Study guides
Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms
c. 225–624 CE
This guide organises pages on this site; every fact is on the linked pages with its sources.
In brief
About four centuries separate the end of Satavahana rule on the Krishna, about 225 CE, from the Eastern Chalukya conquest of Vengi in the early 7th century. In between, regional dynasties shared the Telugu country, among them the Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri, the Pallavas, the Salankayanas and the Vishnukundins. Almost everything we know about them comes from short inscriptions and copper-plate land grants. Most give dates only as years of a king's reign, so the order of the dynasties is clear but their exact dates are still debated.
Read the full era page: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms →
Key dates
Each date links to the page it comes from. "About" and "or" are kept where the page gives them.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| about 225 CE | Satavahana rule on the Krishna ends. Sewell credits the Pallava Bappa, and Sircar places the end about the close of the first quarter of the 3rd century. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| about 234 CE, or the first quarter of the 4th century | The Pallava crown prince Sivaskandavarman sends the Mayidavolu plates to his officer at Dhannakada. Sewell dates them about 234 CE and Sircar to the early 4th century. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| 273–74 | Sircar converts an Ikshvaku date in the cyclic year Vijaya, in the reign of Virapurushadatta, to this year. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| about 278 | Sircar suggests that the Abhira king Vasushena held the Ikshvaku kingdom for a short time. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| 333–34 | A second Vijaya-year date, in the reign of Ehuvula Chamtamula. Sircar concluded that the Ikshvakus lasted until about the middle of the 4th century. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| mid-4th century | The Gupta emperor Samudragupta marches south, and his Allahabad pillar inscription says he seized Vengi. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| about 510–560 | V. V. Mirashi's date for the great Vishnukundin king Madhavavarman, whom the grants credit with eleven horse sacrifices. Other scholars date him very differently. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| 566–67 | The second Tummalagudem plates, in Nalgonda district, are dated in the eleventh year of Vikramendravarman II and in Saka 488. Vishnukundins |
| about 575 | The Kalamalla pillar of the Telugu Chola Dhananjaya, dated by its letters, is among the earliest records written wholly in Telugu. Kalamalla inscription of Erikal Muturaju Dhananjaya |
| 609 | Pulakesin II is crowned king of the Chalukyas of Badami. Chalukyas of Badami |
| about 615 | Pulakeshin II conquers the eastern Deccan, takes Pithapuram and places his brother Kubja Vishnuvardhana at Vengi. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| by 632 | In the Godavari gazetteer's account, Vishnuvardhana is independent, with his capital at Pedda Vegi near Eluru. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| 634–35 | Pulakesin II's Aihole inscription lists his conquests, including a march down the eastern coast. Chalukyas of Badami |
| 1882 | A pillar inscription of the Ikshvaku king Virapurushadatta is found at Jaggayyapeta. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| March 1926 | The Ikshvaku capital at Nagarjunakonda is discovered. Trial digging begins the next year. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
| 1954 | Much larger excavations begin before the Nagarjunasagar dam floods the valley, and they uncover the citadel of the capital. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms |
Main points
From the era page: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms
- Regional dynasties divided the Telugu country between the Satavahanas' decline early in the 3rd century CE and the Chalukyas' arrival in the early 7th. Short inscriptions and land grants tell their history. Most give dates only as years of a king's reign.
- The Ikshvakus ruled from Nagarjunakonda, a capital D. C. Sircar calls Vijayapura (Vijayapuri). Their kings performed Vedic sacrifices, while queens and princesses paid for the great Buddhist stupa and monasteries of the capital.
- Sircar converted two Ikshvaku dates in the cyclic year Vijaya to 273–74 and 333–34. He concluded that the Ikshvakus were not overthrown before about the middle of the 4th century.
- The Pallavas appear in the Krishna region in Prakrit grants such as the Mayidavolu plates. Sewell dated these about 234 CE, and Sircar about the first quarter of the 4th century.
- The Salankayanas ruled from Vengipura near Eluru, and the Vishnukundins came after them. Vishnukundin dates are the most disputed of all, from Kielhorn's 7th or 8th century to Mirashi's Madhavavarman of about 510–560.
- The period ends when Pulakeshin II of Badami placed his brother Kubja Vishnuvardhana at Vengi. Sewell and Aiyangar and the Godavari gazetteer date this about 615.
From other pages of the period
- They are known almost entirely from inscriptions. These are the Jaggayyapeta stupa pillars found in 1882, the Nagarjunakonda records found from 1926, and the larger finds of 1954–60, made before the Nagarjunasagar reservoir flooded the valley. Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri
- The kings were Brahmanical, and the excavations found the first direct evidence of their Shaiva worship. The royal women and many townspeople were Buddhist, and the queen Chamtisiri rebuilt or founded the Great Stupa. Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri
- Chamtisiri was a princess of the Ikshvaku royal house and the sister of King Chamtamula. She was the main founder of the Buddhist monuments of Vijayapuri, the capital at Nagarjunakonda. Chamtisiri
- The Pallavas were the kings of Kanchi, but for several centuries they also ruled the Telugu country south of the Krishna. Their oldest known charter, the Mayidavolu plates, was sent to an officer at Dhannakada, the modern Amaravati. Pallavas
- Almost all that is known of them comes from seven copper-plate grants, two in Prakrit and five in Sanskrit, issued from Vengipura. Salankayanas of Vengi
- They are known almost entirely from five Sanskrit copper-plate charters, a sixth attributed to them and one stone inscription. None is dated in an era, and modern dates differ by two centuries or more. Vishnukundins
- Every grant names the lord of Sriparvata, whom Kielhorn, Hultzsch and Sircar took for the Shiva of Srisailam. The grants credit Madhavavarman I with eleven horse sacrifices. Vishnukundins
- All twelve stone records edited in 1956 are in early Telugu. The editors called Dhananjaya's Kalamalla pillar one of the earliest records then known to be written wholly in Telugu. Telugu Cholas of Renadu
- Pulakesin II's brother Vishnuvardhana became yuvaraja (heir-apparent) in 615 and was later sent to govern Vengi. There he founded the Eastern Chalukya branch. Fleet thought he was independent before 632, but Hultzsch read the Kopparam plates of 631 as showing him still dependent. Chalukyas of Badami
- Vogel linked the Krishna valley's Buddhism to sea trade with Sri Lanka. He blamed its decline on the end of the Roman trade, Samudragupta's campaign and the rise of Brahmanical dynasties. Religion & philosophy
Key terms
- Prakrit ప్రాకృతం
- one of the spoken languages related to Sanskrit
- ashvamedha అశ్వమేధం
- the horse sacrifice
- agnishtoma అగ్నిష్టోమం
- soma sacrifices
- metronymic మాతృనామం
- name taken from the mother
- mahasenapati మహాసేనాపతి
- great commander
- mahatalavara మహాతలవర
- great noble
- yuvamaharaja యువమహారాజు
- crown prince
- sarvabhauma సార్వభౌమ
- emperor
- stupa స్తూపం
- relic mound
- vihara విహారం
- monastery
- apsidal అర్ధవృత్తాకార
- round-ended
- ayaka-khambha ఆయక-ఖంభ
- ayaka pillars
- agrahara అగ్రహారం
- village granted to Brahmins; also a Brahmin quarter
- brahmadeya బ్రహ్మదేయం
- gift to Brahmins
- nivartana నివర్తనం
- a land measure
- immunities మినహాయింపులు
- freedom from dues
- rathakara రథకార
- chariot-maker
- parama-bhagavata పరమ భాగవత
- devout worshipper of Vishnu
- mutturaju ముత్తురాజు
- senior prince
- gotra గోత్రం
- clan
- epigraphy శాసన శాస్త్రం
- the study of inscriptions
People, places, monuments and inscriptions to know
Dynasties
- Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri
- Pallavas
- Salankayanas of Vengi
- Vishnukundins
- Telugu Cholas of Renadu
- Vakatakas
- Chalukyas of Badami
People
- Vasishthiputra Chamtamula
- Virapurushadatta
- Chamtisiri
- Sivaskandavarman (Pallava)
- Hastivarman (Salankayana)
- Madhavavarman (Vishnukundin)
- Pulakesin II
Places
Monuments
Inscriptions
Maps and the timeline
- Ikshvaku inscriptions and the Krishna valley
- The Pallavas in the Telugu country
- The Salankayanas of Vengi
- Grants of the Vishnukundins
- The Telugu Cholas of Renandu
- The Chalukyas of Badami and the Telugu country
- Asokan edicts and early Buddhist sites
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Each bar is a ruling power in its region; time runs left to right. Dashed = approximate dates. Select a bar for details.
Show as a list
Mauryas & Satavahanas 300 BCE – 225 CE
- Telangana
- Satavahanas (c. 220 BCE – 225 CE)
- Coastal Andhra
- Satavahanas (c. 220 BCE – 225 CE)
- Rayalaseema
- Satavahanas (c. 1–225 CE)
Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms 225–624 CE
- Telangana
- Vakatakas (c. 300–500 CE) · Ikshvakus (c. 225–352 CE) · Vishnukundins (c. 375–612 CE)
- Coastal Andhra
- Pallavas (c. 250–630 CE) · Ikshvakus (c. 225–350 CE) · Vishnukundins (c. 500–630 CE) · Salankayanas of Vengi (c. 300–470 CE) · Eastern Gangas of Kalinga (c. 537–1434 CE) · Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi (c. 615–973 CE) · Chalukyas of Badami (c. 615–642 CE)
- Rayalaseema
- Pallavas (c. 300–900 CE) · Telugu Cholas of Renadu (c. 550–800 CE)
Eastern Chalukyas & the Deccan powers 624–1163 CE
- Telangana
- Chalukyas of Badami (c. 655–753 CE)
- Coastal Andhra
- Pallavas (c. 250–630 CE) · Chalukyas of Badami (c. 655–680 CE) · Vishnukundins (c. 500–630 CE) · Eastern Gangas of Kalinga (c. 537–1434 CE) · Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi (c. 615–973 CE)
- Rayalaseema
- Pallavas (c. 300–900 CE) · Telugu Cholas of Renadu (c. 550–800 CE) · Chalukyas of Badami (c. 654–753 CE)
Kingdoms and empires
Satavahanas
Open page- Telangana: c. 220 BCE – 225 CE (c. 445 years)
IG Hyderabad: rise c. 220 BCE, end about a century after Pulumayi II (acc. c. 138 CE); Sewell: by c. 170 BCE the Andhra king ruled Hyderabad as well as the Telugu tracts
- Coastal Andhra: c. 220 BCE – 225 CE (c. 445 years)
Sources disagree: IG Madras 220 BCE-236 CE; Sewell 'from at least 250 BCE' to c. 225 CE when the Pallava Bappa ended the line; Godavari gazetteer dates the known kings c. 110-220 CE, last inscriptions c. 218
- Rayalaseema: c. 1–225 CE (c. 224 years)
Sewell: about 1 CE the Andhra king ruled parts of Cuddapah and Kurnool; an inscription of Pulumayi II (c. 145 CE) in Adoni taluk proves Andhra rule there; Bellary gazetteer: the Andhras ruled that district in the 2nd century CE. When their rule here began is not recorded
Rulers (12)
- Simuka (c. 220 BCE – 197 BCE)
- Krishna (Kanha) Satavahana (c. 197 BCE – 179 BCE)
- Sri Satakarni (c. 179 BCE – 169 BCE)
- Sivasvati (c. 85–113 CE)
- Gautamiputra Satakarni (c. 113–138 CE)
- Vasishthiputra Pulumavi (c. 138–170 CE)
… and 6 more
- Siva Sri Satakarni (c. 170–177 CE)
- Sivaskanda Satakarni (c. 177–184 CE)
- Yajna Sri Satakarni (c. 184–213 CE)
- Vijaya Satakarni (c. 213–219 CE)
- Chandra Sri Satakarni (c. 219–229 CE)
- Pulumavi III (Satavahana) (c. 229–236 CE)
Capitals
Inscriptions
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Vakatakas
Open page- Telangana: c. 300–500 CE (c. 200 years)
Partial: the Adilabad, Nizamabad and Karimnagar country north of the Godavari, as part of the Vakataka lands of central India and the northern Deccan. Goel et al. (2022) place the Vakataka lands from the findspots of their 37 inscriptions and name only these three Telangana districts. Jouveau-Dubreuil (1920) claimed much more: almost the whole of the Hyderabad State, and up to Kurnool. A Vakataka princess married the Vishnukundin Madhavavarman (Chikkulla plates). No Vakataka inscription from Telangana is listed in Epigraphia Telanganica I; this span rests on modern histories. Dates follow the Sewell table (Vindhyasakti c. 275-300 to Harishena c. 465-500).
Rulers (8)
- Vindhyasakti (c. 275–300 CE)
- Pravarasena I (c. 300–330 CE)
- Rudrasena I (c. 330–340 CE)
- Prithvisena I (c. 340–390 CE)
- Rudrasena II (c. 390–395 CE)
- Pravarasena II (c. 395–420 CE)
… and 2 more
- Devasena (c. 445–465 CE)
- Harishena (Vakataka) (c. 465–500 CE)
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Chalukyas of Badami
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 615–642 CE (c. 27 years)
Pulakesin II took Pishtapura (Pithapuram) and the Kolleru lake country (Aihole inscription) about 615 and left his brother Vishnuvardhana to govern Vengi, which was an independent kingdom by 632 (Fleet); his Kopparam plates grant land in Karmarashtra (Guntur) in 631, and Hultzsch read them as showing Vishnuvardhana still his subordinate then. The Vizagapatam gazetteer adds that the Badami Chalukyas had already conquered Kalinga in the 6th century.
- Rayalaseema: c. 654–753 CE (c. 99 years)
Copper-plate grants of Vikramaditya I in Kurnool (654-55, 657-58, 663); his grant names the Nalavadi district (near Madakasira, Anantapur); grants of 680 in Anantapur and Bellary; grants of Vinayaditya in the Kurnool district (Nandyal, 689-90); the Telugu Cholas of Renadu were their vassals. Fleet guessed that Kirtivarman I's enemies the Nalas lived towards Bellary and Kurnool.
- Telangana: c. 655–753 CE (c. 98 years)
Partial: the Alampur-Gadwal country. Amudalapadu plates of Vikramaditya I (Alampur taluk, 660), Gadval plates (674), Pallepadu plates of Vinayaditya (682, issued at Pangal), and inscriptions in the Alampur temples of a queen of Vikramaditya I, of Vinayaditya's reign and of Vijayaditya (704, 713). IG Hyderabad: displaced by the Rashtrakutas (Dantidurga, 753).
- Coastal Andhra: c. 655–680 CE (c. 25 years)
Partial: Nellore. Talamanchi plates of Vikramaditya I (found near Nellore, 13 July 660), a grant to his preceptor Meghacharya.
Rulers (9)
- Pulakesin I (c. 550–566 CE)
- Kirtivarman I (c. 566–597 CE)
- Mangalesa (c. 597–609 CE)
- Pulakesin II (c. 609–642 CE)
- Vikramaditya I (Chalukya of Badami) (c. 655–680 CE)
- Vinayaditya (Chalukya of Badami) (c. 680–696 CE)
… and 3 more
- Vijayaditya (Chalukya of Badami) (c. 696–733 CE)
- Vikramaditya II (c. 733–746 CE)
- Kirtivarman II (c. 746–757 CE)
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions
Sources (12)
Kingdoms and empires
Ikshvakus
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 225–350 CE (c. 125 years)
Lower Krishna valley (Vijayapuri at Nagarjunakonda, Jaggayyapeta, Uppugundur); four kings known; dated inscriptions of 273–74 and 333–34 (Sircar), with an Abhira interlude about 278–79
- Telangana: c. 225–352 CE (c. 127 years)
Partial: the lower Krishna valley on the Nalgonda side. Inscriptions of the Ikshvaku kings Chamtamula and Rudrapurushadatta at Phanigiri (Nalgonda); the editors of Epigraphia Telanganica date Rudrapurushadatta's pillar to 352 and take it as the end of Ikshvaku rule.
Rulers
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Vishnukundins
Open page- Telangana: c. 375–612 CE (c. 237 years)
Partial: the early kingdom north of Srisailam (Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar), with its capital at Keesaragutta near Hyderabad or at Indrapura (Indrapala Gutta near Tummalagudem, Nalgonda); the capital later moved to Trivaranagara (Tiruvuru). The Tummalagudem plates of Govindavarman (37th year) and Vikramendravarman II (Saka 488, 566-67) were found in Nalgonda. The early dates (Indravarman c. 375-400) and the end in 612 follow Goel et al.
- Coastal Andhra: c. 500–630 CE (c. 130 years)
Krishna-Godavari country; later capital Lendulura (Denduluru near Vengi); grants from the Godavari delta, Tenali taluk and the Vizianagaram region, and a pillar at Velpuru south of the Krishna. Dates disputed: K. V. Lakshman Rao (in Sewell 1932) about 357-610; Panchamukhi (1936) about 500 to the Chalukya conquest of 621-631; Mirashi puts Madhavavarman I about 510-568; Sircar (1939) about 500-670 and an end later still
Rulers (7)
Capitals
Inscriptions (7)
- Chikkulla plates of Vikramendravarman II
- Ipur plates (set I) of Govindavarman's son Madhavavarman
- Ipur plates (set II) of Madhavavarman II
- Khanapur plates of Madhavavarman
- Polamuru plates of Madhavavarman Janashraya
- Ramatirtham plates of Indravarman
… and 1 more
Sources (8)
Kingdoms and empires
Pallavas
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 250–630 CE (c. 380 years)
Krishna-Guntur, Ongole and Nellore. Prakrit grant of the crown prince Sivaskandavarman to his officer at Dhanyakataka (Amaravati), dated from about 234 (Sewell) or 250-275 (Jouveau-Dubreuil) to the first half of the 4th century (Sircar); Sanskrit grants of a Nellore-Guntur line (Omgodu, Uruvupalli, Pikira, Mangalur, Vilavatti, Chura) in the 5th and 6th centuries. Karmarashtra (Ongole-Bapatla) was Chalukya by about 630 (Kopparam plates of Pulakesin II). The Godavari gazetteer calls 200-615 a Pallava age, and IG Madras calls Vengi originally a Pallava province; Sircar found no evidence that the Pallavas held Vengi itself.
- Rayalaseema: c. 300–900 CE (c. 600 years)
Partial. Pallava frontier guards at Sriparvata (Kurnool) in the 4th century (Talagunda inscription; Sircar); Ganga kings of the Penukonda plates installed by Pallava kings (5th century); inscription of Paramesvaravarman II at Ulchala near Kurnool (728-29); Bana vassals in the Chittoor country under Nripatunga (9th century). The Cuddapah gazetteer has the Pallavas hold the eastern Cuddapah taluks for four centuries until the Chola Aditya I crippled them at the end of the 9th century. The Cuddapah gazetteer says the Pallavas of Kanchi pushed up the Penner from Nellore into north Cuddapah for a time and then ruled the eastern Cuddapah taluks for four centuries, until the Chola Aditya I crippled them at the end of the 9th century; Sewell gives a Pallava regnal-year record in Chittoor (864-65), with the Banas as Pallava vassals.
- Coastal Andhra: c. 670–750 CE (c. 80 years)
Southern Nellore only: grants of Paramesvaravarman I (Podili-Kandukur country, 687) and Narasimhavarman II (Revuru, Atmakur taluk, about 700-711), and a Tamil record of the 15th year of Nandipottarasar at Mallam (Gudur taluk), read as Pallava supremacy (Nellore gazetteer, 1942) or as Pallava rule under the Western Chalukyas (Butterworth and Venugopaul Chetty, 1905).
Rulers (18)
- Bappa (c. 225–250 CE)
- Sivaskandavarman (Pallava) (c. 250–275 CE)
- Vishnugopa of Kanchi (c. 325–350 CE)
- Kumaravishnu II (Pallava) (c. 425–450 CE)
- Skandavarman II (Pallava) (c. 450–475 CE)
- Simhavarman II (Pallava) (c. 500–525 CE)
… and 12 more
- Vijaya-Vishnugopavarman (Pallava) (c. 525–550 CE)
- Simhavishnu (c. 575–600 CE)
- Mahendravarman I (c. 600–630 CE)
- Narasimhavarman I (c. 630–668 CE)
- Mahendravarman II (c. 668–670 CE)
- Paramesvaravarman I (c. 670–690 CE)
- Narasimhavarman II (c. 690–715 CE)
- Nandivarman II Pallavamalla (c. 717–779 CE)
- Dantivarman (Pallava) (c. 779–830 CE)
- Nandivarman III (c. 830–854 CE)
- Nripatunga (Pallava) (c. 854–880 CE)
- Aparajita (c. 880–900 CE)
Capitals
Inscriptions (14)
Sources (19)
Kingdoms and empires
Salankayanas of Vengi
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 300–470 CE (c. 170 years)
Vengi (Pedavegi near Eluru), between the Krishna and the Godavari. Dates debated: D. C. Sircar (1939) about 320-470, from Devavarman to Skandavarman; B. V. Krishna Rao puts Nandivarman I at the close of the 3rd century, Sircar (1960) the Ellore and Kanukollu grants in the mid-4th; Subramanian about 275-450; Subba Rao has the Vishnukundins take Vengi about 450. Older works call these rulers Pallavas
Rulers
Capitals
Inscriptions
Sources (5)
Kingdoms and empires
Eastern Gangas of Kalinga
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 537–1434 CE (c. 897 years)
Partial: only the far north coast (the old Ganjam and Vizagapatam districts, now Srikakulam-Vizianagaram- Visakhapatnam), capital Kalinganagara (Mukhalingam). Earliest dated grant: Jirjingi, near Tekkali, Ganga year 39 (c. 537 on Mirashi's epoch of 498; Fleet put the early grants in the 7th century and Sewell used an epoch of 877-78; the Imperial Gazetteer, the 7th century). Later line in power from the end of the 9th century (Vizagapatam gazetteer): Vajrahasta III crowned 1038; Anantavarman Chodaganga 1078-1146, with records at Mukhalingam, Srikurmam, Simhachalam and Visakhapatnam. South of the Godavari only records and raids (Draksharama 1128-1274; Bendapudi). Ended 1434, when the minister Kapilesvara founded the Gajapati line
Rulers (15)
- Vajrahasta III (Eastern Ganga) (1038–1070 CE)
- Rajaraja I (Eastern Ganga) (1070–1078 CE)
- Anantavarman Chodaganga (c. 1078–1146 CE)
- Madhu-Kamarnava (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1146–1152 CE)
- Raghava (c. 1152–1166 CE)
- Rajaraja II (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1166–1192 CE)
… and 9 more
- Aniyanka-Bhima (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1192–1202 CE)
- Anangabhima III (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1219–1253 CE)
- Narasimha I (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1253–1256 CE)
- Bhanudeva I (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1256–1275 CE)
- Narasimha II (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1275–1306 CE)
- Bhanudeva II (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1306–1323 CE)
- Narasimha III (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1323–1346 CE)
- Bhanudeva III (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1346–1378 CE)
- Narasimha IV (Eastern Ganga) (c. 1378–1397 CE)
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions (8)
Sources (10)
Kingdoms and empires
Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi
Open page- Coastal Andhra: c. 615–973 CE (c. 358 years)
Vengi, between the Godavari and the Krishna, with the Vizagapatam country to the north (Chipurupalle grant of 632) and Karmarashtra, the Ongole-Guntur country, to the south (grants of 664 and 673). Kubja Vishnuvardhana was installed as yuvaraja in 615 (Fleet) and was independent by 632; others date the start about 605 (Hultzsch 1890, Mackenzie), after 631 (Kopparam plates, Hultzsch 1926) or in 624-25 (Rama Rao 1964). The line of kings from the grants ends with Danarnava (970-973).
- Telangana: c. 935–973 CE (c. 38 years)
Partial: the Chalukya chiefs of Mudigonda and Koravi (Khammam and Warangal) owed allegiance to Vengi rather than to the Rashtrakutas, in Parabrahma Sastry's account; ended after the death of Danarnava in 973.
- Coastal Andhra: c. 999–1077 CE (c. 78 years)
After an interval that the grants call twenty-seven years without a ruler, Saktivarman I was restored about 999 with the help of the Chola Rajaraja I, "as king (or perhaps feudatory)" in the Godavari gazetteer's words. His successors married Chola princesses; Rajendra II, heir to Vengi in 1063, became the Chola emperor Kulottunga I in 1070. His uncle Vijayaditya VII governed Vengi until he died in 1077 (1076 in Sewell's table), after which Vengi was ruled for the Cholas by viceroys.
Rulers (31)
- Kubja Vishnuvardhana (c. 615–633 CE)
- Jayasimha I (c. 633–663 CE)
- Indra-Bhattaraka (c. 663 CE)
- Vishnuvardhana II (Eastern Chalukya) (c. 663–672 CE)
- Mangi-yuvaraja (c. 672–696 CE)
- Jayasimha II (Eastern Chalukya) (c. 696–709 CE)
… and 25 more
- Kokkili (c. 709 CE)
- Vishnuvardhana III (Eastern Chalukya) (c. 709–746 CE)
- Vijayaditya I (Eastern Chalukya) (c. 746–764 CE)
- Vishnuvardhana IV (Eastern Chalukya) (c. 764–799 CE)
- Vijayaditya II Narendra-mrigaraja (c. 799–843 CE)
- Kali-Vishnuvardhana V (c. 843–844 CE)
- Gunaga Vijayaditya III (c. 844–888 CE)
- Chalukya-Bhima I (c. 888–918 CE)
- Vijayaditya IV (Kollabhiganda) (c. 918 CE)
- Amma I (c. 918–925 CE)
- Beta-Vijayaditya V (c. 925 CE)
- Tadapa (Tala I) (c. 925 CE)
- Vikramaditya II (Eastern Chalukya) (c. 926 CE)
- Bhima III (Eastern Chalukya) (c. 926–927 CE)
- Yuddhamalla II (c. 927–934 CE)
- Chalukya-Bhima II (c. 934–945 CE)
- Amma II (945–970 CE)
- Badapa (c. 956 CE)
- Danarnava (970–973 CE)
- Saktivarman I (c. 999–1011 CE)
- Vimaladitya (1011–1022 CE)
- Rajaraja Narendra (1022–1063 CE)
- Kulottunga I (c. 1063–1070 CE)
- Vijayaditya VII (c. 1063–1076 CE)
- Vira-Choda (c. 1078–1093 CE)
Capitals
Monuments
Inscriptions (36)
- Satara grant of Vishnuvardhana I
- Timmapuram plates of Vishnuvardhana I
- Chipurupalle plates of Vishnuvardhana I
- Pedda-Vegi plates of Jayasimha I
- Niduparu grant of Jayasimha I
- Pulibumra plates of Jayasimha I
… and 30 more
- Gudivada plates of Jayasimha I (three grants)
- Chendalur plates of Sarvalokasraya (Mangi-yuvaraja)
- Penukaparu grant of Jayasimha II
- Ipur plates of Vishnuvardhana III
- Ederu plates of Vijayaditya II
- Addanki inscription of Pandaranga
- Masulipatam (?) plates of Vijayaditya III
- Bezwada plates of Chalukya-Bhima I
- Bezwada pillar inscription of Yuddhamalla
- Chevuru plates of Amma I
- Ederu plates of Amma I
- Diggubarru grant of Chalukya-Bhima II
- Gundugolanu plates of Amma II
- Kaluchumbarru grant of Amma II
- Maliyapundi grant of Amma II
- Masulipatam plates of Amma II
- Padamkaluru grant of Amma II
- Vandram plates of Amma II
- Vemalurpadu plates of Amma II
- Yelavarru plates of Amma II
- Arumbaka plates of Badapa
- Mangallu grant of Amma II
- Sripundi plates of Tala II
- Tandikonda grant of Amma II
- Ranastipundi grant of Vimaladitya
- Kalidindi grant of Rajaraja I
- Korumelli plates of Rajaraja I
- Nandamapundi grant of Rajaraja Narendra
- Teki plates of Rajaraja-Chodaganga
- Chellur plates of Vira-Choda
Sources (10)
Kingdoms and empires
Telugu Cholas of Renadu
Open page- Rayalaseema: c. 550–800 CE (c. 250 years)
Renandu, the country between the Chitravati and the Cheyyeru (most of Cuddapah, parts of Kolar and Chittoor; Sewell: Cuddapah and Kurnool), with capitals at Chippili and Malepadu. Undated records placed by EI XXVII between the later 6th and the end of the 8th century (Nandivarman c. 550, Punyakumara c. 625); Krishna Sastri (1912) and Narasimhaswami (1956) put Punyakumara near 800 and about 740. A collateral line at Budili lasted to Srikantha, c. 850.
Rulers (9)
- Nandivarman (Telugu Chola) (c. 550–575 CE)
- Dhananjaya (Telugu Chola) (c. 575–600 CE)
- Mahendravikrama (Telugu Chola) (c. 600–625 CE)
- Punyakumara (c. 625–650 CE)
- Vikramaditya I (c. 650–675 CE)
- Saktikumara (c. 675–700 CE)
Capitals
Inscriptions (7)
- Kalamalla inscription of Erikal Muturaju Dhananjaya
- Erragudipadu inscription of Erikal-Mutturaju
- Malepadu plates of Punyakumara
- Tippaluru inscription of Punyakumara
- Malepadu stone inscription of Satyaditya
- Dommara-Nandyala plates of Punyakumara
… and 1 more
Sources (4)
Where historians disagree
These questions are still open. Each line links to the section of the page that gives both sides with their sources. They are useful for essay answers.
- The Ikshvakus have been placed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries by Hirananda Sastri and Longhurst, and in the 3rd and early 4th centuries by Sircar, whose dates rest on his reading of two cyclic-year dates. Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri
- Sivaskandavarman, the earliest Pallava with his own charters, is dated about 234 by Sewell, 250–275 by Jouveau-Dubreuil and the 340s by Sircar in 1963. Pallavas
- Sewell took the "Hastivarman of Vengi" defeated by Samudragupta for a Pallava governor, while Subba Rao, Subramanian and Sircar identified him with the Salankayana king Hastivarman I. Salankayanas of Vengi
- N. Dutt read Bodhisiri's shrine as given to nuns, but Sircar later rejected this and took it as a gift to monks. Nagarjunakonda inscription of Bodhisiri
- Sircar counts one Vishnukundin king named Govindavarman, while Sankaranarayanan and Subramanian count two. Govindavarman (Vishnukundin)
- Fleet thought Vishnuvardhana was independent before 632, but Hultzsch read the Kopparam plates of 631 as showing him still under Pulakesin II. Chalukyas of Badami
Practise
For teachers
Lesson outline
Period 1: After the Satavahanas, the Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri (40 minutes)
Read the opening and the first two sections of the era page (15 minutes). Then read the Nagarjunakonda page and ask why the valley was dug in a hurry from 1954. Close by asking who paid for the Buddhist monuments and who performed the Vedic sacrifices.
Read: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms → Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri → Nagarjunakonda
Period 2: Kings known from copper plates (40 minutes)
Read the sections on the Pallavas, the Salankayanas and the Vishnukundins. Use the Mayidavolu plates to show how a land grant works, who gives the order, who gets the land and what it is freed from. Then note the change from Prakrit to Sanskrit, and the Telugu-style word Kielhorn found in the Chikkulla plates.
Read: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms → Mayidavolu plates of Sivaskandavarman → Chikkulla plates of Vikramendravarman II
Period 3: The first Telugu writing, and the Chalukya conquest (40 minutes)
Read about the Telugu Cholas of Renadu and the Kalamalla pillar, and discuss why one damaged stone matters so much. Then read the last section of the era page on the Chalukya conquest. End with the short debate on Hastivarman below.
Read: Telugu Cholas of Renadu → Kalamalla inscription of Erikal Muturaju Dhananjaya → Chalukyas of Badami
Activities
- Map work: mark the capital of each dynasty, Vijayapuri for the Ikshvakus, Vengipura for the Salankayanas and Lendulura for the Vishnukundins. Which two capitals were close together, and why does the era page say so? Ikshvaku inscriptions and the Krishna valley · The Salankayanas of Vengi · Grants of the Vishnukundins
- Read a real inscription: this is line 1 of the Chikkulla plates, with its reading in the caption. Find the two names in it that the pages explain, Lendulura, the capital, and Sriparvata, whose lord every Vishnukundin grant names. Line 1 of the Chikkulla plates of Vikramendravarman II: "Om svasti Vijaya-Lendulura-vasakad=bhagavatah Sriparvvata-" (Epigraphia Indica IV, plate, detail) · Vishnukundins
- Make a timeline of the five dynasties of the era page in order. Beside each, write the language its grants use, Prakrit or Sanskrit. Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms
- Short debate: was the "Hastivarman of Vengi" defeated by Samudragupta a Pallava governor or a Salankayana king? Each side uses the arguments on the page. Salankayanas of Vengi
- Compare: list what the Ikshvaku kings did for religion and what the royal women gave. What does the difference tell us? Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri · Women in Telugu history
Discussion questions
Every question can be answered from the page linked after it.
- Why do scholars agree on the order of these dynasties but not on their exact dates? (Answer on: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms)
- Who paid for the great Buddhist stupa at Nagarjunakonda, and what did the kings do instead? (Answer on: Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri)
- How did Sircar arrive at the dates 273–74 and 333–34 for the Ikshvakus? (Answer on: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms)
- What does the Mayidavolu grant tell us about Pallava rule in the Telugu country? (Answer on: Mayidavolu plates of Sivaskandavarman)
- What change of language do the grants of this period show? (Answer on: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms)
- Why is the Kalamalla pillar important for the history of Telugu? (Answer on: Kalamalla inscription of Erikal Muturaju Dhananjaya)
- What three causes did Vogel suggest for the decline of Buddhism on the lower Krishna? (Answer on: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms)
- How did the period end, and who founded the next line of kings at Vengi? (Answer on: Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins & early kingdoms)