Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/475

 CHAP. I. DHARWAR TEMPLES. 421 century. They extended, in fact, from shore to shore, right across the peninsula, and occupied a considerable portion of the country now known as Mysore, and northward extended as far, at least, as Nasik and Daulatabad. The first prince of whom we know more than the name is Pulike^in I., who began to rule at Badami about A.D. 550, under whose two sons in succession the kingdom was largely extended, towards the west at the expense of the Kadambas of Banawasi, and pushing northwards into Gujarat, where they were checked by Siladitya I. of Valabhi. Early in the next century Pulikej-in II. (609-642) further extended his dominions, held at bay the forces of the great Harshavardhana of Kanauj, invaded the Chola and Pallava territories, and placed his brother Kubj a- Vishnu vardhana over the country about the deltas of the Godavari and Krishna rivers, who about 617 established the eastern Chalukya dynasty at Vengi. About 626 Pulike^in II. seems to have received an embassy from Khosru II. of Persia; 1 and in 640 or 641, Hiuen Tsiang traversed his kingdom and apparently visited his temporary capital probably at Nasik. 2 But very soon after, towards the close of his reign, his rule was upset by the Pallava King Narasimhavarman, who took and plundered Badami or Vatapi, as it was then called. By 655 Vikramaditya I. had recovered the Chalukya dominions and even entered Kanchi. 3 The family religion of the early kings was Vaishnava, but they seem to have been very tolerant, if not eclectic, and made grants liberally to 5aiva and Jaina temples as well as to Vaishnava ones. Like all the dynasties of central and northern India, the Chalukyas suffered eclipse in the 8th century. They were overthrown by the Rashtrakutas of Malkhed about 756, and it was not till 973 that a descendant recovered the kingdom and made his capital at Kalyani in the Dekhan. The temples at Aihole and Pattadakal described above (Woodcuts Nos. 181 and 205) belong to their age, and we know they were erected by early kings of this race ; but they do not belong to their style. Their jikharas, or towers, either show the curvilinear outline of the northern style, or the storeyed pyramids of the 1 'Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,' | more than 150 miles from Bharoch, Dr. N.S., vol. xi. p 165. 2 Hiuen Tsiang does not appear to have visited Badami. From Kanchipuram he went north-west (according to the ' Life ') to Kong-kin-na-pu-lo, the position of which is not known. From that he went to the chief city of Maharashtra, which he does not name, but being not J. F. Fleet has pointed out that Nasik best suits the conditions. ' Indian Antiquary,' vol. xxii. pp. 1136". 3 'Indian Antiquary,' vol. xix. pp. 1 5 if. ; or for a detailed outline of the historical materials, by Dr. J. F. Fleet, see ' Bombay Gazetteer,' vol. i. pt. ii. pp. 33S-38I.