WaldoOakes4 at 05:42, 20 February 2026

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{{use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Short description| Rashtrakuta Emperor from 939 to 967}}
{{Infobox royalty
| succession = 12th [[Rashtrakuta Empire|Rashtrakuta Emperor]]
| title = Maharajadhiraja Vallabhanarendra Paramabhattaraka Akalavarsha Shri-prithvi-vallabha<ref name="KrishnaIII-Titles">Fleet, John Faithfull (ed.). Epigraphia Indica, Vol. 3. Calcutta: Government of India, 1894. pp. 270–273. Titles of Krishna III are recorded in multiple inscriptions, including the Savalagi and Ron inscriptions.</ref>
| reign = December 939 – December 967<ref name="v233">{{cite web | title= The Rāshțrakuțās and Their Times| url=https://ia802900.us.archive.org/21/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.57217/2015.57217.Rashtrakutas-And-Their-Times_text.pdf | access-date=6 February 2025| page =122, 126}}</ref>
| predecessor = [[Amoghavarsha III]]
| successor = [[Khottiga]]
| birth_name = Kannaradeva
| father = [[Amoghavarsha III]]
| religion = [[Jainism]]<ref>Altekar, A.S. (1934). The Rashtrakutas and Their Times. Poona: Oriental Book Agency.</ref><ref>Desai, P.B. (1957). Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha.</ref>

| spouse = Unnamed princess of Chedi
| issue = Unnamed son Bijjabbe
| dynasty = [[Rashtrakuta]]
}}
{{Rashtrakuta Manyakheta Kings Infobox}}
[[File:Old Kannada inscription dated Shaka 868 (c.944-45 AD) of Rashtrakuta empire King Krishna III.JPG|thumb|upright|Old Kannada inscription dated c. 944–45 of Rashtrakuta Emperor Krishna III]]

'''Krishna III''' (r. 939 – 967), was the last great warrior and able [[Rashtrakutas|Rashtrakuta Emperor]]. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to restore the glory of the Rashtrakutas and played an important role in rebuilding the Rashtrakuta empire. He patronised the famous Kannada poets [[Ponna (poet)|Ponna]], who wrote [[Shantinatha|"Shantinatha Purana"]] and Gajankusha, who wrote on erotics, and the [[Apabhramsha]] poet Pushpadanta who wrote "Mahapurana" and other works.<ref name="poet">Kamath (2001), p84, p90</ref><ref name="poet1">Sastri (1955), p356</ref><ref name="ubhaya">[[Bisheshwar Nath Reu|Reu]] (1933), p86</ref> His queen was a [[Kalachuris of Tripuri|Chedi]] princess and his daughter Bijjabbe was married to a [[Western Ganga dynasty|Western Ganga]] prince. During his rule he held titles such as ''Akalavarsha'', ''Maharajadhiraja'', ''Parameshvara'', ''Paramamaheshvara'', ''Shri Prithvivallabha'' etc.<ref name="title">Reu (1933), p82</ref> At his peak, he reigned over a vast empire stretching from at least the [[Narmada River|Narmada]] river in the north to at least the [[Kaveri]] river delta in the south. A copper grant of 993 issued by the [[Shilahara]] king of [[Thane|Thana]] states that the Rashtrakuta control extended from the Himalayas in the north to [[Ceylon]] in the south and from the [[Bay of Bengal|eastern sea]] to the [[Arabian Sea|western seas]]. This grant also states that when the emperor Krishna III mobilised his armies, the kings of Chola, Bengal, Kannauj, Andhra and Pandya regions used to quiver.<ref name="hold">Reu (1933), p43</ref>

==Southern conquests ==
He slew the [[Western Ganga Dynasty|Western Ganga]] ruler Rachamalla II and made his brother-in-law [[Butuga II]] the king of the [[Mysore state|Gangavadi]] territory. He fought the Gurjara [[Prathihara]] and captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjara regions. He defeated his family relations, the [[Kalachuris of Tripuri]] (Chedi) when they had turned against the Rashtrakutas.<ref name="tripuri">Kamath (2001), p82</ref> Later he invaded the southern [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] and recaptured [[Kolar, Karnataka|Kolar]] and [[Dharmapuri]] from the [[Bana kingdom|Banas]] and Vaidumbas who had given shelter to [[Govinda IV]] due to his matrimonial relations with the [[Cholas]]. Though he initially may have experienced setbacks, [[Tondaimandalam]] was secured by 944. He defeated the [[Cholas]] and captured [[Kanchi]] and [[Tanjore]], according to the Siddalingamadam plates of 944.<ref name="sidda">Kamath (2001), p83</ref>

In c. 949, he defeated the Cholas decisively in a [[Battle of Takkolam]] in present-day [[North Arcot]] district.<ref name="arcot">From the Karhad record of 949 (Kamath 2001, p83)</ref> Krishna III was joined by his Western Ganga feudatory Butuga II in this campaign. Chola prince [[Rajaditya Chola|Rajaditya]] Chola was killed "while seated on his elephant with a well-aimed arrow". From the famous [[Atakur inscription]] it is known that Krishna III gave Buthuga II extensive Ratta territories near [[Banavasi]] in return for this victory.<ref name="title" /><ref name="ratta">From the [[Atakur inscription]] (Kamath 2001, p83)</ref><ref name="sarma">Sarma (1992), p20, p28, p133</ref><ref name="adi">Adiga (2006), p120, p307</ref> With the fall of the Cholas, he extracted tribute from the [[Pandyas]] and the Chera ruler of [[Kerala]].<ref name=":0">Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala: Brahmin Oligarchy and Ritual Monarchy: Political and Social Conditions of Kerala Under the Cēra Perumāḷs of Makōtai (c. AD 800 – AD 1124).'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 100–101.</ref> He also obtained the submission of the King of Ceylon, extracted tributes from the Manadlika rulers, and erected a pillar of victory at Ramesvaram.<ref name="arcot" /><ref name="arcot1">From the Sholapur copper plate inscriptions of 958 (Reu 1933, p84, p85)</ref> This victory is narrated in Somadeva's writing ''Yashatilaka Champu'' of 959 as well.<ref name="pandya">Krishna III is described as the conqueror of Chola, Chera, Pandya and Simhala ([[Ceylon]]) (Reu 1933, p86)</ref>

However, from location of the inscriptions it is argued that Krishna III had full control only of Tondaimandalam (northern [[Tamil Nadu]]) as his inscriptions are not found further south in modern [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="control">Sathianath Ayer in Kamath 2001, p83</ref> After these victories he proclaimed himself "Conqueror of Kacci and Tanjai" (Kanchi and Tanjore).<ref name="tanjore">from the Tirukkalukkunram and Lakshmeshvara inscriptions (Reu 1933, p83, p85)</ref> He exerted influence on [[Vengi]] (modern [[Andhra Pradesh]]) by helping Badapa secure the throne against his competitor Amma II. Later, Danarnava of Vengi became his feudatory.

==Northern conquests==
While Krishna III focussed on southern [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]], the [[Chandela]]s had captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjar. This prompted Krishna III to send his Western Ganga vassal [[Marasimha II]], son of [[Butuga II]], to retrieve the lost areas. Marasimha defeated the Gurjara Prathiharas. The northernmost [[Kannada]] inscription of the Rashtrakutas, dated about 964 is the Jura record (near [[Jabalpur]]) in present-day [[Madhya Pradesh]]. The details of these victories are inscribed in this inscription.<ref name="sidda"/> Two inscriptions of Marasimha, dated 965 and 968, state that his forces destroyed [[Ujjayani]] (which lies in the [[Paramara dynasty|Paramara]] territory of [[Malwa]]). Based on this, some historians such as [[Anant Sadashiv Altekar|A. S. Altekar]] conclude that the Paramara king [[Siyaka]] must have rebelled against the Rashtrakuta suzerainty, resulting in a military campaign against him. Thus, Marasimha must have also defeated the Paramaras. However, K. N. Sethi believes that Krishna III only targeted the Gurjara-Pratiharas: there is no evidence to show that Siyaka rebelled against Krishna III or faced a battle against his forces.{{sfn|Seth|1978|pp=80–81}}

At his peak, Krishna III ruled an empire that extended at least from the [[Narmada River|Narmada]] river in the north and stretched south covering large parts of present-day northern [[Tamil Nadu]] in the south. The [[Prathihara]], the [[Paramara dynasty|Paramara]], the [[Seuna]] (ruled by Vaddiga) and the [[Kalachuris of Tripuri|northern Kalachuris]] were his feudatories in the northern Deccan and central India.<ref name="extent">However the Deoli inscriptions state that the Rashtrakuta control extended from the Himalayas in the north to Ceylon in the south and from the eastern sea to the western sea (Reu 1933, p83, p84)</ref>

This enmity with the northern Kalachuris of Tripuri proved fatal to the empire towards the end of his rule. Krishna III was also perhaps reckless in giving large ''fiefs'' (land grants) to his commanders. He gave the province of Tardavadi (present day [[Bijapur district, Karnataka|Vijayapura district]]) sometime before 965 to [[Tailapa II]] his Chalukya feudatory right in the heart of his empire. This later turned out to be to the Rashtrakutas' undoing.

== Religion ==
Krishna III is described as Jain by faith according to historian P.B. Desai. 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.<ref>Kamath (2001), p.91</ref><ref>Chopra et al. (1993), p.91</ref><ref>Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha.</ref> Krishna III continued the Rashtrakuta dynasty’s longstanding and well-documented tradition of strong Jain patronage. Under the patronage of Krishna III, [[Kannada]] Jain Poet [[Ponna (poet)|Ponna]] composed works such as [[Shantinatha|"Shantinatha Purana"]], "Jinaksharamale", and "Bhuvanaika-Ramabhyudaya". Known for his Jain texts and command over both [[Kannada]] and [[Sanskrit]],<ref>Narasimhacharya, R. (1988). ''History of Kannada Literature''. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. pp. 20–22.</ref> Ponna was honoured by Krishna III with the title "Ubhaya-Kavi-Chakravarti" (Emperor among poets)<ref>Narasimhacharya, R. (1988). pp. 20–22.</ref> in recognition of his rich poetic imagery and mastery of literary style.<ref>Narasimhacharya, R. (1988). pp. 20–22.</ref> And Numerous inscriptions and land grants from Rashtrakuta rulers show sustained support for Jain [[monks]], temples, and scholars across the Deccan, a policy begun by earlier kings like Amoghavarsha I. Krishna III maintained this inclusive approach, encouraging Jain religious institutions within his empire.<ref>Altekar, A.S. (1934). ''The Rashtrakutas and Their Times''. Poona: Oriental Book Agency.</ref><ref>Desai, P.B. (1957). ''Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs''. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha.</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==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 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= Narasimhacharya|first= R|title= History of Kannada Literature|url= https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.489059|orig-year=1988|year=1988|publisher= Asian Educational Services|location= New Delhi, Madras|isbn= 81-206-0303-6}}
*{{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}}
* {{cite book |last= Adiga|first= Malini|title= The Making of Southern Karnataka: Society, Polity and Culture in the early medieval period, AD 400–1030|orig-year=2006|year= 2006|publisher= Orient Longman|location= Chennai|isbn= 81-250-2912-5}}
* {{cite book |last= Sarma|first= I.K. |author-link=I. K. Sarma |title= Temples of the Gangas of Karnataka|orig-year=1992|year=1992|publisher= Archaeological Survey of India|location= New Delhi|isbn= 0-19-560686-8}}
* {{cite book |first=Krishna Narain |last=Seth |title=The Growth of the Paramara Power in Malwa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Q4dAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Progress |year=1978 }}

==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 III]] |
title= King of the [[Rashtrakuta]] dynasty |
years= 939–967 |
after= [[Khottiga Amoghavarsha]]
}}
{{s-end}}

[[Category:967 deaths]]
[[Category:Jain monarchs]]
[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:10th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Rashtrakuta emperors]]
[[Category:Indian Jains]]
[[Category:Jainism in Karnataka]]

Krishna III - Revision history

WaldoOakes4 at 05:42, 20 February 2026