The Vishnukundina dynasty ruled over the eastern Deccan in South India comprising of the area covered by modern day Andhra Pradesh and Kalinga (Orissa). South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union Kalinga was a Kingdom in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa, as well as some northern areas of the bordering state Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It played an important role in the history of the Deccan during the 5th and 6th centuries C. E. ). They are believed to be one of the ancestors of Pusapati's of vizianagaram and three other clans of Raju community in Andhra Pradesh.
By 514 C. For the area code see Area code 514 Events By Place Byzantine Empire Vitalius leads a rebellion in the E. , the Vakataka empire was reduced to areas of present day Telangana area. The Vakataka (Vākāţaka was an Indian dynasty which ruled parts of today's Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh from the third century to fifth century Telangana or Telingana ( Telugu: తెలంగాణ is a region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The area north of the Godavari, (Kalinga), became independent. This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी Kalinga was a Kingdom in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa, as well as some northern areas of the bordering state The area south of the Krishna River fell to the Pallavas. This article is about an Indian river For other meanings of this river names see Krishna (disambiguation and Krishnaveni. Origins See also Origin of Pallava The exact origin of the Pallavas is shrouded in mystery
The Vishnukundin reign came to an end with the conquest of the eastern Deccan by the Chalukya, Pulakesi II. The Chalukya dynasty ( Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು ʧaːɭukjə was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and Central Pulakesi II (ಇಮ್ಮಡಿ ಪುಲಿಕೇಶಿ (610 - 642 CE is the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty. Pulakesei appointed his brother Kubja Vishnuvardhana as Viceroy to rule over the conquered lands. Kubja Vishnuvardhana ( 624 – 641 CE was the brother of Chalukya Pulakesi II. Vishnuvardhana eventually started the Eastern Chalukya dynasty. Origin of Eastern Chalukyas Pulakesin II (608–644 CE the greatest Badami Chalukya king conquered the eastern Deccan, corresponding to the
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Origin of Vishnukundins
Vishnukundina is a Sanskritized name for Vinukonda. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Several attempts have been made by scholars to find out the origins of this dynasty, but no definite conclusions have been reached as yet. one theory states that they are of Vasistha gothra of kshatriyas who migrated from ayodhya during the early 5th century. The early rulers of the dynasty migrated to the west in search of employment and under the Vakatakas they might have attained feudatory status under the Satavahanas. The Sātavāhanas ( Marathi: सातवाहन Telugu:శాతవాహనులు were a Dynasty which ruled from Junnar ( They had Indrapalanagara in the Nalgonda district as their capital. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Nalgonda is a town and a Municipality in Nalgonda district
During the reign of Madhava Varma, the great, they became independent and conquered coastal Andhra from the Salankayanas and might have shifted their capital to a place in the coastal Andhra.
Chronology
The Vishnukundin reign may be fixed between the end of the Salankayana and the rise of the Eastern Chalukyan power in 624 AD. The Salankayanas were an ancient dynasty that ruled the Vengi region of India 's eastern coast from 300 to 440 AD
Indra Varma
According to the Indra Pala Nagara plates, Indra Varma is considered to be the first ruler of the Vishnukundin dynasty. See Indira Varma for the actress of whose name this is a common mis-spelling According to the Indra Pala Nagara plates, Indra Varma He might have carved out a small principality for himself probably as a subordinate of the Vakatakas sometime about the last quarter of the fourth century C. The Vakataka (Vākāţaka was an Indian dynasty which ruled parts of today's Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh from the third century to fifth century E. Not much information is known about the next two kings, Madhav Varma I and his son Govinda Varma. They might have kept intact the inheritance or extended their sway to some extent.
Madhavarma II
By the middle of the 5th century A. D. , the dynasty began its imperial expansion under its most efficient ruler Madhav Varma II. The reign of Madhav Varma (461-508 C. E. ) for nearly half a century was a golden age in the history of the Vishnukundins. It was during this period, the small Vishnukundin dynasty rose to imperial heights. A princess of the then powerful ruling family of the Deccan the Vakatakas was given in marriage to Madhav Varma's son, Vikramendra Varma. The Vakataka (Vākāţaka was an Indian dynasty which ruled parts of today's Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh from the third century to fifth century
This alliance with the great power made easy the task of extending the Vishnukundin influence to the east coast and vanquishing the petty chieftains lingering on in that area. Madhav Varma II led his arms against Ananda Gotrikas who were ruling over Guntur, Tenali and Ongole, probably enjoying subordinate position under the Pallavas of Kanchipuram. Ananda Gotrikas also referred to as Anandas ruled coastal Andhra with Kapotapuram as the capital from 335-425 AD WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Guntur ( Telugu: గుంటూరు Urdu: گنٹور, Hindi: गुंटूर WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Tenali (తెనాలి also known as Andhra Paris is a Town and a mandal in Guntur WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ongole, is a large town and a Municipality in Prakasam district in the state of Andhra Origins See also Origin of Pallava The exact origin of the Pallavas is shrouded in mystery Kanchipuram, Kanchi, or Kancheepuram is a city and a Municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of
After occupying these areas from the Anandas, Madhav Varma II made Amarapura (modern Amaravati) his capital. Keeping in view the constant threat from the Pallavas, he created an out-post to check their activities and appointed his son, Deva Varma and after his death the grandson Madhav Varma III as its Viceroy. A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the Monarch.
Madhav Varma II next turned his attention against the Vengi kingdom which was under the Salankayanas. The Vengi kingdom extended from the Godavari River in the north to Mount MahendraGiri in the southeast and to just south of the banks of River Krishna in the The Salankayanas were an ancient dynasty that ruled the Vengi region of India 's eastern coast from 300 to 440 AD The Vengi region was annexed. The Godavari tract became part of the Vishnukundin territory. This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी After these conquests the capital might have been shifted to Bezwada (Vijayawada), a more central location than Amarapura. Vijayawada ( (విజయవాడ also known as Bezawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River These extensive conquests entitle him to the title of the lord of Dakshinapatha (southern country). Ancient Buddhist and Brahmanical texts use the term Dakshinapatha as a name for both the southern high road of After these various conquests Madhav Varma performed many Asvamedha, Rajasuya and other Vedic sacrifices. The Ashvamedha ( Sanskrit: sa अश्वमेध aśvamedhá; " Horse sacrifice " was one of the most important royal Rituals Rajasuya was a sacrifice described in detail in the Mahabharata, performed by the ancient kings of India who considered themselves powerful enough to be an Emperor This article discusses the historical religious practices in the Vedic time period see Hinduism and Indian religions for details
Successors of Madhav Varma II
The fortunes of the Vishnukundins were at a low ebb during the reign of next ruler Vikramendra Varma I (508–528 C. Events By Place Europe Clovis I establishes Paris ( Lutetia) as his capital Events By Place Byzantine Empire February 13 — Justinian appoints a commission (including the Jurist E. ). The next two and half decades also experienced the constant strife and dynastic struggles during the reign of Indra Bhattaraka Varma (528–555 C. Events By Place Byzantine Empire February 13 — Justinian appoints a commission (including the Jurist Events By Place Byzantine Empire An Earthquake devastates Latakia. E. ). Though Indra Bhattaraka could not withstand the hostile Kalinga subordinate, Indra Varma and lost his life in battle. The Vishnukundins lost their Kalinga possessions north of the Godavari.
Vikramendra Varma II
With the accession of Vikramendra Varma II (555–569 C. Events By Place Byzantine Empire An Earthquake devastates Latakia. Events By Place Byzantine Empire The King of the Garamantes signs a peace treaty with Byzantium. E), the fortunes of the Vishnukundin family were restored. To have an immediate access to the Kalinga region, he shifted his capital from Bezwada to Lenduluru (modem Denduluru in the West Godavari district). Denduluru is a village and a mandal in West Godavari district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. West Godavari (Teluguపశ్చిమ గోదావరి is a district in Andhra Pradesh, India. He repulsed the attack of the Pallava ruler Simhavarman. Origins See also Origin of Pallava The exact origin of the Pallavas is shrouded in mystery He was successful enough to restore the fortunes of the Vishnukundins in the Kalinga region. His son Govinda Varma II enjoyed a comparatively short period of rule (569–573 C. Events By Place Byzantine Empire The King of the Garamantes signs a peace treaty with Byzantium. Events By Place Europe The Battle of Arfderydd is fought between Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio and the sons of Eliffer Gwrgi and E. ).
Govinda Varma II
The Vishnukundin empire set about again to imperial expansion and cultural prosperity under its able ruler Janssraya Madhav Varma IV (573-621 A. D. ). This prudent king spent his early years of rule in consolidating his position in Vengi. The later part of his reign is marked by wars and annexations. In his 37th regnal year, he suppressed the revolt of his subordinate chief the Durjaya Prithvi Maharaja in Guddadivishya (modern Ramachandrapuram in the East Godavari district). East Godavari District is a district situated on the northeast of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.
Madhav Varma IV had to face the Chalukyan onslaught in his last years of rule. The Chalukya dynasty ( Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು ʧaːɭukjə was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and Central By about 616 C. Events By Place Europe Eadbald succeeds Ethelbert as king of Kent. E. , Pulakesin II and his brother Kubja Vishnuvardhana conquered Vengi from the Vishnukundins and the Pithspuram area from their subordinate Durjayas. Pulakesi II (ಇಮ್ಮಡಿ ಪುಲಿಕೇಶಿ (610 - 642 CE is the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty. Kubja Vishnuvardhana ( 624 – 641 CE was the brother of Chalukya Pulakesi II. In 621 C. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Byzantine Emperor Heraclius invades Persia. E. in his 48th regnal year, Madhava crossed the Godavari probably to oust the Chalukyas from his territories. However he lost his life on the battlefield. His son Manchana Bhattaraka also might have been expelled by the Chalukyas. Thus the Vishnukundin rule was brought to a close by 624 A. D.
Vishnukundin country
They had three important cities, near Eluru, Amaravathi and Puranisangam. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Eluru is a munucipal corporation in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. There is an inscription in an old Buddhist monastery in southeast Hyderabad suburbs near Dislsukhnagar mentioning Govindavarma. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Keesara, Northeast of Hyderabad could have Vishnukundin connections as well. A fort traditionally connected to Rajus is Kalidindi in Krishna district, which was under the Vishnukundina sway for a long time. Krishna District ( Telugu: కృష్ణా జిల్లా Hindi: कृष्णा ज़िला is a district of India 's Andhra Pradesh
Use of Telugu
During Visnukundina rule, the Telugu language began to make historical developments. Until then all the royal inscriptions used either Prakrit or Sanskrit. Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical This was in spite of the fact there was a well-developed local language in Telugu.
The possible migration of the Chola kings following the invasion of the Tamil country by Kalabhras towards the north seem to have began the process of the growth of the Telugu language. Identification Kalabhras The identification of the Kalabhras is difficult The Telugu Chola kings had eventually gained prominence and filled the vacuum left by the end of Pallava rule in the Andhra region. Many Telugu Choda kingdoms ruled over many regions including the cities on the banks of Krishna River in the period between the seventh and the thirteenth century They ruled from Renadu, which corresponds roughly to the modern day Kadapa, Eastern Chittoor, Southern Nellore and surrounding areas. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kadapa (కడప formerly Cuddapah, is a city in the south-central part of Andhra Pradesh, For the district information see Chittoor district. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Chittoor, also known WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Nellore ( Telugu:నెల్లూరు is a city located in the state of Andhra Pradesh
They broke with the prevailing fashion and introduced the tradition of writing Royal Proclamations in the local language. The earliest available inscription containing Telugu sentences comes from these Chola kings and is dated from 573–576 C. Events By Place Europe The Battle of Arfderydd is fought between Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio and the sons of Eliffer Gwrgi and For the tv standard see 576i Events The Gokturks besiege Panticapaeum in the Crimea. E. During the next fifty years, Telugu inscriptions appeared in the neighbouring Anantapur and all the surrounding regions. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Anantapur (అనంతపురం is a city (population 466359 and a
Their act of patronizing Telugu over Sanskrit had caught on and other kings in the Telugu land had begun to follow their lead. The first available Telugu inscription in the coastal Andhra Pradesh comes from about 633 C. Events By Place Europe Oswald of Bernicia becomes Bretwalda. Osric becomes king of Deira. E. Around the same time, the Eastern Chalukya kings of Telangana also started using Telugu for inscriptions. Origin of Eastern Chalukyas Pulakesin II (608–644 CE the greatest Badami Chalukya king conquered the eastern Deccan, corresponding to the Telangana or Telingana ( Telugu: తెలంగాణ is a region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Administration
For administrative convenience, the empire was divided into a number of Rashtras and Vishayas. Inscriptions refer to:
- Palki Rashtra
- Karma rashtra
- Guddadi Vishaya etc.
Madhav Varma III appointed members of the royal family as Viceroys for various areas of the kingdom. A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the Monarch.
The king was the highest court of appeal in the administrator of Justice. The Vishnukundin rulers established various kinds of punishments for various crimes. They were known for their impartial judgment and high sense of justice.
Their army consisted of traditional fourfold divisions:
- Elephants
- Chariots
- Cavalry
- Infantry
- Hastikosa (Officer-in charge of elephant forces)
- Virakosa (officer-in-charge of land forces)
were referred in records. These officers issued even grants on behalf of the kings. There might have been well-organised administrative machinery for collection of land revenue.
Agrahara villages enjoyed tax exemptions. Sixteen types of coins of the Vishnukundin rulers have been found by archealogists.
Religion
All the records of the Vishnukundins throw a flood of light on the religious conditions of the period. Buddhism was a considerable force to be reckoned with during the Vishnukundin period. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The kings prior to the Madhav Varma II seem to be patrons of Buddhism. Govinda Varma I was hailed as the Buddhist and builder of stupas and Viharas. His wife Parama Bhattari Kama Devi also patronised Buddhism and built a monastery. Vikramendra Varma II, although a Hindu, made liberal grants to the same Mahadevi's Buddhist vihara. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical
However from the time of accession of Madhav Varma II, an aggressive self-assertion of the Vedic Brahmanism occurred. Elaborate Vedic ceremonies like Rajasuya, Purushamedha, Sarvamedha and Aswamedha were undertaken. Rajasuya was a sacrifice described in detail in the Mahabharata, performed by the ancient kings of India who considered themselves powerful enough to be an Emperor Purushamedha (literally translated " Human sacrifice " is a Vedic Yajna (ritual described in the Yajurveda (VS 30&ndash31 The Ashvamedha ( Sanskrit: sa अश्वमेध aśvamedhá; " Horse sacrifice " was one of the most important royal Rituals The celebration of all these sacrifices represents the militant spirit of the brahmanical revival. Some of the rulers referred to themselves as 'Parama Mahesvaras'. The inscriptions refer to their family deity Sri Parvata Swami.
The names of rulers like Madhav Varma and Govinda Varma show their Vaishnavite leanings. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Thus both the Hindu sects of Saivism and Vaishnavism might have received equal patronage from them. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Rock-cut cave temples were constructed at Bezwada, Vimdavalli and Bhairava Konda which were dedicated to both the sects.
Literature
The Vishnukundins were also great patrons of learning. They established colleges for vedic learning. Learned Brahmins were encouraged by gifts of lands and colleges were established for the propagation of Vedic studies. Brahmin ( Brāhmaṇa, sa ब्राह्मणः is the class of educators scholars and preachers in Brahminical Hinduism. This article discusses the historical religious practices in the Vedic time period see Hinduism and Indian religions for details Indra Bhattaraka established many schools for imparting education on Vedic literature. Performance of several elaborate Vedic ceremonies by Madhav Varma is evidence of the faith of the rulers in Brahmanism and popularity of Vedic learning with the people during this period.
Some of the Vishnukundin kings were credited with authorship of several books. Vikramendra Varma I was described as Mahakavi – great poet in a record. Further, an incomplete work on Sanskrit poetics called 'Janasraya Chando Vichiti', was attributed to Madhav Varma IV who bore the title of 'Janasraya'.
Sanskrit enjoyed royal patronage. Telugu had not yet grown to the stature of receiving royal patronage.
Art and Architecture
Being great devotees of Siva, the Vishnukundins seem to have been responsible for construction of a number of cave temples dedicated to Siva, The cave structures at Bezwada (Vijayawada), Mogalrajapuram, Undavalli caves and Bhairavakonds were dated to this period. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva Vijayawada ( (విజయవాడ also known as Bezawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River The Undavalli Caves, and example of Indian rock-cut architecture are located in the village of Undavalli in Guntur District, in the state of Andhra Though some of these cave temples were attributed to the Pallavas Mahendra Varman I, the emblems found on the caves and the areas being under the rule of the Vishnukundins during this period clearly show that these were contributions of the Vishnukundins. Origins See also Origin of Pallava The exact origin of the Pallavas is shrouded in mystery The big four-storeyed cave at Undavalli and the 8 cave temples in Bhairavakonda in Nellore district show however clear resemblances with the architecture of Pallava Mahendra Varman's period.
References
- Durga Prasad, History of the Andhras up to 1565 A. D. , P. G. PUBLISHERS, GUNTUR (1988)
- South Indian Inscriptions [1]
- Nilakanta Sastri, K. A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
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