Naveed Aslam at 16:06, 28 January 2026

2026-01-28T16:06:18Z

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{{Short description| Rashtrakuta Emperor from 930 to 936}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox royalty
| reign = {{circa|930|936 CE}}
| succession = [[Rashtrakuta Empire|Rashtrakuta Emperor]]
| predecessor = [[Amoghavarsha II]]
| successor = [[Amoghavarsha III]]
| dynasty = [[Rashtrakuta dynasty|Rāshṭrakūṭa]]
| father = [[Indra III]]
| religion = [[Jainism]] <br/>
}}
{{Rashtrakuta Manyakheta Kings Infobox}}

'''Govinda IV''' (reigned {{circa}} 930–936 CE) was the younger brother of [[Amoghavarsha II]]. He became the [[Rashtrakuta]] emperor in 930 as described in the Kalasa record of [[Chikmagalur]]. He was a very unpopular ruler who indulged in licentious acts. Control over [[Kannauj]] was lost during his rule. The [[Eastern Chalukyas|Chalukyas of Vengi]] defeated him and much territory was lost. Finally, his own vassals including King [[Arikesari II|Arikesari]] of [[Chalukyas of Vemulavada|Vemulavada]] revolted against him and placed [[Amoghavarsha III]] on the throne in 935. This is known from the records of [[Kannada]] poet [[Adikavi Pampa]], who was patronised by King Arikesari.<ref name="matri">Kamath 2001, p. 82</ref> Govinda IV patronised [[Kannada]] poet Ravinagabhatta.

== Name and Attestations ==
A [[Kannada]] form of his name, ''Gojjiga'', is attested in contemporary epigraphy. At least two inscriptions and two copper plate grants of Govinda IV have been found. The first inscription, found at [[Dharwad|Ḍanḍapur]] in present-day [[Dharwad district]], is dated to 918; the second is dated to 930. The first copper plate grant is dated to 930; and the second, found at [[Sangli|Sānglī]], is dated to 933.<ref>Reu 1933, p. 80</ref>

== Family ==
Govinda was the son of [[Indra III]] and the younger brother of [[Amoghavarsha II]].<ref>Reu 1933, p. 80</ref>

== Reign ==
Based on inscriptions of the [[Eastern Chalukyas|Eastern Chalukya]] kings [[Amma I]] and [[Bhima III]], it seems that there was a war between the Rashtrakutas and Chalukyas during Govinda's reign. One inscription specifies that Bhima had "repulsed" the armies of Govinda, implying that Govinda was the attacker in this conflict.<ref>Reu 1933, p. 80</ref>

The Sānglī copper plate grant of 933 says that Govinda "did not wrong his elder brother, nor was he guilty of incest, nor of cruelty". Reu interprets this as meaning that Govinda was accused of these misdeeds during his lifetime, hence why he felt the need to refute these claims in the plate.<ref>Reu 1933, p. 81</ref>

== Death ==
According to Reu, Govinda IV appears to have had a short reign and died prematurely.<ref>Reu 1933, pp. 80–1</ref>

==References==
*{{cite book |last= Kamath|first= Suryanath U.|title= A concise history of Karnataka : from pre-historic times to the present|orig-date=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-date=1933|year=1997|publisher= Publication scheme|location= Jaipur|isbn= 81-86782-12-5|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.215812}}

==Notes==
<references/>

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

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box |
before= [[Amoghavarsha II]] |
title= [[Rashtrakuta|Rashtrakuta Emperor]] |
years= 930–935 |
after= [[Amoghavarsha III]]
}}
{{S-end}}

[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:10th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Rashtrakuta emperors]]
[[Category:935 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]

Govinda IV - Revision history

Naveed Aslam at 16:06, 28 January 2026