THE CHERAS
(9TH TO 12TH CENTURY)
The Chera kingdom was another historical
Tamil chiefdoms of southern India, which
controlled the Cauvery river valley. It first arose
some time after the 3rd century BC with
Karuvur-Van-chi as its inland political centre
and Muchiri on the Kerala cost as its port of
trade, where merchants exchanged pepper for
gold and wine from the Raman empire. The
Cheras exercised a clan rule under different
Lingages. Its rulers apparently fought intertribal
conflicts with the Cholas and Pandyas, and
subjugated minor chiefs of the Velir clan. The
Chera kingdom o Makotai was established in the
9th century in the Periyar valley of Derala, with
Makotaipuram (kodungallur) and Quilon as its
first and second capital. The kingdom acquired
an agrarian base through land grants to
Brahmins and Brahmin institutions, such as
temples to Siva and Vishnu, trading ventures
with Arab and Jewish lands provided
commercial resources. Contemporary texts give
an account of the ruling dynasty’s legendary
origins and history. Makotai was supposedly
hostile to the Pandyas but friendly with the
Mushakas of Kerala. Despite a series of defensive
wares, constant invasions by the Cholas of
Tanjavur led to the disintegration of the Makotai
kingdom by the early 12th century.
THE RASHTRAKUTA
The term ‘rashtakuta’ means designated
officers-in-charge of territorial division called
rashtra. The originally belonged to Lattatura or
modern Latur of Maharashtra. They were
feudatories under the Chalukyas of Badami. The
Rashtrakutas were descendants of the nobles
who governed under the Andhras. They were
follower of jainism. Dhantidurga (735-756)
established this kingdom. His ancestors were
subordinates of the Chalukyas. They overthrew
the Chalukyas and ruled up to 973. Dhantidurga
was succeeded by his son Krishna I (756-774).
Krishna I is credited to have built the Kailasa
temple at Ellora. He is also said to have totally
eclipsed the contemporary Chalukya rulers.
Other kings of this dynasty were Govinda II (774-
780), Dhruva (780-790), Govinda III (793-814)
and Amoghavarsa Nrupatunga I (814-887). The
extend of the Amoghavarsa’s empire can be
estimated from the accounts of the Arabian
traveller, Sulaiman, who visited his court in 1851
and wrote in his book that ‘his kingdom was one
of the four great empires of the world at that
time.’ However, Amoghavarsha lacked the
maratial spirit of his predecessors, partly due to
his leanings towards religion and literature. The
principles, appealed to him. He was a patron of
literature and patronished men of letters, such
as Kinasena, the author of Adipurana,
Mahaviracharya, the author of Ganitasara
Samgraha and Saktayana, the author of
Amonghavriti. Amoghavarsha himself wrote
Kavirajamarga which is the earliest Kannada
work on poetics.
Among Amoghavarsha’s successors, two
significant Rashtrakuta rulers were Indra III
(915-27) and Krishna III (939-5-65). Indra III
defeated the Paratihara king Mahipala I,
plundered his capital Kanauj, and challenged
the eastern Chalukyas. The Arab traveler Al-
Mashdi, who visited India during this period,
calls the Rashtrakuta king the, ‘greatest king of
India.’ Krishna III, fourth in succession from
Indra III, invaded the Chola kingdom and his
army reached Rameswaram, where he built a
pillar of victory and a temple. In about 963 he
led an expedition of northern India and brought
Vengi under his control by putting his nominee
on the throne. But by waging wars almost against
all his neigbours, he aliennated them and created
serious problems for his successors. During the
reign of his successors, the situation worsened
on account of the internal dissensions including
the wars of succession. Taking advantage of this
situation, the Paramaras of Malwa, who were
the feudatories of the Rashtrakuta, declared their
independence and invaded the Rashtrakuta
kingdom and plundered the Rashtrakuta capital
Manyakheta (modern Malkhed, Maharashtra)
in 972-73. Soon, other feudatories of the
Rashtrakutas also became independent. Thus, by
the end of 10th century the Rashtakutas
completely disappeared form the scene,
The dynasty of the Dhalukyas of Kalyani was
founded by Tailapa after overthrowings the
Rashtrakutas in 974-75, The dynasty founded
by him, with its capital at Kalyani (Karnataka),
is known as the later Chalukyas of the Chalukyas
of Kalyani (the early Chalukyas being the
Chalukyas of Badami). Tailapa ruled for twentythree
years form 974 to 997. He made extensive
conquests during his reign. By defeating the
Gangas, he conquered North Mysore. He fought
a protracted war with the Paramaras of Malwa
and eventually took Paramara Munja, prisoner
and executed him in his capital. He opened the
longdrawn phase of wars against the Cholas of
Thanjavur, by attacking Uttama Chola. The
Chaluky-Chola power struggle become a regular
feature during the period of his successors. This
lead to weakening of the dynasty and decline of
its financial resources.
