Butuga II (938–961 CE) became the ruler of the

Western Ganga Dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (mo ...

after his elder brother Rachamalla III.

Relations with Rashtrakutas

In order to ascend the throne he had to first seek help from the

Rashtrakutas Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...

who were hitherto their arch enemies. Butuga II first helped

Amoghavarsha III Amoghavarsha III (reigned 936–939 CE), whose Kannada name was Baddega ( kn, ಬದ್ದೆಗ), was in exile in Tripuri and was a younger brother of Indra III and uncle to Govinda IV. He came to power with the help of feudatory King Arikesar ...

regain many lost territories and in turn was helped by the Rashtrakuta ruler to overthrow Rachamalla III, the unpopular Ganga king at that time. This helped forge a strong relationship between the Gangas and the Rashtrakutas, an alliance that lasted till the end of both kingdoms. Butuga II became the son-in-law of Amoghavarsha III by marrying his daughter Revakanimmadi. He also helped the Rashtrakutas defeat the Cholas in c. 949 in the

Battle of Takkolam The Battle of Takkolam (948–949) was a military engagement between a contingent of troops led by Rajaditya, crown prince and eldest son of the Chola king Parantaka I (907–955), and another led by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III (939–96 ...

when he killed the

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...

monarch

Rajaditya Rajaditya Chola (''fl.'' mid-10th century AD) was a Chola prince, son of king Parantaka I (r. 907–955) and a Chera/Kerala princess ( the Ko Kizhan AdigalNarayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala.'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 96-1 ...

with a well aimed arrow when the Chola was seated on his elephant. As a Rashtrakuta

feudatory A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...

, he not only ruled Gangavadi but also many areas in the

Malaprabha River The Malaprabha River (Kannada ಮಲಪ್ರಭಾ ನದಿ) is a tributary of the Krishna River and flows through the state of Karnataka in India. It rises in the Western Ghats at an elevation of in the state's Belgaum district. The rive ...

basin and the Krishna River- Tungabhadra

doab ''Doab'' () is a term used in South Asia Quote: "Originally and chiefly in South Asia: (the name of) a strip or narrow tract of land between two rivers; spec. (with) the area between the rivers Ganges and Jumna in northern India." for the tract ...

. With his immense contribution to a Rashtrakuta victory over the Cholas, Butuga II also took charge of the

Banavasi Banavasi is an ancient temple town located near Sirsi in Karnataka. Banavasi was the ancient capital of the Kannada empire Kadamba that ruled all of modern-day Karnataka state. They were the first native empire to bring Kannada and Karnataka t ...

region as a

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

from Rashtrakuta King

Krishna III Krishna III whose Kannada name was Kannara (r. 939 – 967 C.E.) was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring b ...

. He was not only a valorous soldier but also a noted scholar. He is said to have a defeated a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

scholar in a religious discourse and the Kudlur record speaks of him as a noted poet.

References

* Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, ''Concise history of Karnataka,'' 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprint 2002)

External links

History of Karnataka by Dr.Arthikaje

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butuga 02 10th-century Indian monarchs People of the Western Ganga dynasty 961 deaths