Chalukya–Chola wars
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2023) |
| Chola-Chalukya Wars | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Chola Empire | Western Chalukya Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Rajaraja Chola I Rajendra Chola I Rajadhiraja Chola I † Rajendra Chola II Virarajendra Chola Athirajendra Chola Kulothunga I Vikrama Chola |
Tailapa II Satyashraya Vikramaditya V Jayasimha II Someshwara I Someshvara II Vikramaditya VI | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| Chola Army | Chalukya Army | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 900,000+ | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Many | Many | ||||||||
| Over 1,000,000 civilians killed or enslaved during the war | |||||||||
The Chola–Chalukya Wars were a series of battles that were fought from 992 CE to 1120 CE between the Chola Empire and the Western Chalukya Empire in what is now South India. Most of these conflicts were initiated by the Western Chalukyas who were defeated by the Cholas and forced to return to their capital. These recurring conflicts eventually exhausted as both empire, straining their manpower and material, were left vulnerable to other enemies. More than 1,000,000 people were killed due to direct or indirect consequences of the war. The battles were rages on two fronts: the Western Front in which the capture of Manyakheta and Kalyani were the objectives of the Cholas, and the Eastern Front which centered around Vengi which was strategic for both sides. The west saw the heaviest fighting with Rajendra Chola I leading an army of 900,000 and defeating Jayasimha II at the Battle of Maski (1019 CE-1020 CE). On the Eastern Front, Rajendra Chola led Rajaraja Chola I's army in Vengi and expelled the rulers in battle. Vengi was later the site of the coronation of Rajendra Chola's nephew following his victories in the Chola expedition to North India.
Chola conquests in the Chalukyan kingdom
All the Chola–Chalukya battles took place in Southern (early battles) and Central (later battles) Chalukyan country and a few in Vengi which the Cholas dominated until the rise of Ganapati Deva of Kakatiya dynasty.
| Year of the battle (C.E.) | Battle | Present location and district | Chalukyan commander | Chola commander | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 992 | Rattepadi 7 1/2 | Chitradurga district | Sathyashraya | Rajaraja Chola | Chola annexes the region |
| 1008 | Rattepadi 7 1/2 | Chitradurga, Bellary dt's | Sathyashraya | Prince Rajendra Chola "Vidyadharar" (Hottur stone inscription) | |
| 1008 | Banavasi 12,000 | near Hampi-Bellary district | Sathyashraya | Rajendra Chola | |
| 1008 | Raichur 2,000 | Raichur dt | Sathyashraya | Rajendra Chola | |
| 1008 | Gulbarga 7,000 | Gulbarga dt | Sathyashraya | Rajendra Chola | |
| 1008 | Manyakheth(Malgate) | -near Mahagaon-Bidar district | Sathyashraya | Rajendra Chola | "Rajendra with his nine lakh soldiers demolished Manyaketh "(Hoattur inscriptions). Chola won all these battles and rule these areas over the next seven years. |
| 1008 | Toanur on the River Krishna | near Bijapur-Bijapur | Sathyashraya | Rajendra Chola | Chalukyan king killed in this remote battlefield; the Chalukyas move their capital, further away from the overwhelming Chola borders, to Kalyani (in Bidar dt) 92 km North of the destroyed Manyaketh |
| 1015 | Chalukya reclaim Raichur after the Chola army leave for Rajaraja Chola's funeral at Thanjavur. River Tungabhadra become almost a permanent border between the two kingdoms. | ||||
| 1019 | Balagaon | Bijapur dt | King Vikramaditya V and Prince Jayasimha | Chola Governor of Malprabha Region | Chalukya win |
| 1019 | Belgaum | Belgaum dt | Vikramaditya V | Chola Governor of Malprabha Region | Chalukya kill the Chola governor |
| 1020 | Musangi | Raichur dt | Vikramaditya V | King Rajendra Chola | Chola on a rampage over all of South Chalukya. Raichur annexed to Chola empire. |
| 1042 | Gulbarga | Gulbarga dt | Someswara I, Princes Vikramaditya and Vijayaditya | Prince Rajathiraja Chola | Chalukya defeated and Gulbarga annexed. |
| 1045 | Someswara I reclaims Gulbarga and Raichur when the Chola prince is away to visit his ailing father. | ||||
| 1046 | Gambili | Gambili, near Hospet -Bellary dt | Someswara I | Rajathiraja Chola | Chola again conquer Raichur. |
| 1048 | Poondoor on the River Krishna | Gulbarga dt | Someswara I | Rajathiraja Chola | Chola again conquers Gulbarga. |
| 1048 | Mannathi on River Krishna | Gulburga dt | Someswara I | Rajathiraja Chola | |
| 1048 | Kalyani | Bidar dt | Someswara I | Rajathiraja Chola | Chola conquer Kalyani. Chalukyas driven back to their Kunthala hinterland behind the eastern corner of Balaghat Range |
| 1050 | Chalukyan Someswara I reclaims the lost up to Kalyani. | ||||
| 1054 | KoppaThirtham on River Malprabha | 30 km south-east of Kolhapur - Bijapur dt | Someswara I | Rajathiraja Chola | Someswara I advances in a bid to reclaim Gulbarga and Bijapur. Rajathiraja, 54 years old, dies on his elephant ; brother Rajendra II is crowned in the battlefield and leads Cholas to victory ; Chalukyan crown prince Jayasimha killed on the battlefield |
| 1054 | Kolapur | Kolhapur -South Maharashtra | Someswara I | King Rajendra Chola II | The 51-year-old new Chola king conquers Kalyani and Kolhapur, which remain under Chola domination for the next three years. |
| 1059 | Mudakoor on River Krishna | Mudakoor- Gulbarga dt | Someswara I invading Gulbarga, and is driven back | ||
| 1063 | Gulbarga | Gulbarga dt | Prince Vikramaditya | King VeeraRajendra Chola | Chola king visits Gulburga after putting down revolts in Gangapadi - in Raichur and Bellary dt's. Chalukya prince invade Gulburga, but is routed. |
| 1064 | Kollur on River Krishna | West Kurnool dt | Prince Vikramaditya invades on Vengi blocked and driven back by Narendra II and VeeraRajendra Chola. The Chalukya had invaded using the confusion over king RajaNarendra I's sudden demise. | ||
| 1064 | Koodal Sangama on River Krishna meeting the PanchGanga tributaries | near Kidnapur - Bijapur dt | King Someswara I | VeeraRajendra Chola | Chalukyan army destroyed completely. |
| 1066 - | on River Krishna, near Gulbarga | Gulbarga dt | Someswara I | VeeraRajendra Chola | Chalukyan attempt to conquer Gulbarga thwarted. |
| 1067 | Karandhai, north of Kalyani | Karanji River valley -Bidar dt | Chalukyan generals and Kadamba prince | VeeraRajendra Chola | King Someswara I does not turn up for the battle. Enraged Cholas devastate the towns of Kalyani and Karanji. Later it is learnt that Someswara had drowned himself in the River Manjira 15 km northeast of Kalyani. |
| 1067 | Meanwhile, Prince Vikramaditya invades and conquers Vengi and also Chakrakottam (in Bastar district, Madhya Pradesh) | ||||
| 1068 | Vijayawada | Krishna dt | the first and the only Later East Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI | VeeraRajendra,58 yrs | |
| 1068 | Chakrakottam | Bastar dt (Madhya Pradesh) | Vikramaditya VI | VeraRajendra | Chalukya is defeated and driven back to his Kalyani. VeeraRajendra Chola crowns Vijayaditya VII as the new Vengi king. |
| 1068 | After Someswara I's death Vikramaditya's elder brother Someswara II takes to the Chalukyan throne. Vikramaditya and the princes of Kadamba, Nulamba and Gangapadi make truce with VeeraRajendra, and ask for his help to dethrone Someswara II, the tyrant. Chola agrees to help. | ||||
| 1070 | Kuththi | Anantapur dt | Someswara II | VeeraRajendra Chola and Vikramaditya | |
| 1070 | Gambili | near Hospet-Bellary dt | Someswara II | VeeraRajendra Chola | |
| 1070 | Raichur | Raichur dt | Someswara II | VeeraRajendra Chola | VeeraRajendra wins all battles and crowns Vikramaditya as Chalukyan king |
| 1075 | Nangili | Kolar dt | Vikramaditya VI | Kulotunga I | |
| 1075 | Mańali | Tumkur dt | Vikramaditya VI | Kulotunga I | |
| 1075 | Halatthi | ChitraDurga | Vikramaditya VI | Kulotunga I | |
| 1076 | Navila | Bellary dt. | Vikramaditya VI | Kulotunga I | |
| 1076 | --on Tungabhadra River | Raichur dt. | Vikramaditya VI | Kulotunga I | Kulotunga wins all battles, and reclaim up to Raichur. Vikramaditya move north into the North Chalukyan territory of Someswara II, drives him away, and crowns himself king again. |
| 1088 | Chalukya reclaim Raichur and Bellary back. | ||||
| 1098 | Chola conquer Bellary (Gambili) back | ||||
| 1118 | Vikramaditya captures Vengi and Gangapadi after Kulothunga had granted autonomous power to Telugu Chola prince Kanikoen makana Bhima Chola, over these areas | ||||
| 1120 | Vijayawada | Krishna district | Vikramaditya VI | Vikrama Chola | Vikrama Chola reclaims the Vengi kingdom. In the mid 12th century and mid 13th century, the Chalukyas and the Cholas, respectively diminish in power, while the Hoysalas, Kakatiyas and the Later Pandyas encroached upon them |
References
- "Tennaattu Porkalangal" by Ka. Appaturaiyaar
- "VeeraSozhiyam"
- "Kalingattu Parani" by Jayankondaar
- [1] our Karnataka
- Chalukya wiki-Chalukya
- [2] Indian inscriptions, Archaeological Society of India
- "Prabandha-Chintamani" of Merutunga
- Vijnanesvara's " Mitakshara"
- Kirthi Verma's "Govaidya "
- "Ajitapurana and Sahasabhimavijaya" of Ranna
- Bilhana's "Vikramankadeva Charitha"