Tailapa II

Tailapa II (973 – 997 CE) (or Ahavamalla) had titles "Nurmadi Taliapa" and "Satyashraya Kulatilaka". He re-established the Western Chalukya dynasty after a period of 220 years during which time they had been in eclipse. The revived Chalukya kingdom rose to its height of power under Vikramaditya VI. The revived dynasty came to be known as the Western Chalukyas or the Kalyani Chalukyas. He patronised Kannada poet Ranna. From the Gadag records, it is known that he ruled for 24 years.

End of Rashtrakutas; Chalukya revival

The Early Chalukyas of Badami had been overrun by the rising power of Rashtrakutas. Tailapa II was a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III ruling from his "fief" territory called Taddevadi (Tardavadi -1000) in Indi taluk, Bijapur district which is known from his 957 and 965 inscriptions. The Rashtrakuta kingdom was invaded by the Malwa and their capital sacked in 972. Khottiga was killed in the raid and his nephew Karka II came to the Rashtrakuta throne. Tailapa, who had been biding his time, immediately overthrew Karka and established himself in Manyakheta.

Tailapa's victories

Tailapa quickly defeated the remnants of the Rashtrakuta power by defeating Indra IV and his feudatory in the Godavari basin, Panchaladeva. The Cholas, who were experiencing a minor crisis of succession of their own were in a position of weakness. Uththama Chola had replaced Parantaka Chola II and Tailapa claimed victory in a battle against Uththama in 980.

Period of consolidation

After the overthrow of Rashtrakutas, Tailapa who ruled from Manyakheta, spent several years consolidating his position in the Western Deccan in the area between the river Narmada and the Kaveri. Malwa king from the north invaded the Chalukya kingdom, hoping to defeat the still evolving Chalukya power. Tailapa however defeated the invasion, captured the Malwa king Paramara Munja. The Paramara king died in captivity. From the work Prabhanda Chintamani it is known that Tailapa II was defeated 16 times by Munja befor Munja himself was finally defeated. Taila II defeated Panchaladeva of Ganga dynasty who was vying for the Rastrakuta throne at Manyakheta and the Shilaharas of South Konkana. In 992. Raja Raja Chola was vanquished and the Chalukya monarch secured one hundred and fifty elephants

The revived Chola power under Rajaraja Chola I was expanding towards the north into the Mysore territories. This brought the Cholas and the Chalukyas into direct conflict which lasted for the next 100 years. He also defeated the Gujarat Chaulukya king Mularaja and gained the Rattapadi territories.

Satyasraya, Tailapa's eldest son, who assisted his father in all his campaigns succeeded Tailapa in 997. Satysraya continued the aggressive policies of the Chalukyas.

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References

* Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
* Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002).