Chapter IX.
The ChÁlukyas, a.d.634–740. The ChÁlukyas conquered their GujarÁt provinces from the south after subduing the Konkan Mauryas of PurÍ either RÁjÁpurÍ that is Janjira or Elephanta in Bombay harbour. The fifth century VÁda inscription of king Suketuvarmman proves that this Maurya dynasty1 ruled in the Konkan for at least a century before they came into collision with the ChÁlukyas under KÍrtivarmman.2 They were finally defeated and their capital PurÍ taken by Cha??ada??a an officer of Pulakesi II. (a.d.610–640).3 The ChÁlukyas then pressed northwards, and an inscription at Aihole in South BijÁpur records that as early as a.d.634 the kings of LÁ?a, MÁlava, and Gurjjara submitted to the prowess of Pulakesi II. (a.d.610–640).

Jayasim?havarmman, a.d.666–693.The regular establishment of ChÁlukya power in South GujarÁt seems to have been the work of DhÁrÁsraya Jayasim?havarmman son of Pulakesi II. and younger brother of VikramÁditya SatyÁsraya (a.d.670–680). A grant of Jayasim?havarmman’s son SÍlÁditya found in NavsÁrÍ describes Jayasim?havarmman as receiving the kingdom from his brother VikramÁditya. As Jayasim?havarmman is called Paramabha??Áraka Great Lord, he probably was practically independent. He had five sons and enjoyed a long life, ruling apparently from NavsÁrÍ. Of the five GujarÁt ChÁlukya copperplates noted below, three are in an era marked Sam?. which is clearly different from the Saka era (a.d.78) used in the grants of the main ChÁlukyas. From the nature of the case the new era of the GujarÁt ChÁlukyas may be accepted as of GujarÁt origin. Grants remain of Jayasim?havarmman’s sons dated S. 421, 443, and 490.4 This checked by VikramÁditya’s known date (a.d.670–680) gives an initial between a.d.249 and 259. Of the two GujarÁt eras, the Gupta-Valabhi (a.d.319) and the TraikÚ?aka (a.d.248–9), the Gupta-Valabhi is clearly unsuitable. On the other hand the result is so closely in accord with a.d.248–9, the TraikÚ?aka epoch, as to place the correctness of the identification almost beyond question.

Jayasim?havarmman must have established his power in South GujarÁt before a.d.669–70 (T. 421), as in that year his son SryÁsraya made a grant as heir apparent. Another plate of SryÁsraya found in Surat shows that in a.d.691–2 (T. 443) Jayasim?havarmman was still ruling with SryÁsraya as heir apparent. In view of these facts the establishment of Jayasim?havarmman’s power in GujarÁt must be taken at about a.d.666. The copperplates of his sons and grandson do not say whom Jayasim?havarmman overthrew. Probably the defeated rulers were Gurjjaras, as about this time a Gurjjara dynasty held the Broach district with its capital at NÁndÍpurÍ the modern NÁndod in the RÁjpipla State about thirty-five miles east of Broach. So far
Chapter IX.
The ChÁlukyas, a.d.634–740.
Jayasim?havarmman a.d.666–693. as is known the earliest of the NÁndod Gurjjaras was Dadda who is estimated to have flourished about a.d.580 (T. 331).5 The latest is Jayabha?a whose NavsÁrÍ copperplate bears date a.d.734–5 (T. 486)6 so that the Gurjjara and ChÁlukya kingdoms flourished almost at the same time. It is possible that the power of the earlier Gurjjara kings spread as far south as BalsÁr and even up to Konkan limits. It was apparently from them that, during the reign of his brother VikramÁditya, Jayasim?havarmman took South GujarÁt, driving the Gurjjaras north of the TÁpti and eventually confining them to the Broach district, the Gurjjaras either acknowledging ChÁlukya sovereignty or withstanding the ChÁlukyas and retaining their small territory in the Broach district by the help of the Valabhis with whom they were in alliance.7 In either case the ChÁlukya power seems to have hemmed in the Broach Gurjjaras, as Jayasim?havarmman had a son Buddhavarmman ruling in Kaira. A copperplate of Buddhavarmman’s son VijayarÁja found in Kaira is granted from Vijayapura identified with BijÁpur near ParÁntij, but probably some place further south, as the grant is made to BrÁhmans of Jambusar. Five copperplates remain of this branch of the ChÁlukyas, the NavsÁrÍ grant of SryÁsraya SÍlÁditya YuvarÁja dated a.d.669–70 (T. 421); the Surat grant of the same SÍlÁditya dated a.d.691–2 (T. 443); the BalsÁr grant of VinayÁditya MangalarÁja dated a.d.731 (Saka 653); the NavsÁrÍ grant of Pulakesi JanÁsraya dated a.d.738–9 (T. 490); the Kaira grant of VijayarÁja dated Sam?vatsara 394; and the undated Nirpan grant of NÁgavarddhana TribhuvanÁsraya.

SryÁsraya SÍlÁditya (Heir Apparent), a.d.669–691.The first four grants mention Jayasim?havarmman as the younger brother of VikramÁditya SatyÁsraya the son of Pulakesi SatyÁsraya the conqueror of Harshavarddhana the lord of the North. Jayasim?havarmman’s eldest son was SryÁsraya SÍlÁditya who made his NavsÁrÍ grant in a.d.669–70 (T. 421); the village granted being said to be in the NavasÁrikÁ Vishaya. SryÁsraya’s other plate dated a.d.691–2 (T. 443) grants a field in the village of OsumbhalÁ in the KÁrmaneya ÁhÁra that is the district of KÁmlej on the TÁpti fifteen miles north-east of Surat. In both grants SÍlÁditya is called YuvarÁja, which shows that his father ruled with him from a.d.669 to a.d.691. Both copperplates show that these kings treated as their overlords the main dynasty of the southern ChÁlukyas as respectful mention is made in the first plate of VikramÁditya SatyÁsraya and in the second of his son VinayÁditya SatyÁsraya. Apparently SryÁsraya died before his father as the two late grants of BalsÁr and Khe?Á give him no place in the list of rulers.

MangalarÁja, a.d.698–731.Jayasim?havarmman was succeeded by his second son MangalarÁja. A plate of his found at BalsÁr dated a.d.731 (Saka 653) records a grant made from MangalapurÍ, probably the same as PurÍ the doubtful Konkan capital of the SilÁhÁras.8 As his elder brother was heir-apparent in a.d.691–2 (T. 443), MangalarÁja must have succeeded some years later, say about a.d.698–9 (T. 450). From this it may be inferred that the copperplate of a.d.731 was issued towards the end of his reign.

Chapter IX.
The ChÁlukyas, a.d.634–740.
Pulakesi JanÁsraya, a.d.738. Pulakesi JanÁsraya, a.d.738.MangalarÁja was succeeded by his younger brother Pulakesi JanÁsraya. This is the time of Khalif HashÁm (H. 105–125, a.d.724–743) whose Sindh governor Junaid is recorded to have sent expeditions against MarmÁd, Mandal, Dalmaj (KÁmlej?), BÁrus, Uzain, MÁliba, Baharimad (Mevad?), Al BailÁimÁn (BhinmÁl?), and Juzr. Though several of these names seem to have been misread and perhaps misspelt on account of the confusion in the original Arabic, still MarmÁd, Mandal, Barus, Uzain, MÁliba, and Juzr can easily be identified with MÁrvÁd, Mandal near ViramgÁm, Bharuch, Ujjain, MÁlwa, and Gurjjara. The defeat of one of these raids is described at length in Pulakesi’s grant of a.d.738–9 (T. 490) which states that the Arab army had afflicted the kingdoms of Sindhu, Kacchella, SaurÁsh?ra, ChÁvo?aka, Maurya, and Gurjjara that is Sindh, Kacch, the ChÁva?Ás, the Mauryas of Chitor,9 and the Gurjjaras of BhÍnmÁl.10
Chapter IX.
The ChÁlukyas, a.d.634–740.
Pulakesi JanÁsraya, a.d.738. Pulakesi was at this time ruling at NavsÁrÍ. It is uncertain how much longer this ChÁlukya kingdom of NavsÁrÍ continued. It was probably overthrown about a.d.750 by the GujarÁt branch of the RÁsh?rakÚ?as who were in possession in a.d.757–8.11

Buddhavarmman, a.d.713 (?).The Kaira grant dated 394 gives in hereditary succession the names Jayasim?ha, Buddhavarmman, and VijayarÁja.12 The grant is made from Vijayapura, which, as the late Colonel West suggested, may be BijÁpur near ParÁntij though this is far to the north of the otherwise known ChÁlukya limits. The village granted is Pariyaya in the KÁsÁkula division. If taken as TraikÚ?aka the date 394 corresponds to a.d.642–3. This is out of the question, since VijayarÁja’s grand-uncle VikramÁditya flourished between a.d.670 and 680. Professor Bhandarkar considers the plate a forgery, but there seems no sufficient reason for doubting its genuineness. No fault can be found with the character. It is written in the usual style of Western ChÁlukya grants, and contains the names of a number of BrÁhman grantees with minute details of the fields granted a feature most unusual in a forged grant. In the Gupta era, which equally with the TraikÚ?aka era may be denoted by the word Sam?. and which is more likely to be in use in North GujarÁt the 394 would represent the fairly probable a.d.713. Jayasim?ha may have conquered part of North GujarÁt and sent his son Buddhavarmman to rule over it.

NÁgavarddhana.Jayasim?ha appears to have had a third son NÁgavarddhana ruling in West NÁsik which was connected with South GujarÁt through BalsÁr, PÁrdi, and Penth. The Nirpan grant of NÁgavarddhana is undated,13 and, though it gives a wrong genealogy, its seal, the form of composition, the biruda or title of the king, and the alphabet all so closely agree with the style of the GujarÁt ChÁlukya plates that it cannot be considered a forgery.

Not long after a.d.740 the ChÁlukyas seem to have been supplanted in South GujarÁt by the RÁsh?rakÚ?as.

ChÁlukya Tree.CHÁLUKYA FAMILY TREE.

Chapter IX.
The ChÁlukyas, a.d.634–740. VijayarÁja’s grant of the year 394 (a.d.642–3) is the earliest trace of ChÁlukya rule in GujarÁt. Dr. BhagvÁnlÁl, who believed in its genuineness, supposes it to be dated in the Gupta era (G. 394 = a.d.714) and infers from it the existence of ChÁlukya rule far to the north of Broach. But the most cursory comparison of it with the Khe?Á grants of Dadda II. (see Ind. Ant. XIII. 81ff) which are dated (admittedly in the [so-called] TraikÚ?aka era) 380 and 385 respectively, shows that a large number of Dadda’s grantees reappear in the ChÁlukya grant. The date of the ChÁlukya plate must therefore be interpreted as a TraikÚ?aka or Chedi date.

a.d.610–640.This being so, it is clearly impossible to suppose that VijayarÁja’s grandfather Jayasim?ha is that younger son of Pulakesi II. (a.d.610–640) who founded the GujarÁt branch family. It has been usually supposed that the Jayasim?ha of our grant was a younger brother of Pulakesi II.: but this also is chronologically impossible: for Jayasim?ha can hardly have been more than ten years of age in a.d.597–98, when his elder brother was set aside as too young to rule. His son Buddhavarmman could hardly have been born before a.d.610, so that Buddhavarmman’s son VijayarÁja must have made his grant at the age of twelve at latest. The true solution of the question seems to be that given by Dr. BhandÁrkar in his Early History of the Deccan (page 42 note 7), namely that the grant is a forgery. To the reasons advanced by him may be added the fact pointed out by Mr. Fleet (Ind. Ant. VII. 251) that the grant is a palimpsest, the engraver having originally commenced it “Svasti VijayavikshepÁn Na.” It can hardly be doubted that Na is the first syllable of NÁndÍpurÍ the palace of the Gurjjara kings. Many of the grantees were BrÁhmans of Jambusar and subjects of Dadda II. of Broach, whose grants to them are extant. It seems obvious that VijayarÁja’s grant was forged in the interest of these persons by some one who had Gurjjara grants before him as models, but knew very little of the forms used in the chancery of the ChÁlukyas.

Setting aside this grant, the first genuine trace of ChÁlukya rule in GujarÁt is to be found in the grant of the Sendraka chief Nikumbhallasakti, which bears date Sam?. 406 (a.d.654–5) and relates to the gift to a BrÁhman of the village of Balisa (Wanesa) in the Treya??a (Ten) district. Dr. BÜhler has shown (Ind. Ant. XVIII. page 265ff) that the Sendrakas were a KÁnarese family, and that Nikumbhallasakti must have come to GujarÁt as a ChÁlukya feudatory, though he names no overlord. He was doubtless subordinate to the ChÁlukya governor of NÁsik.

The next grant that requires notice is that of NÁgavarddhana, who describes himself distinctly as the son of Pulakesi’s brother Jayasim?ha, though Dr. BhagvÁnlÁl believed this Jayasim?ha to be Pulakesi’s son. Mr. Fleet points out other difficulties connected with this grant, but on the whole decides in favour of its genuineness (see Ind. Ant. IX. 123). The description of Pulakesi II. in this grant refers to his victory over Harshavarddhana, but also describes him as having conquered the three kingdoms of Chera, Chola, and PÁ??ya by means of his horse of the Chitraka??ha breed, and as meditating on the feet of Sri NÁgavarddhana. Now all of these epithets, except the reference to Harshavarddhana, belong properly, not to Pulakesi II. but to his son VikramÁditya I. The conquest of the confederacy of Cholas, Cheras (or Keral?as), and PÁ??yas is ascribed to VikramÁditya in the inscriptions of his son VinayÁditya (Fleet in Ind. Ant. X. 134): the Chitraka??ha horse is named in VikramÁditya’s own grants (Ind. Ant. VI. 75 &c.) while his meditation upon the feet of NÁgavarddhana recurs in the T. 421 grant of SryÁsraya SÍlÁditya (B. B. R. A. S. XVI. 1ff). This confusion of epithets between Pulakesi II. and VikramÁditya makes it difficult to doubt that NÁgavarddhana’s grant was composed either during or after VikramÁditya’s reign, and under the influence of that king’s grants. It may be argued that even in that case the grant may be genuine, its inconsistencies being due merely to carelessness. This supposition the following considerations seem too negative. Pulakesi II. was alive at the time of Hiuen Tsiang’s visit (a.d.640), but is not likely to have reigned very much longer. And, as VikramÁditya’s reign is supposed to have begun about a.d.669–70, a gap remains of nearly thirty years. That part of this period was occupied by the war with the three kings
Chapter IX.
The ChÁlukyas, a.d.634–740. of the south we know from VikramÁditya’s own grants: but the grant of SryÁsraya SÍlÁditya referred to above seems to show that VikramÁditya was the successor, not of his father, but of NÁgavarddhana upon whose feet he is described as meditating. It follows that NÁgavarddhana succeeded Pulakesi and preceded VikramÁditya on the imperial throne of the ChÁlukyas whereas his grant could not have been composed until the reign of VikramÁditya.

Although the grant is not genuine, we have no reason to doubt that it gives a correct genealogy, and that NÁgavarddhana was the son of Pulakesi’s brother Jayasim?ha and therefore the first cousin of VikramÁditya. The grant is in the regular ChÁlukya style, and the writer, living near the Northern ChÁlukya capital, NÁsik, had better models than the composer of VijayarÁja’s grant. Both grants may have been composed about the time when the ChÁlukya power succumbed to the attacks of the RÁsh?rakÚ?as (a.d.743).—(A. M. T. J.)