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{{Short description|Indian dynasty from the 7th to 10th centuries}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Chalukyas of Vemulavada
| common_name = Chalukyas of Vemulavada
| year_start = 7th century
| year_end = 10th century
| event_end =
| capital = [[Vemulawada, Rajanna Sircilla district|Vemulavada]]
| government_type = Monarchy
| p1 = Rashtrakutas
| flag_p1 =
| p2 =
| s1 = Chalukyas of Kalyani
| flag_s1 =
| s2 =
| official_languages = [[language|Kannada]]<br/>[[Sanskrit]]<br/>[[Telugu language|Telugu]]
| religion = [[Jainism]]<br/>[[Hinduism]]
| today = [[Karnataka]], [[Telangana]] and [[Maharashtra]]
}}


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The '''Chalukyas of Vemulavada''' were an Indian dynasty that ruled in and around the present-day [[Telangana]] between 7th and 10th centuries. Their capital was located at [[Vemulawada, Karimnagar district|Vemulavada]], and they were vassals of the [[Rashtrakuta]]s.
{{Chalukyas of Vemulavada}}

== History ==

The 966 CE [[Parabhani]] copper-plate inscription of king [[Arikesari III]] of Vemulavada claims that his dynasty descended from the Chalukyas of [[solar dynasty]].{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=3}} Not much is known about the early rulers of the dynasty. The [[Kollapur]] copper-plate inscription attributes several military victories to [[Vinayaditya of Podana|Vinayaditya]] alias Yuddhamalla I (not to be confused with the [[Chalukyas of Badami|Badami Chalukya]] king [[Vinayaditya of Vatapi|Vinayaditya]], also titled Yuddhamalla). These victories amount to the subjugation of almost the entire [[Indian subcontinent]], and therefore, appear to be gross exaggerations.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=13}} It is possible that Vinayaditya was a feudatory of a powerful king, and participated in this king's military campaigns. This king could have been the [[Rashtrakuta]] ruler [[Dantidurga]], who was a contemporary of Vinayaditya.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|pp=16-17}}

The dynasty's original capital was at Podana (modern [[Bodhan]]), but was later moved to Vemulavada, probably during the reign of Vinayaditya's successor [[Arikesari I]].{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=413}} According to the dynasty's inscription, Arikesari conquered [[Vengi]] and [[Trikalinga]]; this probably refers to his subjugation of the [[Chalukyas of Vengi|Vengi Chalukya]] king [[Vishnuvardhana IV]] on the orders of his [[Rashtrakuta]] overlord [[Dhruva Dharavarsha]].{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|pp=19-20}}

Little is known about the next two rulers, Arikesari's son Narasimha I and grandson Yuddhamalla II. [[Baddega I]], the son of Yuddhamalla II, was a distinguished general, and assumed the title ''Solada-ganda'' ("the unvanquished hero"). He defeated the Vengi Chalukya king Bhima I.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=21}} According to the Vemulavada court poets, Baddega's grandson [[Narasimha II of Vemulavada|Narasimha II]] subjugated the [[Lata (region)|Latas]], the seven [[Malavas]], and the [[Gurjara-Pratihara]] king [[Mahipala I|Mahipala]].{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=24}} He achieved these victories in the service of his Rashtrakuta overlord [[Indra III]], in a campaign against the Gurjara-Pratiharas.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=25}}

[[Arikesari II]], the son of Narasimha II, married two Rashtrakuta princesses, including Lokambika and Revakanirmadi (the daughter of Indra III). His mother Jakavve was probably a sister of Indra III. Several military successes are attributed to him.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=30-31}} The noted [[Kannada language|Kannada]] poet [[Adikavi Pampa|Pampa]] was a court poet of Arikesari II. His ''[[Vikramarjuna Vijaya]]'' is an important source of the dynasty's history.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=2}}

Arikesari had two sons: Vagaraja and Bhadradeva (alias Baddega-Narasinga; son of Lokambika), who were half-brothers.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=42}} Vagaraja (r. c. 941–950) and Bhadradeva (r. c. 941–946) appear to have ruled simultaneously for a few years.{{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=6}} Vagaraja, who is known to have been ruling in 959 CE, was a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III. He accompanied Krishna III in a military campaign to Melpadi in present-day Chittoor district, and nothing else is known about his reign.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=41}} Vagaraja probably died without an heir, and was succeeded by Bhadradeva's son [[Arikesari III]], who is attested by the 966 CE [[Parbhani]] inscription.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=42}}

The subsequent history of the dynasty is unknown. It appears to have been overthrown by the [[Chalukyas of Kalyani]] by the early 970s CE.{{sfn|N Venkataramanayya|1953|p=42}}

== Cultural activities ==
[[File:10th century Bommalagutta Jain bas-reliefs and inscription, Telangana - 04.jpg|thumb|Relief of Jain Goddess [[Chakreshvari]] at [[Bommalagutta]] |267x267px]]

[[Baddega I]] commissioned the Baddegesvara temple at Vemulavada,{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=413}} which is identified with the modern Bheemesvara temple.{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=416}} During the reign of Arikesari II, his father Narasimha's officer ''tantrapala'' Peddanarya established a temple of the [[Surya|Sun god]].{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=415}} His 10th-century inscription alludes to two other temples - Rajesvvara (possibly modern Kedaresvara temple{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=419}}) and Nagaresvara - which may have been commissioned by the Chalukyas of Vemulavada.{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=413}}

Although the Chalukyas of Vemulavada patronized [[Shaivism]], they also favoured [[Jainism]]. Arikesari's Jain court poet [[Adikavi Pampa]] composed the [[Kannada language|Kannada]] classic ''[[Vikramarjuna Vijaya]]''. Pampa's brother Jina-vallabha established a Jain shrine called Tri-bhuvana-tilaka-Jinalaya on the Bommalagutta hillock near Kurikyala village in modern [[Karimnagar district]]. Jina-vallabha's wife Bhagiyabbe installed a metal ''Chatur-vimshati-patta'' image of [[Arihant (Jainism)|Jina]], and also established a [[Basadi]] (Jain shrine) named after her.{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=415}}

Baddega II commissioned at Jain temple at Repaka, and endowed it with land grants. He also commissioned the Shubha-dhama Jinalaya for his Jain Preceptor and Court poet [[Somadeva Suri]], who migrated from the [[Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty|Pratihara]] kingdom to the Chalukya kingdom during his reign. He also granted a village to Somadeva for the maintenance of this shrine. In the year 959, Somadeva composed ''[[Yashastilaka|Yashodhara-charita]]'' (or ''Yashas-tilaka-champu'') at Gangadhara in the Chalukya kingdom.{{sfn|Madhusudan A. Dhaky|1996|p=415}}

== Rulers ==

Following is a list of the Vemulavada Chalukya rulers, with estimated periods of their reign:{{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=6}}

* Satyashraya (c. 650-675 CE)
* Prithvipathi (c. 675-700 CE)
* Maharaja (c. 700-725 CE)
* Rajaditya (c. 725-750 CE)
* [[Vinayaditya of Podana|Vinayaditya]] alias Yuddhamalla I (c. 750-755 CE)
* [[Arikesari I]] (c. 775-800 CE)
* Narasimha I (c. 800-825 CE)
* Yuddhamalla II (c. 825-850 CE)
* [[Baddega I]] alias ''Solada-ganda'' (c. 850-895 CE)
* Yuddhamalla III (c. 895-915 CE)
* [[Narasimha II of Vemulavada|Narasimha II]] (c. 915-930 CE)
* [[Arikesari II]] (c. 930-941 CE)
* Vagaraja (c. 941-950 CE); Bhadradeva or Baddega-Narasinga alias Baddega II (c. 941-946 CE)
* [[Arikesari III]] (c. 946-968 CE)

== Inscriptions ==

The following inscriptions of the dynasty have been discovered:

{| class="wikitable"
! [[Find spot]]
! Date
! Issuer
! Language
! Source
|-
| Kuravagatta, Mahboobnagar district
| c. 9th century
| Viragriha, son of [[Vinayaditya of Podana|Vinayaditya]]
| Sanskrit and Kannada
| {{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=7}}
|-
| [[Kollipara]]
| c. 9th century
| [[Arikesari I]]
| Sanskrit
| {{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=7}}
|-
| [[Vemulawada, Karimnagar district|Vemulavada]]
| Undated
| [[Arikesari II]]
| Sanskrit
| {{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=10}}
|-
| Kurikyala
| Undated
| [[Arikesari II]]
| Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu
| {{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=14}}
|-
| [[Karimnagar]]
| 946 CE
| [[Arikesari III]]
| Sanskrit and Kannada
| {{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=16}}
|-
| [[Parbhani]]
| 966 CE
| [[Arikesari III]]
| Sanskrit
| {{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=19}}
|-
| Repaka, Karimnagar district
| 968 CE
| [[Arikesari III]]
| Sanskrit and Kannada
| {{sfn|Kolluru Suryanarayana|1993|p=22}}
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===

{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |author=Kolluru Suryanarayana |title=Inscriptions of the Minor Chalukya Dynasties of Andhra Pradesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d4PCyXslrNsC |year=1993 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-216-5 }}
* {{cite book |author=Madhusudan A. Dhaky |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture |volume=1 - Part 3: South India - Upper Dravidadesa, Later phase A.D. 973- 1326 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p1GzJRNhnnsC |year=1996 |publisher=American Institute of Indian Studies |isbn=978-81-86526-00-2 }}
*{{cite book |author=N Venkataramanayya |title=The Chālukyas of L(V)Ēmulavāḍa |publisher=Archaeological Department, Government of Hyderabad |year=1953 |oclc=958874923 |url=https://www.indianculture.gov.in/ebooks/chalukyas-lvemulavada}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:Chalukyas of Vemulavada| ]]

Chalukyas of Vemulavada - Revision history

Arpan1314 at 09:22, 26 March 2026