The Battle of Vatapi was a decisive engagement which took place between the

Pallavas The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The dynasty ros ...

and

Chalukyas The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...

near the Chalukya capital of Vatapi (present day

Badami Badami, formerly known as Vātāpi (Sanskrit: from ''āpi'', ‘friend, ally’; ‘having the wind (vāta) as an ally’; Kannada script: ವಾತಾಪಿ), is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district o ...

) in 642. The battle resulted in the defeat of the Chalukya king

Pulakeshin II Pulakeshin II (IAST: Pulakeśin r. –642 CE) popularly known as Immaḍi Pulakeśi, was the greatest Chalukyan Emperor who reigned from Vatapi (present-day Badami in Karnataka, India). During his reign, the Chalukya empire expanded to cover ...

in 642 CE and the commencement of Pallava occupation of Vatapi lasted until 654.

Causes

In about 630, Pulakeshin II invaded the Pallava kingdom defeating the king

Mahendravarman I Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) was a Pallava emperor who ruled over realm covering the southern portions of present-day Andhra region and northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India, in the early 7th century. He was a schol ...

and proceeded as far south as the Cauvery River on the northern frontier of the Chola country. Dikshit, p 94 The Pallavas long wished to avenge the humiliation suffered at the hands of Pulakeshin II and over the next few years, strengthened their forces in preparation for a counter-attack. In 630, Mahendravarman I was succeeded by his son

Narasimhavarman I Narasimhavarman I was a Pallava emperor who reigned from 630 CE to 668 CE. He shared his father Mahendravarman I's love of art and completed the works started by Mahendravarman in Mamallapuram. During his reign, the famous Pancha Rathas ...

under whom the Pallava kingdom emerged as a powerful state. This prompted Pulakeshin II to lead a second expedition into the Pallava country. Dikshit, p 96 According to K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, Pulakeshin II first defeated the Banas, who were feudatories of the Pallavas, before advancing into the Pallava country. Narasimhavarman I met the Chalukyas and defeated them in three separate encounters in Pariyala, Suramana and Manimangala, all close to the Pallava capital Kanchi, forcing them to retreat.

Heras Heras may refer to: Places in Spain * Heras, Casares de las Hurdes, a hamlet in Cáceres, Extremadura * Heras de Ayuso, a municipality in Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha * Heras (Medio Cudeyo), a town in Medio Cudeyo, Cantabria Other uses * ''Hera ...

, p 35 The Pallavas, then, took the offensive and pursued the fleeing Chalukya forces deep into their territory. Dikshit, p 98-99

Events

In 642, a formidable Pallava force under Paranjothi was sent by

to capture Vatapi, the capital of the Chalukyas.

, p 38 Pulakeshin II met the Pallavas on the outskirts of his capital and is presumed to have lost his life in the ensuing battle. The Pallavas achieved a decisive victory over Pulakeshin II. The victorious Pallavas then took the capital and ruled it for 12 years (642-654). The Kuram plates of Paramesvaravarman I describe the battle thus The Udayachandramangalam plates state According to the Velurpalaiyam plates

Aftermath

Narasimhavarman I constructed a Mallikarjuna Temple at Vatapi to commemorate his victory. He also adopted the title "Vatapi-kondan" or "taker of Vatapi".

, p 39 He carved an inscription recording his victory on the walls of the Teggina-Irappa temple in Vatapi.

, p 38 Paranjothi brought numerous items of war booty to the Pallava kingdom from Vatapai, including a famous icon of the god

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

(Ganapati) - known as Vatapi Ganapati, which he enshrined in his home-town.

In Popular Culture

The Battle of Vatapi is the final climactic battle in the

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

novel '' Sivagamiyin Sapatham'' by

Kalki Krishnamurthy Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy (9 September 1899 – 5 December 1954), better known by his pen name Kalki, was an Indian writer, journalist, poet, critic and Indian independence activist who wrote in Tamil. He chose the pen-name "Kalki", the future i ...

, where the Chalukyan King

is defeated and killed by the Pallava Army general Pranjothi as a revenge for the defeat of

in the Battle of Pullalur and also to avenge Sivagami's vow.

References

Bibliography