Vemulawada Chalukyas

The Vemulawada Chalukyas (753 CE - 973 CE) were a powerful regional dynasty of Telangana who rose as feudatories of the Rashtrakutas after the fall of the Badami Chalukyas. Their rule extended from Podananadu (Bodhan, Nizamabad) to Sabbinadu (Vemulawada, Karimnagar) between the 7th and 10th centuries CE. They claimed solar descent (unlike most Chalukya branches who traced lunar lineage) and became renowned patrons of literature, temple architecture, and Jainism, alongside Shaivism.

Founder : Vinayaditya Yudhamalla I 

Capitals

Primary Capital: Vemulawada (in present-day Karimnagar district, Telangana). It was their spiritual and administrative heartland, famous for the Sri Raja Rajeshwara (Shaiva) Temple.
Secondary Capitals: Bodhan (in Nizamabad district, Telangana) and Gangadhara (identified with modern Gangapuram in Telangana or a site near Vemulawada). The dynasty is often associated with the Podana (Bodhan) region.

Geographical Area (Core Territory)

The dynasty's core power base was in the Telangana region of the modern Indian state of Telangana. Their kingdom was situated between the powerful Rashtrakuta Empire to the west and the Vengi Chalukya kingdom to the east.
Core Region: They ruled the fertile areas of Sabbinadu (Karimnagar region) and Podananadu(Bodhan/Nizamabad region).
Zone of Influence: At their peak under kings like Arikesari II (c. 930-955 CE), they controlled much of present-day Telangana and parts of northern Andhra Pradesh, challenging the Vengi Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas.

Important Rulers

Vinayaditya Yudhamalla I (c. 750–775 CE) – Founder; allied with Rashtrakuta Dantidurga in 753 CE; developed Podana (Bodhan).
Arikesari I (c. 775–800 CE) – Moved capital to Vemulawada; supported Rashtrakuta Dhruva in Vengi wars.
Baddega I (c. 850–895 CE) – Title Solada-ganda; victorious in 42 battles; defeated Eastern Chalukya Bhima I in 892 CE; temple builder and Jain patron.
Narasimha II (c. 915–930 CE) – Rashtrakuta general; married into Rashtrakuta royal family; defeated Gurjara-Pratihara Mahipala; extended campaigns to Malava and Lata.
Arikesari II (c. 930–958 CE) – Golden Age ruler; patron of poet Pampa (Vikramarjuna Vijaya); associated with 945 CE Bommalagutta Telugu inscription.
Arikesari III (c. 965–973 CE) – Last ruler; issued Parbhani plates (966 CE) and Repaka inscription (968 CE); dynasty ended with rise of Kalyani Chalukyas.

Key Historical Significance

Played a decisive role in the fall of Badami Chalukyas (753 CE) in alliance with Rashtrakuta Dantidurga.
Established Vemulawada as a major political and cultural hub, shifting from the earlier capital Bodhan.
Gave patronage to Kannada poet Pampa, who composed Vikramarjuna Vijaya in honor of Arikesari II.
Left behind rich inscriptions (Kollipara, Vemulawada, Parbhani, Kurikyala/Bommalagutta) which illuminate political history, temple-building, and early Telugu literature.
Flourished as a center of Jainism with patronage to monks like Somadevasuri and institutions like Subhadharma Jinalaya.

Chronology of Key Events 

753 CE – Rashtrakuta Dantidurga defeats Kirtivarman II of Badami; Vinayaditya Yudhamalla I supports him and establishes independence in Podana (Bodhan).
780s CE – Arikesari I aids Rashtrakuta Dhruva in Vengi campaign against Vishnuvardhana IV.
892 CE – Battle of Kunala (near Kolleru lake): Baddega I defeats and captures Eastern Chalukya Bhima I, though Bhima later escapes with Mudigonda Chalukya help.
930–933 CE – Arikesari II supports Rashtrakuta nobles in dethroning Govinda IV and installing Amoghavarsha III.
945 CE – Bommalagutta (Kurikyala) inscription records Telugu Kanda padyas by Jain scholar Jinavallabha — earliest known Telugu poetry.
966 CE – Parbhani copper plates record Jaina grants under Arikesari III.
968 CE – Repaka inscription mentions donations to Jain temples during Arikesari III’s reign.
973 CE – Rashtrakuta power collapses; Tailapa II of Kalyani Chalukyas absorbs Vemulawada Chalukya territories.

1. Rulers 

1. Satyasraya Ranavikrama (c. 641–660 CE)

Early subordinate of Badami Chalukya Pulakesin II.
Based at Kuravagatta (near Alampur)
Mentioned in Podana inscriptions.
Marks the beginning of Chalukya presence in Telangana.

2. Prithvipati (c. 660–700 CE)

Son of Ranavikrama.
Based at Kuravagatta (near Alampur)

672 CE : Kollapur plates : Prithvipati Raja is identified as a significant local subordinate or feudatory of the Badami Chalukya emperor, Vikramaditya I. The Kollapur plates explicitly state that the land grant in Kottatta-sima was made by the Emperor at the request of Prithvipati Raja.

3. Baladitya Maharaja (c. 700–725 CE)

Successor of Prithvipati.

Based at Kuravagatta (near Alampur)
Baladitya-maharaja: A key feudatory managing Ramapuram (Waddepalle), issuing grants for local scholars.
713 CE : Bala-varmarasa: Administered Alampur, overseeing temple mathas and constructing the Sri-vagilu (Main Gateways).

4. Rajaditya (c. 725–750 CE)

Predecessor of Vinayaditya.
Transitional ruler.

5. Vinayaditya Yudhamalla I (c. 750–775 CE) – Founder of independent line

Established independence after helping Rashtrakuta Dantidurga overthrow Badami Chalukyas in 753 CE.
Capital: Podana (Bodhan, Nizamabad).
Built tanks, forts, and civic works at Podana.
Known as Vijayaditya, Yudhamalla.
Strengthened Podananadu as a power center.

credited with clearing the forests of the Sapadalaksha region (Karimnagar/Nizamabad) to establish agriculture and settle the land.

6. Arikesari I (c. 775–800 CE)

Son of Vinayaditya.
Shifted capital to Vemulawada (Karimnagar).
Assisted Rashtrakuta Dhruva Dharavarsha in Vengi campaign (780s CE).
Rewarded with parts of Trikalinga and Vengi.
Expanded into Sabbinadu (Karimnagar).

795 CE: Prince Viragriha son of Vinayaditya of the Chalukya family

Kuruvagatta, Nagar-Kurnool : It records the exploits of Biragriha (also spelled Viragriha), the son of Vinayaditya (Yuddhamalla I).

7. Narasimha I (c. 800–825 CE)

Consolidated power in Telangana.
Maintained loyalty to Rashtrakutas.

8. Yudhamalla II (c. 825–850 CE)

Maintained feudatory status under Rashtrakutas.
Strengthened Podana–Vemulawada as twin capitals.

9. Baddega I (Solada-ganda) (c. 850–895 CE)

Most powerful early ruler.  lord of Sapadalaksha ‘one and a quarter lakh’ region
Won 42 battles; earned title Solada-ganda.
892 CE – Defeated Eastern Chalukya Bhima I at Kunala (near Kolleru Lake).
Patron of both Shaivism and Jainism.
Built Baddagesvara temple (later Bhimesvara temple, Vemulawada).
Established Subhadharma Jinalaya for Jain monk Somadeva the head of Gauda-sangha.
Inscriptions: Vemulawada, Karimnagar region.

10. Yudhamalla III (c. 895–915 CE)

Successor of Baddega I.
Ruled during relative peace.
Continued as Rashtrakuta vassal.

11. Narasimha II (c. 915–930 CE)

Married Lokambika (Jakavve), sister of Rashtrakuta Indra III.
Aided Indra III’s campaigns:
Defeated Gurjara-Pratihara Mahipala.
Conquered Malava, Lata, Kalapriya regions.
His reign shows northern campaign achievements as Rashtrakuta general.

This ruler achieved significant fame by defeating seven kings of Malava and repelling the Gurjara army. Most notably, he is said to have reached the Kalapriya mount (often identified with Kalpi on the Yamuna river) to set up a pillar of victory.

12. Arikesari II (c. 930–958 CE) – Golden Age

Married Revakanirmadi, daughter of Rashtrakuta Indra III.
Supported Amoghavarsha III’s succession after ousting Govinda IV (930–933 CE).
Patron of Pampa, court poet, who wrote Vikramarjuna Vijaya (Adipurana Mahakavya).

940 CE : Baddega Son of Gunagarasa of the Chalukya family and a subordinate of Arikesari-arasa

Chennur Inscription (c. 941 CE) : Mentions the Vemulawada Chalukya king Arikesari II providing shelter to Vijayaditya, a Mudigonda Chalukya king, and granting him the Chennur area.
945 CE – Bommalagutta inscription: Jain poet Jinavallabha (Pampa’s brother) composes earliest Telugu padyas.
Encouraged Shaiva, Jain, and Kannada-Telugu literary culture.

946 CE : Karimnagar inscription saka 868. Arikesari II granted fifty mattars of wetland in the village of Aripanapalli.

Protected Bijja against Govindaraja;

The presence of witnesses from four major temples—Rajesvara, Adityagriha, Baddegesvara, and Nagaresvara—along with the merchant guild led by Chandra Sreshthin, confirms that this was a public, legally binding act witnessed by the entire socio-economic leadership of Lembulavataka (Vemulawada).

13. Vagaraja (c. 958–960 CE)

Ruled from Gangadhara.
Patron of Jain scholar Somadevasuri, author of Yasastilaka Champu.
Short reign but significant for Jain literature.

14. Bhadradeva / Baddega II (c. 960–965 CE)

Ruled from Vemulawada.
Patron of Jainism; built temples at Bommalagutta.
Continued literary patronage.

15. Arikesari III (c. 965–973 CE) – Last ruler

Vassal under Rashtrakuta Krishna III.
966 CE – Parbhani plates record grants to Jain monks.
968 CE – Repaka inscription records Jain temple endowments in Atukuru-70 in Pammi-12
Patron of Jinavallabha (brother of Pampa).A lineage of Jaina devotees is listed as the holders of the Atukuru and Pammi fiefs, including members like Kama, Rama, Tukkaya, Revana, Punyarama, and Kommayya.
Dynasty collapsed with Rashtrakutas (973 CE); absorbed by Kalyani Chalukyas under Taila II.

2. Administration

Ruled as Rashtrakuta vassals, often acting as key military allies in Deccan campaigns.
Governed regions like Podana, Sabbinadu, Repaka.
Maintained feudatories and granted agraharas and Jaina mathas, evidenced by inscriptions.
Economy and Trade
Irrigation tanks and fortresses like Chitrakuta developed.
Podana and Vemulawada emerged as urban centers with craft, trade, and religious endowments.
Donations to Jain and Shaiva temples indicate surplus agrarian wealth and mercantile patronage.

3. Society

Religious pluralism:
Shaivism (Rajeshwara temple, Vemulawada).
Jainism (Subhadharma Jinalaya, Bommalagutta inscription).
Interaction of Telugu, Kannada, and Sanskrit in inscriptions, reflecting a multicultural court.
Marriage alliances with Rashtrakutas reinforced political standing.

4. Art and Culture

Vemulawada Rajeshwara temple (Shaiva) and Jain basadis.
Patronage of poets:
Pampa (Vikramarjuna Vijaya) at Arikesari II’s court.
Jinavallabha (Pampa’s brother), earliest extant Telugu Kanda padyas at Bommalagutta (945 CE).
Flourished as a literary hub of Deccan, blending Kannada and Telugu traditions.

5. Foreign Relations

Strong vassalage to Rashtrakutas; played roles in wars in Vengi, Malwa, Lata, and Gujarat.
Conflict and shifting alliances with Eastern Chalukyas (Vengi).
Engagements with Pratiharas and local feudatories in Telangana.

6. Achievements and Legacy

Elevated Telangana into a vibrant political and cultural zone under Rashtrakuta hegemony.
Preserved inscriptions that are crucial for reconstructing early Telugu literary history.
Their fall (973 CE) marked the transition to the Kalyani Chalukyas, but their cultural legacy continued through temples and Jain texts.

7. Chronology, Dating and Inscriptions

Kollipara copper plates of Arikesari I – early genealogy, claims of Vinayaditya’s conquests.
Kuruvagatta inscription (c. 9th century) – exploits of prince Viragriha, links with Rashtrakuta Dhruva.
Vemulawada rock inscription (Arikesari II) – Pampa’s patronage.
Kurikyala/Bommalagutta inscription (945 CE) – earliest Telugu poetic verses.
Parbhani copper plates (966 CE) – Jain temple grants of Arikesari III.

8. Successor States / Vassals

Dynasty ended with Arikesari III (973 CE) when overthrown by Taila II of the Kalyani Chalukyas.
Some feudatory lineages, like the Mudigonda Chalukyas, continued in Telangana as local powers.

Chalukyas of L(v)emulavada by N Venkataramanayya
The early history of the Deccan -- Ghulam Yazdani