Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty & Rashtrakuta Dynasty

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Kannauj Tripartite Struggle

• Kannauj became a point of conflict between three powerful dynasties
  • Gurjara Pratihara
  • Rashtrakuta dynasty
  • Palas
• Kannauj Triangle conflict continued from 8th to 10th centuries.
• The conflict also referred as the Tripartite struggle by many historians.
• The Tripartite struggle began with the defeat of Indrayudh at the hands of Gurjara Pratihara dynasty ruler Vatsaraja.
• Ultimately the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty succeeded in retaining the city.

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Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty (725-1036)

• The geographical name of Gujarat is supposed to be derived from Gurjara.
• The Gurjara Pratihara dynasty kings were followers of Hinduism.
• The literary meaning of Pratihara is ‘door keeper.’
• It is believed that their ancestor Lakshmana served as a door keeper to his brother Rama. 
• They ruled between mid 8th and 11th century A.D. over northern and western India.
• The Pratiharas stood as a fortification of India’s defense against the hostility of the Muslims from the days of Junaid of Sind (725.A.D.) to Mahmud of Ghazni.
• Capital of Gurjara Pratihara dynasty was first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj.

Bhoja

• The Gwalior inscription mentioned the early history of the family founded by King Bhoja in the 7th century.

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Nagabhatta I (725-740)

• Nagabhatta is the real founder of the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty
• He established capital at Avanti in Malwa.
• Junaid, another Arab commander defeated by him in Battle of Rajasthan.

Vatsaraja (780–800)

• Vatsaraja captured Kannauj and came in direct conflict with the Palas of Bengal.
• He defeated Dharmapala.
• In 786 AD the Rastrakuta King Dhruva defeated him.

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Nagabhatta II (805-33)

• Nagabhatta was initially defeated by Rastrakuta King Govinda III but later recovered and captured Kannauj.
• He is best known for rebuilding the Somnath Temple in 815
• Somnath Temple was destroyed by Arab armies of Junayad in 725 AD.
• This was a large structure of Red Sandstone which was again destroyed in 1024 by Mahamud of Ghazni.

Mihirabhoja (836-85)

• Mihirabhoja defeated Rashtrakuta king Krishna-II and captured the region of Malwa and Gujarat.
• Mihirabhoja was a devotee of Vishnu, and adopted the title of ‘Adivaraha.’

Mahendrapala (885-908)

• Son of Mihirabhoja, was also known as ‘Mahendrayudha’, and ‘Nirbhayanarendra.’
• Rajashehara, Sanskrit poet was in his court.

 Mahipala

• Arab scholar, Al-Masudi, visited his court in 915-916.

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Decline of the Pratihara Dynasty

• The Rashtrakuta king, Indra-II again attacked Kanauj between A.D. 915 and A.D. 918 and destroyed it.
• Krishna III was other Rashtrakuta ruler invaded north India in about A.D. 963.
• He defeated the Pratihara rulers.
• This led to decline of Gurjara Pratihara Empire.
• Rajyapala was the last Gurjara Pratihara king
• In his time empire was reduced to Kanauj and nearby area.
• The Pratihara power came to an end after Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the kingdom in 1018 A.D.

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Rashtrakuta Dynasty (755–975 AD)

• Rashtrakuta dynasty called themselves descendants of Satyaki.
• They were a feudatory of the Badami Chalukyas
• Dantidurga overthrew Chalukya king Kirtivarman II
• He built an empire with the Gulbarga region in modern Karnataka as its base.
• This clan came to be known as the Rashtrakuta of Manyakheta, rising to power in South India.
• Rashtrakuta dynasty was Kannada origin and their mother tongue was Kannada or Kanarese.
• Vaishnavism and Saivism flourished during their period.
• Active commerce witnessed between the Deccan and the Arabs.

Dantidurga (735 – 756)

• Dantidurga was the founder of the Rashtrakutas dynasty.
• He occupied all territories between the Godavari river and Vima river.
• Dantidurga occupied Maharashtra by defeating Chalukya King Kirtivarman II.
• From Samangad Plates and Dasavatara Cave of Ellora we can know about his victory

Krishna I (756-774)

• Krishna I succeeded Dantidurga.
• He occupied Konkan coast region.
• Krishna I also defeated Vishnuvardhana of Vengi (Eastern Chalukyas) and the Ganga king of Mysore.
• The Monolithic Kailash Temple at Ellora was built by the Krishna I.

Dhruva (780-793)

• Dhruva defeated Gurjara Pratihara King Vatsyaraja, the Pallavas of Kanchi and the Pala King Dharmapala of Bengal.
• He is the most notable rulers of the Rashtrakut dynasty.
• The Dhulia grant of 779 and Garugadahalli inscription of 782 proclaim Dhruva the emperor.

Govinda III (793-814)

• Govinda III son of Dhruva succeeded the throne.
• The Most successful emperor of the Rashtrakut dynasty
• Govinda III conquered from Cape Comorin in the south to Kannauj in the north, from Banaras in the east to Broach.
• He defeated the great Gurjara King Nagabhatta II.
• Pala King Dharmapala and his protege Charayudh sought the help of Govinda III.
• His kingdom spread up to the Vindhyas and Malava in the north and the river Tungabhadra to the south.

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Amoghavarsha I (814- 878)

• Amoghavarsha I set up a new capital at Manyakheta (now Malkhed in Karnataka State).
• Broach became the best port of the kingdom during his reign
• Amoghavarsha wrote Kavirajamarga, a landmark literary work in the Kannada language
• He was converted into Jainism by Jinasena, a Jaina monk, author of Adipurana.
• Suleman, an Arab merchant, in his account called Amoghavarsha I as one of the four greatest kings of the world.
• Amoghavarsha ruled for 63 years.

Krishna II (878-914)

• Son of Amoghavarsha, succeeded the throne.
• His daughter had married the Chola king Aditya I

Indra III (914 -929)

• Indra III was a powerful king.
• He defeated and deposed Pratihara king Mahipala
• Indra III was married to princess Vijamba of the Kalachuri dynasty of central India (Chedi)
• His Jain general Sri Vijaya (who was also a poet) won may wars for his king

Govinda IV

• He patronised Kannada poet Ravinagabhatta.

Krishna III (939–967)

• The last powerful and efficient king of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
• He also succeeded in conquering Tanjore and Kanchi.
• Krishna III defeated the Cholas decisively in a battle of Takkolam in the North Arcot district.
• He patronise the famous Kannada poets Sri Ponna, who wrote Shanti purana, Gajankusha, also known as Narayana, who wrote on erotics, and the Apabhramsha poet, Pushpadanta who wrote Mahapurana
• We can know about Krishna III from Atakur inscription

Decline Rashtrakuta Dynasty

• In 972 during the rule of Khottiga Amoghavarsha, the Paramara King Siyaka Harsha attacked and plundered the capital Manyakheta
• The Rashtrakuta King Karka II was defeated and deposed by Taila or Tailapa II, the Chalukya king of Kalyani.
• Indra IV, the last king, committed Sallekhana.
• With the fall of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, their feudatories declared independence.

Rasjtrakuta Dynasty Administration

• Rashtrakuta kingdom was divided into Rashtras (provinces) – controlled by rashtrapatis.
• Rashtras divided into Vishayas or districts, governed by Vishayapatis.
• Subdivision was Bukti, consisting of 50 to 70 villages under the control of  Bhogapatis.
• Village headmen carried on village administration.
• Village assemblies played a significant role in the village administration.

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