BharatNotes What is the Chalukya Dynasty?
The Chalukyas were a major Deccan dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and 12th centuries CE. The line was founded by Pulakeshin I around 543 CE, who established the capital at Vatapi (modern Badami in Karnataka's Bagalkot district). Over time the dynasty branched into three related lineages, each ruling from a different base. The Chalukyas are best remembered for their patronage of temple architecture and for resisting both northern and southern rivals.
The Three Branches
| Branch | Capital | Approx. period | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Badami (Vatapi) Chalukyas | Vatapi / Badami | c. 543–753 CE | Original line; founded by Pulakeshin I |
| Eastern Chalukyas | Vengi | c. 624–1070 CE | Founded by Kubja Vishnuvardhana, brother of Pulakeshin II |
| Western Chalukyas | Kalyani (Basavakalyan) | c. 973/975–1189 CE | Later revival of the Chalukya line in the Deccan |
The Badami line was the parent dynasty; the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi split off when Pulakeshin II appointed his brother as viceroy of the eastern Deccan, and the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani rose centuries later as a separate power.
Pulakeshin II and the Aihole Inscription
The greatest Badami ruler was Pulakeshin II (r. c. 610–642 CE). His most celebrated achievement was halting the northern emperor Harshavardhana at the river Narmada (c. 618–619 CE). This and his other conquests are recorded in the Aihole inscription, a Sanskrit eulogy composed by the Jain poet Ravikirti and dated 634–635 CE, located at the Meguti Jain temple in Aihole — a key primary source for the period. Pulakeshin II's reign ended when the Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman I invaded and sacked Vatapi (c. 642 CE), in which the Chalukya king is believed to have been killed.
Architecture: The Vesara Style
The Chalukyas are credited with developing the Vesara style — a hybrid blending the North Indian Nagara (curvilinear shikhara) and South Indian Dravidian (pyramidal vimana) traditions. Their temple-building unfolded across three sites in Karnataka:
- Aihole — an early experimental centre (e.g., Ladkhan, Durga temples)
- Badami — rock-cut cave temples
- Pattadakal — the mature culmination, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1987)
At Pattadakal, the Virupaksha temple was built around 740 CE by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her husband Vikramaditya II's victory over the Pallavas.
Decline
The Badami Chalukyas were finally overthrown in 753 CE, when the Rashtrakuta ruler Dantidurga defeated the last significant Badami king, Kirtivarman II, ending the parent dynasty's dominance. The Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi survived into the 11th century, and the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani sustained Chalukya power in the Deccan until the late 12th century before yielding to the Hoysalas, Yadavas and Kakatiyas.
UPSC relevance: Foundational Art & Culture topic — underpins recurring questions on temple architecture styles (Nagara/Dravidian/Vesara), the Aihole inscription as a primary source, and Deccan dynastic chronology (Chalukya–Pallava–Rashtrakuta rivalries).
