Hey Guys, how are you doing? I am here today with a new book recommendation. For all Historical Fiction fans, Lords Of The Deccan is here to entice you! Written by Indian author Anirudh Kanisetti, this book beautifully details the dynasties prevalent in Medieval India. Particularly, it showcases the southern & Deccan regions. The book has three parts to it. We will be looking at the first part here.
The first part of “Lords Of The Deccan” focusses on the rise of the Chalukya dynasty. This is the period between the late 6th to 8th centuries. From being meager agriculturists, how they go on to become the fierce rulers who dominated the Deccan. A transition so wonderfully narrated by Anirudh Kanisetti.
The book presents vivid accounts of the Chalukyas emperors. The most prominent of them is Pulakeshin II who virtually conquered majority of the Deccan region. In essence, his conquests included the Kadambas in the south, Kalachuris of the north, Vengi in the east & the island city of Puri in the western coast. He also conquered the prized Latas of southern Gujrat. Consequently, his most famous victory came by defeating the all powerful Harsha Vardhan Pushyabhuti.
Rivalry With The Pallavas
A stand-out feature of this period is the fierce rivalry between the Chalukyas and the Pallavas of Tamilakan. They fought several battles during this period. It appears, the earlier rulers such as Pulakeshin II invaded the Pallavas to subdue any challenge from the south. However, the later Chalukya kings such as Vikramaditya used them only to reiterate their own strength amongst their subjects and vassals. Incidentally, it was the Pallava ruler Narsimha-Varman who caused Pulakeshin’s ultimate downfall.
Significance of Religion And Temples
Another prominent aspect of this era is the significance of religion and temples. These rulers used religion to set a narrative for their subjects and vassals. They projected a direct connection between themselves and God. They intelligently use Sanskrit texts to project a high level of sophistication. Likewise, temples were far from just places for devotion. The royals potently used them to ingratiate themselves with new religious communities. Temples were also the hubs of commercial activity and icons of power.
The period also saw the shift from Vedic to Puranic Hinduism, the rise of bhakti devotion. Vinayaditya also introduced the concept of ‘tirthas’ to maintain the supremacy of his family amongst the people.
The Chalukya Women
Women in the Chalukya dynasty were often used as tokens to show allegiance to the rulers. As an example, one of the wives of Pulakeshin I was a Kalachuri. She was the mother of Mangalesh, who later went on to conquer the same Kalachuris. Interestingly, it was his mother who incited him against her own brothers.
Similarly, Pulakeshin II’s mother was a Sendraka. They were previously vassals of the Kadambas but later shifted loyalties towards the Chalukyas.
But this said, the later queens had substantial say in the politics and enjoyed significant authority. Loka-Mahadevi, one of the Kalachuri wives of Vikramaditya II, had The Lokeshvara Temple (now called Virupaksha Mandir) constructed. It took a full decade to complete, exhausting all the resource during that time. It is the grandest & largest of the Chalukya temples which is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
What Lies Ahead
The first part ends with the introduction of Danti-Durga Rashtrakuta. Encouraged earlier on by Vikramaditya mainly to down play the heroics of Pulakeshi, in the second part of the book, this Rashtrakuta will initiate the downfall of the mighty Chalukyas.
Click to the next page for Part 2 Review…
Very interesting book I must say. So fascinating to read of the history and dynasties. Thanks for the writeup!