Dantidurga (reigned 735–756 CE), also known as Dantivarman II was the founder of the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta. Reu (1933), p54 His capital was based in

Gulbarga Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kalaburagi district and is the largest city in the region of North Karnataka ( Kalyana-Karnataka). Kalaburagi i ...

region of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...

. His successor was his uncle Krishna I who extended his kingdom to all of

. The Ellora record of Dantidurga narrates that he defeated the

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 dynast ...

in 753 and took the titles ''Rajadhiraja'' and ''Parameshvara''. The

inscription Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

calls him son of Indra II. The Samangad inscription (modern Kolhapur district, Maharashtra) states his mother was a Chalukyan princess from

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

called Bhavanaga. The same inscription states he defeated the infinite and invincible ''Karnatata-Bala'' (Karnataka army) of the Badami Chalukyas.Kamath (2001), p74He defeated the great Karnatik army of the Chalukyas, (Reu, 1933 p54) Further he defeated the kings of Lata (Gujarat),

Malwa Malwa is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the Vind ...

, Tanka, Kalinga and Sheshas (Nagas) in central India and performed many sacrifices.Reu (1933), p55 Though he conquered the Chalukyan Empire, it is clear from the Vakkaleri inscription of 757 that the Chalukyan Emperor Kirtivarman II retained control over his southern provinces up to the year 757. His daughter was married to a

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...

King Nandivarman II of

Kanchi Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its templ ...

. Dantidurga helped Nandivarman recover Kanchi by warring against the Chalukyas.Thapar (2003), p333 The Navasari grant (c.739) throws light on his achievements in the era prior to Rashtrakuta independence. The Arab intention might have been to make inroads into

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...

. However, to the south of the

Mahi River The Mahi is a river in western India. It rises in Madhya Pradesh and, after flowing through the Vagad region of Rajasthan, enters Gujarat and flows into the Arabian Sea. It is one of the relatively few west-flowing rivers in India, alongside the ...

lay the powerful

Chalukya 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 ...

n empire. The Chalukya viceroy at Navsari, Avanijanashraya Pulakeshin, decisively defeated the invading Arab forces as documented in the grant. The ''Tājika'' (Arab) army defeated was one that had attacked "Kacchella, Saindhava, Saurashtra, Cavotaka, Maurya and Gurjara" kings. Viceroy Pulakesi subsequently received the titles "Solid Pillar of

Deccan The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by t ...

" (''Dakshināpatha-sādhāra'') and the "Repeller of the Unrepellable" (''Anivartaka-nivartayitr''). The

Rashtrakuta 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 ...

prince Dantidurga, who was subsidiary to Chalukyas at this time, also played an important role in the battle. Dantidurga was a clever diplomat but at the same time used military power to expand his empire's boundaries. By 750 AD Dantidurga had brought Madhya Pradesh and Southern Gujarat under his control.

Notes

References

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External links

History of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje
756 deaths Hindu monarchs History of Karnataka Rashtrakuta dynasty 8th-century Indian monarchs {{india-royal-stub