]] called Bhavanaga. The same inscription states he defeated the infinite and invincible ''Karnataka-Bala'' (Karnataka army) of the Badami Chalukyas.<ref name="defeat">Kamath (2001), p74</ref><ref name="defeat1">He defeated the great Karnatik army of the Chalukyas, (Reu, 1933 p54)</ref> Further he defeated the [[Gurjaras of Lata|kings of Lata]] (Gujarat), [[Malwa]], Tanka, [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] and Sheshas (Nagas) in central India and performed many sacrifices.<ref name="bala">Reu (1933), p55</ref> Though he conquered the Chalukyan Empire, it is clear from the Vakkaleri inscription of 757 that the Chalukyan Emperor [[Kirtivarman II]] retained control over his southern provinces up to the year 757. His daughter was married to a [[Pallava]] King [[Nandivarman II]] of [[Kanchi]]. Dantidurga helped Nandivarman recover Kanchi by warring against the Chalukyas.<ref name="Kanchi">Thapar (2003), p333</ref>

The Navasari grant (c.739) throws light on his achievements in the era prior to Rashtrakuta independence. The Arab intention might have been to make inroads into [[South India]]. However, to the south of the [[Mahi River]] lay the powerful [[Chalukya]]n empire. The Chalukya victory at Navsari, [[Avanijanashraya Pulakeshi]], decisively defeated the invading Arab forces as documented in the grant. The ''Tājika'' (Arab) army defeated was one that had attacked "Kacchella, Saindhava, Saurashtra, Cavotaka, Maurya and Gurjara" kings. Viceroy Pulakesi subsequently received the titles "Solid Pillar of [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]]" (''Dakshināpatha-sādhāra'') and the "Repeller of the Unrepellable" (''Anivartaka-nivartayitr''). The [[Rashtrakuta]] prince Dantidurga, who was subsidiary to Chalukyas at this time, also played an important role in the battle.<ref>{{harvnb|Blankinship|1994|p=186}}; {{harvnb|Bhandarkar|1929|pp=29–30}}; {{harvnb|Majumdar|1977|pp=266–267}}; {{harvnb|Puri|1986|p=45}}; {{harvnb|Wink|2002|p=208}}; {{harvnb|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=348}}; {{harvnb|Chattopadhyaya|1998|pp=33–34}}</ref>
Dantidurga was a clever diplomat but at the same time used military power to expand his empire's boundaries.<ref>{{cite book|title= Ancient Indian History and Civilization
 |first= Sailendra |last= Nath sen |publisher= Routledge |year=1999 |page=367 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&q=indus|isbn=81-224-1198-3}}</ref> By 750 AD Dantidurga had brought Madhya Pradesh and Southern Gujarat under his control.<ref>{{cite book|title= Ancient Indian History and Civilization|first= Sailendra |last= Nath sen |publisher= Routledge |year=1999 |page=395|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&q=maurya+dynasty+sen|isbn=81-224-1198-3}}</ref>

==Religion==
Inscriptions of '''Dantidurga''', the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, refer to him using imperial titles such as "Paramabhattaraka",<ref>Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XVIII (1925–26), Archaeological Survey of India.</ref> "Prithivivallabha",<ref>Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XVIII (1925–26), Archaeological Survey of India.</ref> "Maharajadhiraja", and "Parameshvara".<ref>Altekar, A.S. (1934). ''The Rashtrakutas and Their Times''. Poona: Oriental Book Agency. pp. 51–55.</ref><ref>Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha. pp. 40–42.</ref><ref>Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XVIII (1925–26), Archaeological Survey of India.</ref><ref>Dixit, S.K. (1984). ''Jaina Inscriptions of India'', Vol. 1. Bharatiya Jnanpith. pp. 100–110.</ref> While these titles were common royal epithets across medieval India regardless of religious affiliation, they are frequently found in [[Jain]] inscriptions across the Deccan,<ref>Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XVIII (1925–26), Archaeological Survey of India.</ref> reflecting the inclusive religious environment of the Rashtrakuta court.

The Rashtrakutas, despite their strong  Jain leanings, were noted for their patronage of multiple faiths, including Vaishnavism and Shaivism. Many of their inscriptions begin by specifying the temple or religious institution to which the grant or donation is being made, rather than invoking a single deity. During Rashtrakuta reign, Jain scholors, Kannada poets, monks, temples, and Jain religious institutions flourished. Inscriptions from their period record land grants and temple endowments made to Jain [[monks]] and communities.<ref>Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha.</ref><ref>Altekar, A.S. (1934). ''The Rashtrakutas and Their Times''. Poona: Oriental Book Agency.</ref> The Many historians opinion that Rashtrakutas Deeply influenced by Jainism but also worshiped Hindu gods and goddesses; although some of them are regarded as celestial demi-Gods by Jains as well.<ref>Kamath (2001), p.91</ref><ref>Chopra et al. (1993), p.91</ref>

==Notes==
<references/>

==References==
*{{cite book |last1= Chopra|first1= P.N.|last2= Ravindran|first2= T.K.|last3=Subrahmanian|first3= N|title= History of South India (Ancient, Medieval and Modern) Part 1|orig-year=2003|year=2003|publisher= Chand Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn= 81-219-0153-7}}
* {{cite journal |last=Bhandarkar |first=D. R. |author-link=D. R. Bhandarkar |title=Indian Studies No. I: Slow Progress of Islam Power in Ancient India |journal=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute |volume=10 |number=1/2 |year=1929 |pages=25–44 |jstor=41682407 }}
* {{cite book |last=Blankinship |first=Khalid Yahya |author-link=Khalid Yahya Blankinship |title=The End of the Jihad State: The Reign of Hisham Ibn 'Abd al-Malik and the Collapse of the Umayyads |location=Albany, New York |publisher=[[SUNY Press]] |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-7914-1827-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjP0i6FSfLwC}}
* {{citation |last=Chattopadhyaya |first=B. D. |year=1998 |title=Representing the Other? Sanskrit Sources and the Muslims |location=New Delhi |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-8173042522}}
*{{cite book |last= Kamath|first= Suryanath U.|title= A concise history of Karnataka : from pre-historic times to the present|orig-year=1980|year= 2001|publisher= Jupiter books|location= Bangalore|oclc= 7796041 |lccn= 80905179}}
* {{cite book |last=Majumdar |first=R. C. |author-link=R. C. Majumdar |year=1977 |title=Ancient India |edition=Eighth |location=Delhi |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0436-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Puri |first=Baij Nath |author-link=Baij Nath Puri |year=1986 |title=The History of the Gurjara-Pratiharas |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal |location=Delhi }}
* {{cite book |author=Sailendra Nath Sen |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |date=1999 |publisher=New Age International |isbn=978-81-224-1198-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA343 |language=en}}
*{{cite book |last=Thapar|first= Romila |title=The Penguin History of Early India, From Origins to 1300 AD |year=2003|publisher= Penguin|location= New Delhi|isbn= 0-14-302989-4}}
*{{cite book |last=Reu|first= Pandit Bisheshwar Nath |title=History of The Rashtrakutas (Rathodas)|orig-year=1933|year=1997|publisher= Publication scheme|location= Jaipur|isbn= 81-86782-12-5}}
* {{citation |last=Wink |first=André |title=Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World |publisher=Brill |year=2002 |edition=Third |orig-year=first published 1996 |isbn=978-0391041738 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061104095148/http://www.ourkarnataka.com/history.htm History of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje]

{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
  before= Indra II |
  title= [[Rashtrakuta|Rashtrakuta Emperor]] |
  years= 735–756 |
  after= [[Krishna I]]
}}
{{s-end}}

[[Category:756 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:Rashtrakuta emperors]]
[[Category:8th-century Indian monarchs]]