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{{Short description|Rashtrakuta emperor from 793 to 814}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox royalty
| image = File:Inscription of Rashtrakuta Emperor Govinda III at Veerabhadra temple, Mavali.jpg
| alt = Govinda III
| title = Prabhutavarsha Jagattunga, Anupama, Kirthinarayana, Prithvivallabha, Shrivallabha, Vimaladitya, Atishayadhavala, Tribhuvanadhavala
| caption = Old Kannada inscription (800 CE) of Rashtrakuta Emperor Govinda III at Veerabhadra temple at Mavali.
| succession = [[Rashtrakuta Empire|Rashtrakuta Emperor]]
| reign = {{circa|793|814}}
| predecessor = [[Dhruva Dharavarsha]]
| successor = [[Amoghavarsha I]]
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| death_date = 814
| father = [[Dhruva Dharavarsha]]
| mother = Sila Mahadevi, daughter of [[Vishnuvardhana IV]]<ref>{{citation | last=Sastry | first=Vedam Venkataraya | editor=Balakrishnan Raja Gopal |title=The Rashtrakutas and Vengi and Cultural Contacts | journal=The Rashtrakutas of Malkhed: Studies in the History and Culture | publisher=Mythic Society, Bangalore by Geetha Book House | date=1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xU5uAAAAMAAJ | page=172}}</ref>
| spouse = Gamundabbe
| spouse-type = Consort
| issue = [[Amoghavarsha I]]
| religion = [[Jainism]]<ref name="Altekar, A.S. 1934">Altekar, A.S. (1934). ''The Rashtrakutas and Their Times''. Poona: Oriental Book Agency.</ref><ref name="Desai, P.B. 1957">Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha.</ref>
 
}}
{{Rashtrakuta Manyakheta Kings Infobox}}

'''Govinda III''' (died 814) was the [[Rashtrakuta]] monarch who succeeded his father [[Dhruva Dharavarsha]]. He was militarily the most successful emperor of the dynasty with successful conquests from [[Kanyakumari]] in the south to [[Kannauj|Kanyakubja]] in the north, from [[Banaras]] in the east to [[Bharuch]] in the west. From the Someshvara inscription of 804, it is known that 'Gamundabbe' was his chief queen. During his reign, the Rashtrakuta dynasty expanded its territory and strengthened its political influence.

== Early life ==

=== War of Succession ===
Though Govinda III became the emperor it was not before having to face some internal family feuds. Govinda III ascended the throne in 793 CE and as was expected, his accession did not go unchallenged. For a time his elder brother Stambha kept quiet, but when he was assured of the support of a number of feudatories and neighbours, he broke out in open revolt against his brother. Govinda, however, quelled the rebellion of “twelve kings headed by Stambha” and took his brother prisoner. Govinda, however, treated him leniently and, being convinced of his loyalty in future, Govinda took the magnanimous step of reinstating him to the Ganga viceroyalty. Throughout the rest of his life, Stambha remained loyal to his plighted word, ending the war of succession.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kannauj |first1=Age of Imperial |title=The Age Of Imperial Kanauj |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.527067/page/n51/mode/2up?view=theater |website=archive.org |access-date=2015-10-01}}</ref>

== Religion ==
Govinda III is known for his policy of religious tolerance and support for multiple faiths within his empire. Inscriptions from his reign invoke royal titles such as "Prithvivallabha," "Shrivallabha," "Vimaladitya," and "Atishayadhavala"<ref name="Altekar, A.S. 1934">Altekar, A.S. (1934). ''The Rashtrakutas and Their Times''. Poona: Oriental Book Agency.</ref>—epithets that are common in Jain royal usage and also appear frequently in [[Jain]] donor and ruler inscriptions.<ref name="Desai, P.B. 1957">Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha.</ref> This reflects the Rashtrakuta dynasty’s well-established tradition of supporting both Hinduism and Jainism.<ref name="Desai, P.B. 1957">Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha.</ref><ref>Kamath (2001), p.91</ref> Numerous grants to Jain monks and temples continued during the Rashtrakutas’ rule.<ref name="Altekar, A.S. 1934">Altekar, A.S. (1934). ''The Rashtrakutas and Their Times''. Poona: Oriental Book Agency.</ref>

During the rule of Govinda III, and with his support Jain monks like acharya [[Virasena]] and acharya [[Jinasena]] composed important [[Jain]] texts, including the famous "Dhavala" (a commentary on the "Shatakhandagama"). Work on the "Jayadhavala" was also begun under them and later completed by their disciples.<ref>Williams, R. (1963). ''Jain Yoga: A Survey of the Mediaeval Śrāvakācāras''. Oxford University Press. pp. xi–xiii.</ref>

== Military career ==
According to the Nesarika inscription, some kingdoms came under the influence of Govinda III without any conflict or war with them. The lines read as follows:
{| class="wikitable centre"
|+ Nesarika inscription of Govinda III
|-
! scope="col" align=left| Transliteration!!English Translation by [[D. C. Sircar]]
|-
|align=center width="30%"|
{{blockquote|<poem>''Pandya-dēś-ādhipān matsyam vrishabham Pallavēśvarā[t] [*]'' 
''(Chô)lād vyāghram gajam Gangach chapa-yashțim cha Kerala[t] [*]'' 
''Amdhra-Chalukya-Mauryēbhyo vārāham Gürya(rja)rēśvarā[t] [*]'' 
''t(pha)lakam (prā)tipa[d*]-dhāryam vrishabham Pallavēśvarā[t] [*]'' 
''(Kō)sal-Avanti-nāthā(bhyām) Simhalad api nama[kam] [*]'' 
''Tārā(m) bhagava(tim) khyātām Dharmād Vangala-bhūmipat [*]''
 
</poem>|The Nesarika inscription of Govinda III, Verses 21-23<ref>Epigraphia Indica, Vol-34, pg.137 [https://archive.org/details/dli.calcutta.06117/page/137/mode/1up Nesarika inscription of Govinda III]</ref>}}
| align=left |
{{blockquote|<poem>The fish from the Pandya king; the bull from the Pallava king; the tiger from the Chola king; the elephant from the [Western] Ganga king; the bow from the Kerala king; the boar from the Andhra (Eastern Chalukya), Chalukya and Maurya kings; phalaka or board bearing [the figures of] the pratipad or kettle-drum and the harya or snake from the Gürjara king; the bull from the Pallava king the namaka (i.e. the names of the individual rulers) from the Kösala, Avanti and Simhala kings; and the celebrated goddes Tără from Dharma, the king of Vangala.</poem>|The Nesarika inscription of Govinda III, Verses 21-23<ref>Epigraphia Indica, Vol-34, pg.125 [https://archive.org/details/dli.calcutta.06117/page/n170/mode/1up Nesarika inscription of Govinda III]</ref>}}
 
|}

=== Conquest of Northern and Eastern India ===

==== Capture of Kannauj ====
{{see also|Tripartite Struggle}}

From his capital Mayurakhandi in present-day [[Bidar district]], Govinda III conducted his northern campaign in 800 CE. He successfully obtained the submission of [[Gurjara-Pratihara]] emperor [[Nagabhata II]], [[Pala Empire|Pala]] emperor [[Dharmapala of Bengal|Dharmapala]] and the incumbent puppet ruler of [[Kanyakubja]], [[Ayudha dynasty|Chakrayudha]].

The Sanjan plates of Govinda III mention that the horse of Govinda III drank the icy liquid bubbling in the [[Himalaya]]n stream and his war elephants tasted the holy waters of the [[Ganges]].<ref name="vic">Kamath (2001), p76</ref> The rulers of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] and [[Bengal]] also submitted to him. An inscription of 813 CE states the Govinda III conquered [[Lata (region)|Lata]] (southern and central [[Gujarat]]) and made his brother Indra the ruler of the territory. This in effect became a branch of the Rashtrakuta Empire.<ref name="branch">Reu (1933), p66</ref> After the conquest of [[Malwa]], Govinda III ensured the [[Paramara dynasty]] would rule as vassals of the [[Rashtrakuta dynasty|Rashtrakutas]] in 800 CE.<ref>A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th century by Upinder Singh p.569</ref>

However, Govinda III had control over the regions between [[Vindhya]]s and [[Malwa]] in the north to [[Kanchi]] in the south, while the heart of his empire extended from the [[Narmada River|Narmada]] to [[Tungabhadra]] rivers.<ref name="branch"/>

==== Southern campaign ====
He obtained the submission of the King of [[Ceylon]] ([[Sri Lanka]]) without even going to battle. The King of [[Ceylon]] is said to have sent him two statues, one of himself and another of his minister as an act of submission.<ref name="tribute">Kamath (2001), p77</ref> The Nasari record states that now all the kingdoms of the Tamil country, the [[Cholas]], [[Pandyas]] and the Keralas paid their tribute to Govinda III.<ref name="tribute"/>

Never had the Rashtrakuta Empire reach such levels of military success and zenith of glory.<ref name="zenith">A.S. Altekar in (Kamath 2001, p77)</ref> Govinda III died in 814.<ref name=sen>{{cite book|last1=Sen|first1=Sailendra Nath|title=Textbook of medieval Indian history.|date=2013|publisher=Primus Books|isbn=9789380607344|page=20}}</ref> His brother Indra during this time founded the Gujarat (Lata) branch. Govinda III was succeeded by his son [[Amoghavarsha|Amoghavarsha I]].{{sfn|Narasimhacharya|1988|p=1}}

==Inscriptions==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%; width: 100%;" align="center" cellpadding="3" colspan="1"
| colspan="1" align="center" style="background:#F4A460; font-size: 100%;" |'''Nesarika grant of Govinda III'''
|-
|<gallery mode="packed" heights="250px">
File:Nesarika grant of Govinda III, Plate I.jpg|Plate I
File:Nesarika grant of Govinda III, Plate II.jpg|Plate II
File:Nesarika grant of Govinda III, Plate III.jpg|Plate III
</gallery>
|}

== See also ==
* [[Kannauj]]
* [[Amoghavarsha]]
* [[Rashtrakuta Empire]]
* [[Tripartite Struggle]]
* [[Branches of Rashtrakuta dynasty]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last= Sastri|first= Nilakanta K.A.|title= A history of South India from prehistoric times to the fall of Vijayanagar|orig-year=1955|year=2002|publisher= Indian Branch, Oxford University Press|location= New Delhi|isbn= 0-19-560686-8}}
*{{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=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=Narasimhacharya |first=Ramanujapuram |title=History of Kannada Literature (Readership Lectures) |url={{Google books|nOTmIt3wumwC|plainurl=yes}} |publisher=[[Asian Educational Services]] |year=1988 |isbn=81-206-0303-6 }}

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

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box |
before= [[Dhruva Dharavarsha]] |
title= [[Rashtrakuta|Rashtrakuta Emperor]] |
years= 793–814 |
after= [[Amoghavarsha]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Govinda 03}}
[[Category:814 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:Rashtrakuta emperors]]
[[Category:8th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:9th-century monarchs in Asia]]

Govinda III - Revision history

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