Page:A Sketch of the Dynasties of Southern India.djvu/11

 Gangas of Maisür, and the Alupas or Aluvas, & tribe or dynasty apparently living to the south or southwest of the present Bombay Presidenoy. Early Chalukyan grants mention a number of other tribes, such as the Latas (of Latadesa, in the north of Bombay), Mālavas (Málwa), Gurjaras (of Gujarat), &c.

The Chalukyas divided into two branches in the beginning of the seventh century, an eastern branch oonquering the Pallava kings of the Vengi country, or tract between the Krishņā and Godavari rivers, and settling in that locality which they governed till A.D. 1023, the western remaining in their original home in the Western Dakhan.

The Chinese pilgrim Hiwen-Thsang, who visited India A.D. 629 to 645, gives a graphic account of the state of the country in his time.

The Kadambas now began to grow into importanoe, and they fought with and defeated the Pallavas of Kanchi, and were perpetually at feud with the Chalukyas and their other neighbours. Their territory was in the South-west Dakhan and North Maisūr. About the same period we find the Rashtrakūtas giving great trouble to the Chalukyas. It is as yet unoertain whether these Rashtrakūtas were "an Aryan Kshatriya, i.e., Rajput, race which immigrated into the Dekkan from the north like the Chalukyas, or a Dravidian family which was received into the Aryan community after the conquest of the Dekkan"-(Dr. Bühler). The wars with the Rashtrakūtas seem to have resulted in the complete downfall for two centuries (A.D. 757-8 to 973-4) of the Western Chalukyas and the consequent accretion of great power to the Rashtrakūtas. The latter do not appear, however, to have attempted any conquests in the south. They were completely overthrown by the Western Chalukyas in A.D. 973-4, when the latter once more rose to great eminence. The overthrow of the Rashtrakūtas, too, enabled the Ratta Mahamandalesvaras to assert themselves, and their dynasty lasted till about A.D. 1253. About the same period we find the Silahāras and Sindas rising into importance, and, like the Raltas, establishing independent dynasties which lasted for several centuries. The Silaharas were overthrown by the Yadavas of Devagiri about A.D. 1220, and the Sindas cease to be heard of about A.D. 1182-3.

Little is known of the history of Southern India for two or three centuries immediately preceding the sudden rise of the Cholas to great power, which took place in the middle of the eleventh century. At the beginning of that century the Eastern Chalukyas held all the country along the Eastern Coast from the borders of Orissa as far south as the borders of the Pallava country. The Pallava kingdom was & powerful one, possessing the coast from its junction with the Chalukyas down to the northern border of the Chola territories, i.e., just south of Kañohi. The Cholas remained within their own borders and the Pandiyans in theirs, while tha Kongu kings, who governed (apparently, the old Chers country east of the Malayalam tracts along the coast, although they were still independent and powerful, were beginning to feel the effoot of the attacks of the little kingdom of the Hoysala Ballalas, then rising into power and destined to subvert many of the surrounding monarchies.

In A.D. 1023, by an intermarriage between the two dynasties, the Chola sovereign acquired possession of the whole of the Eastern Chalukyan dominions. This was followed, apparently at the beginning of the reign of his successor, Rajendra Kulottunga Chola (1064-1113), by the complete subversion of the Pallavas by the Cholas, and the annexation to the latter kingdom of their possessions. Rajendra also conquered the Pandiyans, and established & short dynasty of “Chola-Pandiyan" kings at Madura. A little later the Hoysala Ballalas entirely overthrew the Kongu kings and seized their territories, so that the whole of the south of India passed at that time through a period of great political disturbance, which resulted in the Cholas obtaining almost universal sovereignty for a short period, checked, however, by the power of the Hoysala Ballalas above the ghāts in Maisūr.

This latter power was increased in importance by its conquest of the Kadambas and Kalaohuris to its immediate north about the beginning of the thirteenth century, and by the downfall of the great Western Chalukyan dynasty about A.D. 1184, which was caused partly by its wars with the Kadambas and partly by the rise of the Ballalas. A little later the Cholas lost their northern possessions, which were seized by the Ganapatis of Orangal.

We now find ourselves in the thirteenth century, the three great southern powers being the Cholas and Pandiyansboth seemingly losing strength-and the Hoysala Ballalas, rapidly growing in power.