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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox country
| common_name = Aulikaras
| conventional_long_name = Aulikaras
| year_start = 4th century
| year_end = 6th century
| image_map =<center>
<mapframe text="[[Find spot]]s of the Aulikara inscriptions" width="300" height="300" zoom="4" longitude="75.45" latitude="23.80" align="center">
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"type": "FeatureCollection",
"features": [
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"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "[[Bhanpura (Bhanapura)]]" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [75.7473243, 24.5131821] }
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{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "[[Hasalpur]]" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [75.6344112, 22.4891049] }
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{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "[[Risthal]]" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [75.347048, 24.1244974] }
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{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "monument", "title": "[[Daśapura (Mandsaur)]]" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [75.0692952, 24.076836] }
}
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</mapframe></center>
| image_map_caption =
| government_type = monarchy
| capital = [[Mandsaur]]
| p1 = Malavas
| flag_p1 =
| p2 = Alchon Huns
| flag_p2 = Alchon_Tamga.png
| s1 = Kalachuri dynasty
| flag_s1 = Map_of_the_Early_Kalachuris.png
| s2 = Maitraka dynasty
| flag_s2 = South_Asia_historical_AD590_EN.svg
| religion = [[Shaivism]]
| common_languages = [[Sanskrit]]
| today = [[India]]
}}

{{Location map+
|South Asia
|float = right
|width = 230
|caption = The [[Mandsaur pillar inscription of Yashodharman|Mandsaur pillar inscription]] (Yashodharman Vijaya Stambha), a ''prashasti'', declares the Aulikara ruler Yashodharman as victorious over Mihirakula.<ref>Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol 3 [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.358795 p.145]</ref><ref name="RS11">{{cite journal |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |title=New Inscriptional Evidence For The History Of The Aulikaras of Mandasor |journal=Indo-Iranian Journal |date=1989 |volume=32 |issue=1 |page=11 |issn=0019-7246|jstor=24654606 }}</ref>
|nodiv = 1
|mini = 1
|relief=yes
|places =
{{location map~ |South Asia |lat=24.07|N |long=75.08|E |label=[[Sondani inscription|Battle of Sondani]]|position=top |label_size=70|mark=Red Star.gif|marksize=20}}
{{location map~ |South Asia |lat=19|N |long=84.33|E |label=[[Mahendragiri (Odisha)|Mahendra]]|position=bottom |label_size=70|mark=AS-góra-icon.svg|marksize=20}}
{{location map~ |South Asia |lat=30|N |long=82|E |label=[[Himalayas]] |position=right |label_size=70|mark=AS-góra-icon.svg|marksize=20}}
{{location map~ |South Asia |lat=19|N |long=70|E |label=[[Indian Ocean|"Western Ocean"]]|position=bottom |label_size=70|mark=Emoji u1f32b.svg|marksize=30}}
{{location map~ |South Asia |lat=23.2|N |long=89.66|E |label=[[Brahmaputra River]]|position=top |label_size=70|mark=RiverIcon-delta.svg|marksize=20}}
{{Location map~|South Asia |lat=24|N|long=80|E|position=left|label_size= |mark=Red circle (thin).svg|marksize=100|label=}}
}}
[[File:Aulikara in the Risthal inscription.jpg|thumb|The word "Aulikara" (Late [[Brahmi script]]: <sub>[[File:Late Brahmi letter Au in the Risthal inscription.jpg|17px]]</sub>[[File:Gupta allahabad li.jpg|12px]][[File:Gupta allahabad k.svg|12px]][[File:Gupta allahabad raa.jpg|9px]] ''Au-li-ka-rā'') in the [[Risthal inscription]]. The first letter ''Au'' is a variation in a style specific to the 6-7th century.<ref>[[:File:Brahmi script vowels according to James Prinsep March 1838.jpg|Vowels according to Prinsep]]</ref>]]
The '''Aulikaras''' (Late [[Brahmi script]]: <sub>[[File:Late Brahmi letter Au in the Risthal inscription.jpg|17px]]</sub>[[File:Gupta allahabad li.jpg|12px]][[File:Gupta allahabad k.svg|14px]][[File:Gupta allahabad raa.jpg|9px]] ''Au-li-ka-rā''), also referred to as '''Aulikara dynasty''' or '''Olikara dynasty''', were an ancient [[India]]n clan from the Maurya era, that emerged into a kingdom between the 4th-century CE and 6th-century CE.<ref name="Balogh2019">{{cite book | last=Balogh | first=D. | title=Inscriptions of the Aulikaras and Their Associates | publisher=De Gruyter | series=Beyond Boundaries | year=2019 | isbn=978-3-11-064978-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUDEDwAAQBAJ | pages=v-viii, 26–32}}</ref> They were based in the Malwa (Malawa) region of central India near [[Mandsaur]], with their power center near what is now western Madhya Pradesh, southeastern Rajasthan and northeastern Gujarat. Two royal houses belonging to this clan ruled over the present-day western [[Malwa]] region of [[Madhya Pradesh]] state from c. 350 CE to 550 CE, much of it as feudatories of the [[Gupta Empire]].<ref name="jain">{{cite book|last=Jain|first=Kailash Chand|title=Malwa Through the Ages |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|location=Delhi| year=1972|pages=250–9|url= https://books.google.com/?id=ZR-J6-WOH4QC | isbn=978-81-208-0824-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Balogh | first=D. | title=Inscriptions of the Aulikaras and Their Associates | publisher=De Gruyter | series=Beyond Boundaries | year=2019 | isbn=978-3-11-064978-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUDEDwAAQBAJ | pages=21–23, 79–84}}</ref>

Several major and important inscriptions of Aulikaras are known. These inscriptions suggest that they were Hindus who built several notable temples in the Gupta-style to Shiva, Surya and Vishnu, as well as Buddhist monasteries, in western Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan. Among these, the notable ruins are in the region near Mandsaur and the Dara Mukundara valley passage between Kota and Jhalawar. These include the Bhim ki Chauri.<ref>{{cite book | last=Balogh | first=D. | title=Inscriptions of the Aulikaras and Their Associates | publisher=De Gruyter | series=Beyond Boundaries | year=2019 | isbn=978-3-11-064978-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RUDEDwAAQBAJ | pages=81–86, 94–97, 110, 115–116}}</ref><ref>Jagat Narayan and KL Mankodi (2010), The Case of the Bhim ku Chauri Ruins at Mukandara, Marg, Vol 62, No. 1, pp. 80–89</ref>

Epigraphical discoveries have brought to light two royal lines, who call themselves as the Aulikaras and ruled from Dashapura (present-day [[Mandsaur]]). The first royal house, which ruled from Dashapura comprised the following kings in the order of succession: Jayavarma, Simhavarma, Naravarma, Vishvavarma and Bandhuvarma. The [[Rīsthal inscription|Rīsthal stone slab inscription]] discovered in 1983 has brought to light another royal house, which comprised the following kings in the order of succession: Drumavardhana, Jayavardhana, Ajitavardhana, Vibhishanavardhana, Rajyavardhana and Prakashadharma, who defeated [[Toramana]]. In all probability, [[Yashodharman]] also belonged to this house and he was the son and successor of Prakashadharma.<ref name="agarwal">Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). ''Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas'', Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|81-208-0592-5}}, pp.250-6</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |title=New Inscriptional Evidence For The History Of The Aulikaras of Mandasor |journal=Indo-Iranian Journal |date=1989 |volume=32 |issue=1 |page=12 |issn=0019-7246|jstor=24654606 }}</ref> Yashodharma defeated [[Mihirakula]] and freed the Malwa region from the [[Huna people|Hunas]]. The rule of the Aulikaras over Malwa ended with him.<ref name="jain"/>

==Origin of the Aulikaras==
Nothing is mentioned about the origin of the Aulikaras or the Olikaras (as mentioned in the Bihar Kotra inscription of Naravarma) in their inscriptions. Based on the fact that, they used the [[Vikram Samvat|Malava Samvat]] in preference to the use of [[Gupta era]] in all of their inscriptions in spite of their first royal house being a feudatory of the Guptas, historian [[D. C. Sircar]] assumed them as a clan of the [[Malavas]]. This clan settled in the ''Dasheraka'' region (present-day western Malwa) in the course of their migration from the North-West. His view was supported by K.K. Dasgupta and K.C. Jain.<ref name="ojha5">Ojha, N.K. (2001). ''The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions'', Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, {{ISBN|81-85212-78-3}}, pp.25-7</ref>

==First Aulikara dynasty==
Earliest information regarding the first royal house is known from two inscriptions of Naravarma, the Mandsaur inscription dated [[Bikram Samwat|Malava Samvat]] 461 (404 CE) and the Bihar Kotra inscription dated Malava Samvat 474 (417 CE). The founder of this house is Jayavarma. He was succeeded by his son, Simhavarma, who is mentioned as a ''Kshitisha'' (king). His son and successor Naravarma is mentioned as a ''Parthiva'' (king) and ''Maharaja''. His epithet was ''Simhavikrantagami'' (one who moves with the stride of a lion).

[[File:Gangdhar inscription of Visvavarman.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Gangadhar Stone Inscription of Viśvavarman]].]]
Naravarma was succeeded by his son Vishvavarma, who is mentioned in the [[Gangadhar Stone Inscription of Viśvavarman]] dated Malava Samvat 480 (423 CE). The Gangadhara stone inscription records construction of a [[Matrika]] temple by his minister Mayurakshaka. Mayurakshaka also constructed a temple dedicated to Vishnu. Vishvavarma was succeeded by his son Bandhuvarma, who is eulogised by poet Vatsabhatti in the [[Mandsaur stone inscription of the guild of silk-weavers]] dated Malava Samvat 529 (473 CE). This inscription informs us that he was a feudatory of the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta emperor]] [[Kumaragupta I]]. It was during his reign, a temple dedicated to [[Surya]] was constructed by the guild of silk-weavers at Dashapura in the Malava Samvat 493 (436 CE).<ref name="agarwal"/> This temple was renovated in 473 CE by the same guild.

==The intermediate period==
The history of Dashapura remained obscure after Bandhuvarma. The Mandsaur inscription dated Malava Samvat 524 (467 CE), written by Ravila mentions a king of Dashapura named Prabhakara, who defeated the enemies of the Guptas. Dattabhata was the commander of his army, whose donations to the ''Lokottara Vihara'' is recorded in this inscription. Soon after Prabhakara, another Aulikara royal house came to power, about which we came to know from the Risthal inscription.<ref name="agarwal"/> The exact relationship between these two royal houses is not certain.

==Second Aulikara dynasty==
{{main|Second Aulikara dynasty}}
A stone slab inscription discovered in 1983 in Risthal near [[Sitamau]], has brought to light [[Second Aulikara dynasty|another royal house]] belonging to the Aulikara family. This inscription dated Malava Samvat 572 (515 CE) is written by poet Vasula, son of Kakka in chaste [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]. The script used is the late [[Gupta Brahmi]] paleographically assignable to the 5th-6th centuries. Unlike the earlier royal house, this royal house was never a Gupta feudatory. The Risthal inscription mentions Drumavardhana as the founder of this house. He assumed the title, ''Senapati''. He was succeeded by his son Jayavardhana, who commanded a formidable army. He was succeeded by his son Ajitavardhana. According to the Risthal inscription, he was constantly engaged in performing [[Soma (deity)|Soma]] sacrifices. Ajitavardhana was succeeded by his son Vibhishanavardhana. He was praised in the Risthal inscription for his noble qualities. Vibhishanavardhana's son and successor Rajyavardhana expanded his ancestral kingdom. Rajyavardhana was succeeded by his son Prakashadharma.<ref name="agarwal"/>

===Prakashadharma===
[[File:Toramana portrait from coin.jpg|thumb|According to the [[Rīsthal inscription]], [[Alchon Huns]] ruler [[Toramana]] (depicted) was vanquished by Prakashadharma in 515 CE.]]
Prakashadharma was a notable king of this dynasty, who assumed the title, ''Adhiraja''. The [[Rīsthal inscription]] gives us information about his achievements. It records the construction of a tank and a [[Shiva]] temple at Risthal by Bhagavaddosha, a ''Rajasthaniya'' (viceroy) of Prakashadharma. This inscription mentions that Prakashadharma defeated the [[Huna people|Huna]] ruler [[Toramana]], sacked his camp and had taken away the ladies of his harem. The tank constructed at Risthal during his reign was named after his grandfather as ''Vibhishanasara''. He also constructed a temple dedicated to [[Brahma]] at Dashapura.<ref name="agarwal"/> During the excavation at Mandsaur in 1978 by a team of [[Vikram University]], [[Ujjain]], led by [[V. S. Wakankar|V.S. Wakankar]], his two glass seals inscribed with the legend ''Shri Prakashadharma'' were found.<ref name="wakankar">Wakankar, V.S. (1981) ''Aulikara Vamsha ke Itihas par Naya Prakash'' (in Hindi) in M.D. Khare ed. ''Malwa through the Ages'', Bhopal: Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Madhya Pradesh, pp,278-9</ref> In all probabilities he was succeeded by his son Yashodharma Vishnuvarma.<ref name="agarwal"/>

An undated fragmentary Mandsaur inscription provides a name of a suzerain ruler Adityavardhana and his feudatory ''Maharaja'' Gauri. Adityavardhana has been recently identified with Prakashadharma by a historian Ashvini Agarwal.<ref name="ojha1">Ojha, N.K. (2001). ''The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions'', Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, {{ISBN|81-85212-78-3}}, pp.37-41</ref> The Chhoti Sadri inscription dated Malava Samvat 547 (490 CE) and written by Bhramarasoma, son of Mitrasoma supplies a genealogy of Adityavardhana's feudatory ruler, ''Maharaja'' Gauri. The first ruler of this Manavayani [[kshatriya]] family was Punyasoma. He was succeeded by his son Rajyavardhana. Rashtravardhana was the son of Rajyavardhana. Rashtravardhana's son and successor was Yashogupta. The last ruler of this family, Gauri was son of Yashogupta. He excavated a tank at Dashapura for the merit of his deceased mother.<ref name="jain"/> This inscription also mentions the name of a prince, Gobhata but his relationship with Gauri is not known.<ref name="ojha1"/>

===Yashodharma===
[[File:The defeat of the Ephalites, or White Huns A.D. 528.jpg|thumb|The defeat of the [[Alchon Huns]] under [[Mihirakula]] by King Yashodharma at [[Sondani]] in 528 CE.]]
{{Main|Yashodharman}}
The most prominent king of this dynasty was Yashodharma Vishnuvardhana. Yashodharma's two identical undated [[Mandsaur]] victory pillar inscriptions (found at Sondani, near present-day Mandsaur town) and a stone inscription dated Malava Samvat 589 (532 CE) record the military achievements of him.<ref name="ojha2">Ojha, N.K. (2001). ''The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions'', Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, {{ISBN|81-85212-78-3}}, pp.19-20</ref> All of these inscriptions were first published by [[John Faithfull Fleet]] in 1886. The undated pillar inscriptions, which were also written by poet Vasula, son of Kakka say that his feet were worshipped by the Huna ruler [[Mihirakula]]. These also state that his feudatories from the vicinity of the river ''Lauhitya'' ([[Brahmaputra]]) in the east, from the ''Mahendra'' mountains ([[Eastern Ghats]]) in the south, up to the [[Himalayas]] in the north and the ''Paschima Payodhi'' (Arabian Sea) in the west came to the seat of his empire to pay homage.<ref name="agarwal"/><ref name="RS11"/> he assumed the titles, ''Rajadhiraja'' and ''Parameshvara''.<ref name="agarwal"/> Yashodharma's dated inscription informs us that in 532 CE, Nirdosha, his ''Rajasthaniya'' was governing the area between the [[Vindhyas]] and the ''Pariyatra''s ([[Aravalis]]) and his headquarters was Dashapura. Probably the rule of the Aulikaras ended with Yashodhrma<ref name="jain"/>

In Line 5 of the [[Mandsaur pillar inscription of Yashodharman|Mandsaur pillar inscription]], Yashodharman is said to have vanquished his enemies and to now control the territory from the neighbourhood of the (river) Lauhitya ([[Brahmaputra River]]) to the "Western Ocean" (Western [[Indian Ocean]]), and from the [[Himalayas]] to mountain [[Mahendragiri (Odisha)|Mahendra]].<ref>Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol 3 [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.358795 p.145]</ref><ref name="Sagar">Foreign Influence on Ancient India by Krishna Chandra Sagar [https://books.google.com/books?id=0UA4rkm9MgkC&pg=PA216 p.216]</ref>

Yashodharman thus conquered vast territories from the Hunas and the Guptas,<ref>Tribal Culture, Faith, History And Literature, Narayan Singh Rao, Mittal Publications, 2006 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Pplg_F0VyVEC&pg=PA18 p.18]</ref> although his short-lived empire would ultimately disintegrate between 530-540 CE.<ref name="Sagar"/>

==Successors of the Aulikaras==
A fragmentary undated inscription of a hitherto unknown ruler Kumaravarma was found by Girija Shankar Runwal during Mandsaur excavation by the team of [[Vikram University]], [[Ujjain]] in 1979 from the foundations of a building. This inscription, paleographically assignable to the late 5th-early 6th centuries, records a dynasty comprising four successive rulers: Yajnadeva, Virasoma, his son Bhaskaravarma and his son Kumaravarma.<ref name="ojha4">Ojha, N.K. (2001). ''The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions'', Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, {{ISBN|81-85212-78-3}}, pp.106-8</ref> Wakankar claimed them as the Aulikaras<ref name="wakankar"/> and V.V. Mirashi claimed this dynasty a separate one, which defeated and succeeded the Aulikaras. But none of these theories received support from other historians. Most probably the [[Kalachuri]]s succeeded the Aulikaras, as the Kalchuri kings Krishnaraja and his son Shankaragana are found ruling over the same region immediately after the Aulikaras.<ref name="ojha4"/> The [[Maitraka dynasty|Maitrakas]] too may have been successors of the Aulikaras.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |title=New Inscriptional Evidence For The History Of The Aulikaras of Mandasor |journal=Indo-Iranian Journal |date=1989 |volume=32 |issue=1 |page=30|issn=0019-7246|jstor=24654606 }}</ref>

==Aulikara administration==
Only three offices of the Aulikaras are known from their epigraphical records: the ''Senapati'' (commander-in-chief), the ''Amatya''s (ministers) and the ''Rajasthaniya'' (viceroy). The exact nature of the office of the ''Rajasthaniya'', which is mentioned in several inscriptions is not clear from them. George Buhlar rendered ''Rajasthaniya'' as the viceroy, and his view is mostly accepted. It seems that the office of the ''Rajasthaniya'' of the Aulikaras became hereditary in the ''Naigama'' family since the days of Shashthidatta. Shashthidatta's son Varaha is identified with Varahadasa of the Chittaurgarh fragmentary inscription of his grandson by a historian D.C. Sircar. Varaha's son Ravikirti was an ''amatya'' under Rajyavardhana. He had three sons by his wife Bhanugutpa: Bhagavaddosha, Abhayadatta and Doshakumbha. Bhagavaddosha was a ''Rajasthaniya'' under Prakashadharma. His younger brother Abhayadatta was appointed a ''Rajasthaniya'' after him<ref name="ojha3">Ojha, N.K. (2001). ''The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions'', Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, {{ISBN|81-85212-78-3}}, pp.60-4</ref> The Chiitaurgarh fragmentary inscription mentions Abhayadatta as a ''Rajasthaniya'' of Dashapura and ''Madhyama''.<ref name="jain"/> The Mandsaur inscription dated Malava Samvat 589 describes Abhayadatta as the ''Rajasthaniya''' between the [[Vindhyas]] and the ''Pariyatra''s. His nephew and son of Doshakumbha, Nirdosha succeeded him as the ''Rajasthaniya'' of the same region. Nirodsha's elder brother Dharmadosha was also a high-ranking official under the Aulikaras, but his exact designation is not known.<ref name="ojha3"/>

==Art and architecture==
{{see also|Sondani|Gupta art}}
[[File:Sondhni overview.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A victory pillar of Yashodharma at [[Sondani]], [[Mandsaur district]]]]
The most significant monuments which definitely belong to the Aulikara period are two freestanding victory pillars of Yashodharma Vishnuvardhana bearing his inscriptions. These almost identical pillars, situated at [[Sondani]], a suburb to the southeast Mandsaur, are made of sandstone. The height of the entire column is 44 ft 5 in. Its square base is 4 ft 5 in high and 3 ft 4 in wide. The bell-shaped capital is 5 ft 2 in high. Its shaft is sixteen faced round. Most probably there was a crowning statue, which has not been found.<ref name="ojha6">Ojha, N.K. (2001). ''The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions'', Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, {{ISBN|81-85212-78-3}}, pp.99-100</ref>

<gallery>

File:Sondhni, two Dvarapalas.jpg|Sondhni, two [[Dvarapalas]]
File:Sondhni pillar capital.jpg|Sondhni pillar capital
File:Vidyadharas.jpg|[[Vidyadhara]], Sondani, circa 525 CE. [[National Museum, New Delhi]]
File:Prakasheshvara in Mandasor Fort.jpg|[[Shiva|Prakasheshvara]] in [[Mandsaur Fort]]
</gallery>

== List of rulers ==
'''Rulers of First Aulikara dynasty-'''
* Jayavarma
* Simhavarma
* Naravarma
* Vishvavarma
* Bandhuvarma

'''Rulers of Second Aulikara dynasty-'''
* Drumavardhana
* Jayavardhana
* Ajitavardhana
* Vibhishanavardhana
* Rajyavardhana
* Prakashadharma
* [[Yashodharman]]
* [[Shiladitya (ruler of Malwa)|Shiladitya]]

== See also ==
* [[Mandsaur]]
* [[Malwa]]
* [[Aulikara Empire]]
* [[List of rulers of Malwa]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110812062430/http://www.sdstate.edu/projectsouthasia/upload/Gangdhar-of-Vishvavarman.pdf The Gangdhar Stone Inscription of Vishvavarma]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081202003539/http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/docs/history/primarydocs/Epigraphy/Gupta/mandasor_inscription.htm The Mandsaur Stone Inscription of the Guild of Silk-weavers]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080905170414/http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/docs/history/primarydocs/Epigraphy/Gupta-Era/mandasor_pillar.htm The Mandsaur Pillar (undated) Inscription of Yashodharma]

[[Category:History of Malwa]]
[[Category:History of Madhya Pradesh]]

Aulikaras - Revision history

UpdateBot at 02:29, 26 June 2022