Rashtrakuta Dynasty

Period:  753 A.D- 975 A.D.
Capital : Manyakheta.
Languages: Sanskrit, Ancient kannada, ancient telugu.
Religions patronised : Hinduism,Buddhism, Jainism.
Founder : Dantidurga
Spread Of Kingdom- During the peak of their rule, they ruled from the north of River cauvery till the south of river ganga and from the western shoreline in the west to the eastern shoreline.
But the heart of the Kingdom remained the present day Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana.
Sources Of their History
The sources for Rashtrakuta history include medieval inscriptions, ancient literature in the Pali language, contemporaneous literature in Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada and notes of the Arab travellers  like Arabs Al Masudi and Ibn Khordidbih of the 10th century .
Theories about the dynastic lineage (Surya Vamsa—Solar line and Chandra Vamsa—Lunar line), the native region and the ancestral home have been proposed, based on information gleaned from inscriptions, royal emblems, the ancient clan names such as “Rashtrika”, epithets (Ratta, Rashtrakuta, Lattalura Puravaradhiswara), the names of princes and princesses of the dynasty, and clues from relics such as coins.
Scholars debate over which ethnic/linguistic groups can claim the early Rashtrakutas. Possibilities include the north western ethnic groups of India, the Kannadiga, Reddy,  the Maratha, or the tribes from the Punjab region. The Samangadh copper plate Grant (753 AD) confirms that the feudatory king Dantidurga, wo probably ruled from achalapur in Berar (modern elichapur, Maharasthra), defeated the great Badami Chalukyan army of Kirtivarman II and took control of the northern regions of chalukyan empire.

HISTORY:

• Dantidurga’s successor Krishna I brought major portions of present
  day Karnataka and Konkan under his control.
• During the rule of Dhruva Dharavarsha who took control in 780, the kingdom expanded into an empire that encompassed all of the territory between the Kaveri River and Central India. He led successful expeditions to Kannauj, the seat of northern Indian power where he defeated the Gurjara Pratiharas and the Palas of Bengal, gaining him fame and vast booty but not more territory. He also brought the Eastern Chalukyas and Gangas of Talakad under his control. According to Altekar and Sen, the Rashtrakutas became a panIndia power during his rule.

TRIPARTITE STRUGGLE:
It is a period the period of struggle for the control resources and area of  Gangetic Plains (centered around KANNAUJ) among  the three parties i.e  The Rashtrakutas of south,  The Palas of east and The Pratiharas of west India  during the 8th century and the 10th century AD.
The struggle seems to have started with the Pratihara ruler, Vatsaraja, who wanted to take control of the city of Kannauj and its environs, as did the Pala ruler, Dharmapala. This brought the two rulers into conflict and during this time the Rastrakuta king, Dhruva, attacked both combatants and claimed to have won .
The significance of Kannauj
Kannauj was located on the Ganga trade route and was connected to the Silk route. It made Kannauj strategically and commercially very important. It was also the erstwhile capital of Harshvardhana’s empire in north India. Conquest of Kannauj was equated to the conquest of entire North India.

• The ascent of Dhruva Dharavarsha’s third son, Govinda III, to the throne heralded an era of success like never before.[42] There is uncertainty about the location of the early capital of the Rashtrakutas at this time. During his rule there was a three way conflict between the Rashtrakutas, the Palas and the Pratiharas for control over the Gangetic plains. The Sanjan inscription describes his victories over the Pratihara Emperor Nagabhatta II. During his reign the Rashtrakutas empire  was spread over the areas from Cape Comorin to Kannauj and from Banaras to Broach.
• The successor of Govinda III, Amoghavarsha I made Manyakheta his capital and ruled a large empire. Manyakheta remained the Rashtrakutas’ regal capital until the end of the empire. He came to the throne in 814 but it was not until 821 that he had suppressed revolts from feudatories and ministers. Amoghavarsha I made peace with the Western Ganga dynasty by giving them his two daughters in marriage, and then defeated the invading Eastern Chalukyas at Vingavalli and assumed the title Viranarayana.
• His rule was not as militant as that of Govinda III as he preferred to maintain friendly relations with his neighbours, the Gangas, the Eastern Chalukyas and the Pallavas with whom he also cultivated marital ties. His era was an enriching one for the arts, literature and religion. Widely seen as the most famous of the Rashtrakuta Emperors, Amoghavarsha I was an accomplished scholar in Kannada and Sanskrit. His Kavirajamarga is considered an important landmark in Kannada poetics and Prashnottara Ratnamalika in Sanskrit is a writing of high merit and was later translated into the Tibetan language.Because of his religious temperament, his interest in the arts and literature and his peaceloving nature, he has been compared to the emperor Ashoka and called “Ashoka of the South”.
• During the rule of Krishna II, the empire faced a revolt from the Eastern Chalukyas and its size decreased to the area including most of the Western Deccan and Gujarat. Krishna II ended the Rashtrakuta dynasty  independent status of the Gujarat branch and brought it under direct control from Manyakheta. Indra III recovered the dynasty’s fortunes in central India by defeating the Paramara and then invaded the doab region of the Ganges and Jamuna rivers. He also defeated the dynasty’s traditional enemies, the Pratiharas and the Palas, while maintaining his influence over Vengi. The effect of his victories in Kannauj lasted several years according to the 930 copper plate inscription of Emperor Govinda IV. After a succession of weak kings during whose reigns the empire lost control of territories in the north and east, Krishna III the last great ruler consolidated the empire so that it stretched from the Narmada River to Kaveri River and included the northern Tamil country (Tondaimandalam) while levying tribute on the king of Ceylon.
  During the rule of Khottiga Amoghavarsha, the Paramara King Siyaka Harsha attacked the empire and plundered Manyakheta, the capital of the Rastrakutas. This seriously undermined the reputation of the Rastrakuta Empire and consequently led to its downfall.
• The final decline was sudden as Tailapa II, a feudatory of the
  Rashtrakuta ruling from Tardavadi province in modern Bijapur district, declared himself independent by taking advantage of this defeat. Indra IV, the last emperor, committed Sallekhana (fasting unto death practised by Jain monks) at Shravanabelagola. With the fall of the Rashtrakutas, their feudatories and related clans in the Deccan and northern India declared independence. The
  Western Chalukyas annexed Manyakheta and made it their capital until 1015 and built an impressive empire in the Rashtrakuta heartland during the 11th century.

Administration

• The Rashtrakuta Empire was divided into several provinces called rashtras under the control of rashtrapatis. They were further divided into vishayas or districts governed by vishayapatis.
• The next subdivision was bhukti consisting of 50 to 70 villages under the control of bhogapatis. These officers were directly appointed by the central government. The village administration was carried on by the village headmen.
• However, the village assemblies played a significant role in the village administration.
• Under the king, the vital position was of the chief minister called as Mahasandhivigrah who had five motifs adequate to his position those were conch, a flag, a large drum, a white umbrella and five musical instruments called Panchamahashabdas.
• The Commander was known as Dandanayaka and the foreign minster as Mahaskhapataladhikrita, Prime minister as Mahamatya or Purnamathya. They all were linked with the king and with the government. The Rastrakuta Dynasty  army consisted of infantry, countless elephants and several horsemen.
• The inspiring and majestic capital of Manyakheta was the most evident footing military geared up for war in a cantonment. The kings participated in the wars with enormorus defence forces. The chiefs and administratiors served as leaders whose jobs were rotated according to the situation across the region. The Rastrakusta dynasty also saw the issue of coins like Suvarna, Drammas in silver and gold.

 Architecture

• The Rashtrakutas contributed much to the architectural heritage of the Deccan. The Rashtrakuta contributions to art and architecture are reflected in the splendid rock-cut cave temples at Ellora and Elephanta, located in present day Maharashtra.
• The Ellora site was originally part of a complex of 34 Buddhist caves probably created in the first half of the 6th century in rocky areas also occupied by Jains monks whose structural details show Pandyan influence. Cave temples occupied by Hindus only became feasible later.
• The Rashtrakutas renovated these Buddhist caves and re-dedicated the rock-cut shrines. Amoghavarsha I espoused Jainism and there are five Jain cave temples at Ellora ascribed to his period. The most extensive and sumptuous of the Rashtrakutas work at Ellora is their creation of the monolithic Kailasanath Temple, a splendid achievement confirming the “Balhara” status as “one among the four principle Kings of the world”. The walls of the temple have marvellous sculptures from Hindu mythology including Ravana, Shiva and Parvathi while the ceilings have paintings.
• The Kailasanath Temple project was commissioned by King
  
  

  kailasanath temple
  Krishna I after the Rashtrakuta rule had spread into South India from the Deccan. The architectural style used was Dravidian. It does not contain any of the Shikharas common to the Nagara style and was built on the same lines as the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal in Karnataka.
• The achievement at the Kailasanath temple is considered an architectural consummation of the monolithic rock-cut temple and deserves be considered one of the wonders of the world. As an accomplishment of art, the Kailasnatha temple is considered an unrivalled work of rock architecture, a monument that has always excited and astonished travellers.
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  elephanta caves
  While some scholars have claimed the architecture at Elephanta is attributable to the Kalachuri, others claim that it was built during the Rashtrakuta period. Some of the sculptures such as Nataraja and Sadashiva excel in beauty and craftmanship even that of the Ellora sculptures. Famous sculptures at Elephanta include Ardhanarishvara and Maheshamurthy. The latter, a three faced bust of Lord Shiva, is 25 feet (8 m) tall and considered one of the finest pieces of sculpture in India. It is said that, in the world of sculpture, few works of art depicting a divinity are as balanced. Other famous rock-cut temples in the Maharashtra region are the Dhumer Lena and Dashvatara cave temples in Ellora (famous for its sculptures of Vishnu and Shivaleela) and the Jogeshvari temple near Mumbai.

Economy

• The Rashtrakuta economy was sustained by its natural and agricultural produce, its manufacturing revenues and moneys gained from its conquests.
• Cotton was the chief crop of the regions of southern Gujarat, Khandesh and Berar. Minnagar, Gujarat, Ujjain, Paithan and Tagara were important centres of textile industry.
• Muslin cloth were manufactured in Paithan and Warangal. The cotton yarn and cloth was exported from Bharoch. White calicos were manufactured in Burhanpur and Berar and exported to Persia, Turkey, Poland, Arabia and Egypt.
• The Konkan region,  produced large quantities of betel leaves, coconut and rice while the lush forests of Mysore, produced such woods as sandal, timber, teak and ebony. Incense and perfumes were exported from the ports of Thana and Saimur.

 Cultural Contributions

• The Rashtrakutas widely patronized the Sanskrit literature. There were many scholars in the Rashtrakuta court. Trivikrama wrote Nalachampu and the Kavirahasya was composed by Halayudha during the reign of Krishna III.
• The Jain literature flourished under the patronage of the Rashtrakutas. Amogavarsha I, who was a Jain patronized many Jain scholars. His teacher Jinasena composed Parsvabhudaya, a biography of Parsva in verses. Another scholar Gunabhadra wrote the Adipurana, the life stories of various Jain saints. Sakatayana wrote the grammer work called Amogavritti.
• The great mathematician of this period, Viracharya was the author of Ganitasaram. The Kannada literature saw its beginning during the period of the Rashtrakutas. Amogavarsha’s Kavirajamarga was the first poetic work in Kannada language. Pampa was the greatest of the Kannada poets. His famous work was Vikramasenavijaya. Ponna was another famous Kannada poet and he wrote Santipurana.

  Religion

• They were religious tolerant.  The Rashtrakutas built well known Jain temples at locations such as Lokapura in Bagalkot district and their loyal feudatory, the Western Ganga Dynasty, built Jain monuments at Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli. Scholars have suggested that Jainism was a principal religion at the very heart of the empire, modern Karnataka, accounting for a more than 30% of the population and dominating the culture of the region.
• King Amoghavarsha I was a disciple of the Jain acharya Jinasena . The mathematician Mahaviracharya wrote in his Ganita Sarasangraha, “The subjects under Amoghavarsha are happy and the land yields plenty of grain. May the kingdom of King Nripatunga Amoghavarsha, follower of Jainism ever increase far and wide.” Amoghavarsha may have taken up Jainism in his old age.
• However,few of the Rashtrakuta kings were Hindus, followers of the Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta faiths. Almost all of their inscriptions begin with an invocation to god Vishnu or god Shiva. The Sanjan inscriptions tell of King Amoghavarsha I sacrificing a finger from his left hand at the Lakshmi temple at Kolhapur to avert a calamity in his kingdom.
• King Dantidurga performed the Hiranyagarbha (horse sacrifice) and the Sanjan and Cambay plates of King Govinda IV mention Brahmins performing such rituals as Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Agnishtoma.
• An early copper plate grant of King Dantidurga (753) shows an image of god Shiva and the coins of his successor, King Krishna I (768), bear the legend Parama Maheshwara (another name for Shiva). The kings’ titles such as Veeranarayana showed their Vaishnava leanings. Their flag had the sign of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, perhaps copied from the Badami Chalukyas.
• The famous Kailasnatha temple at Ellora and other rock-cut caves attributed to them show that the Hinduism was flourishing. Their family deity was a goddess by name Latana (also known as Rashtrashyena, Manasa Vindyavasini) who took the form of a falcon to save the kingdom. They built temples with iconification and ornamentation that satisfied the needs of different faiths. The temple at Salotgi was meant for followers of Shiva and Vishnu and the temple at Kargudri was meant for worshipers of Shiva, Vishnu and Bhaskara (Surya, the sun god).
• In short, the Rashtrakuta rule was tolerant to multiple popular religions, Jainism, Vaishnavaism and Shaivism. Buddhism too found support and was popular in places such as Dambal and Balligavi, although it had declined significantly by this time. The decline of Buddhism in South India began in the 8th century with the spread of Adi Shankara’s Advaita philosophy.
• Islamic contact with South India began as early as the 7th century, a result of trade between the Southern kingdoms and Arab lands. Jumma Masjids existed in the Rashtrakuta empire by the 10th century and many Muslims lived and mosques flourished on the coasts, specifically in towns such as Kayalpattanam and Nagore. Muslim settlers married local women; their children were known as Mappilas (Moplahs) and were actively involved in horse trading and manning shipping fleets.

 
  Society

• Chronicles mention more castes than the four commonly known castes in the Hindu social system, some as many as seven castes(proliferation of castes). One traveller’s account mentions sixteen castes including the four basic castes of Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudras.
• The Zakaya or Lahud caste consisted of communities specialising in dance and acrobatics. People in the professions of sailing, hunting, weaving, cobblery, basket making and fishing belonged to specific castes or subcastes.
• The Antyajas caste provided many menial services to the wealthy. Brahmins enjoyed the highest status in Rashtrakuta society; only those Kshatriyas in the Sat-Kshatriya sub-caste (noble Kshatriyas) were higher in status .