Rashtrakuta dynasty ruled portions of southern India between 700-1300 AD with present-day Karnataka as their base.
They dominated Deccan India and Northern Maharashtra and fought with Gurajara-Pratiharas of Kannauj for the overlordship of northern Gangetic plains.
Rashtrakutas were contemporaries of the Gurjara-Pratiharas and Pala dynasties but of the three, their rule lasted the longest.
Read this to learn more about the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, its rulers, and its administration of Deccan India.
Founder of Rashtrakuta Dynasty
Dantidurga was the founder of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. Not much is known about his racial or ethnic origins but possibilities include him belonging to ethnic groups like Kannadigas, Reddis, the Marathas, and the tribes from the Punjab-Haryana region.
Dantidurga made his initial base and capital in the Gulbarga region of Karnataka. Some suggest that it was at Manykhet or Malkhed near modern Solapur. By 750 AD Dantidurga had brought Madhya Pradesh and Southern Gujarat under his control.
As per an inscription at Ellora, he defeated the Chalukyas in 753 AD and took the titles of Rajadhiraja (King of Kings) and Parameshvara (God).
His uncle Krishna I succeeded him as the next ruler of the region and extended the Rashtrakuta empire to all of Karnataka.
Capital of Rashtrakutas
The capital of the Rashtrakuta Empire was Manyakheta (present-day Malkhed or Malkheda) in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka.
From here, Rashtrakutas governed a large territory that stretched from southern Gujarat to Karnataka.
Different Rashtrakuta kings decorated Manyakheta with magnificent forts, palaces, temples, markets, etc.
During the heydays of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, it remained one of the greatest royal capital cities of South India.
However, during a tri-partite attack on the Rashtrakutas in 972 AD, the Cholas, Chalukyas, and Pallavas brutally burnt, sacked, and completely destroyed this great city of enormous beauty and splendor.
Rashtrakuta Administration
The administrative apparatus of the Rashtrakuta empire was largely modeled on the principles of the Gupta empire.
Moreover, they also took some inspiration from Harsha’s kingdom in the north and the Chalukyas in the Deccan.
Rashtrakuta Kings adopted divine titles like Maharajadhiraja (King of kings), Parameshvara (God), Parambhattaraka (protector of Brahmins), Chakravartin (universal ruler), etc.
The Empire was divided into several provinces which were called Rashtra. Visaya was the modern district and Bhukti was the smaller unit.
In the Pala and Pratihara empires, the units below the Visaya were called Pattala.
Also Read| Pala Dynasty: The Great Patrons of Buddhism in India
Important Administrative Posts
| King: Maharajadhiraja |
| Chief of the Armed Forces- Senapati |
| Provinces- Rashtra |
| Districts- Visaya |
| Sub-Districts- Bhukti |
| Below-Sub-Districts- Pattala |
| Governor- Rashtrapati |
| Head of a District- Visayapati |
| Smaller Chieftains- Samants or Bhogapatis |
| Village Headman- Gavundas, Grama Mahajana or Gram Mahattara |
| Police Commissioner- Koshta pala or kotwal |
| Revenue Officers- Nad Gavundas or Desa Gramakutas |
| Royal Household- Antahpur |
| Court Priest- Purohita |
Hereditary system
Rashtrakuta kings took the advice of several ministers in matters of governance and polity. The ministers were chosen by the king, generally from leading Brahmanical families and their positions were often hereditary.
This was true in all other contemporary dynasties as well. For instance, in the case of the Pala kings, we hear that a brahmana family supplied four successive chief ministers to King Dharmapala and his successors.
The posts of revenue officers called Nad Gavundas or Desa Gramakutas were also hereditary and held often by Brahmins.
They discharged the same functions as the deshmukhs and deshpandes of later times in Maharashtra.
As the power of these hereditary elements grew, the village committees became weaker. Sometimes, even the ruler found it difficult to impose his authority and writ over them.
Eventually, this led to the growth of feudalism and the weakening of the Rashtrakuta empire.
Important Rulers of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty
Some greatest rulers of the Rashtrakuta dynasty were Dantidurga (735-756 AD), Govinda III (793-814 AD), Amoghavarsha (814-878 AD), and Krishna III (939-967 AD).
Dantidurga
He was the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. He defeated the Chalukyas in 753 AD and brought Madhya Pradesh and Southern Gujarat under his effective control.
Govinda III
He made a successful excursion against the Nagabhatta of Kannauj and annexed Malwa.
Amogvarsha
Amogvarsha was by disposition more inclined to religion and literature than war and conquest. He is said to have been deeply influenced by Jainism but also honored Brahmins.
During his 64 years long rule, he rebuilt the great capital city of Manyakhet.
He was also an accomplished writer and is credited with writing the first Kannada book on poetics.
Indra III
Indra III was the grandson of Amogvarsha. He was perhaps the greatest ruler of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
According to contemporary Arab traveler Al-Masudi, Indra III was also the most powerful ruler of India in those times. He possessed large armies that consisted of innumerable elephants and horses.
Krishna III
He launched a campaign against the Chola ruler of Tanjore. Later, he defeated the Chola King Parantaka I in 949 AD and annexed the northern part of the Chola empire.
Significant Events
War with Pratiharas
Rashtrakutas engaged in constant warfare with the Pratiharas for the overlordship of Gujarat and Malwa as we have seen above.
Also Read: Gurjara Pratihara Dynasty: The Legendary Gujjar Empire
Invasion of North India
Rashtrakutas launched several attacks on North India. But they were unable to bring Ganga valley under their effective control. These raids, however, brought them rich plunder and fame.
Siege of Kannauj
In 915 AD Rashtrakuta ruler, Indra III attacked the Pratiharas of Kannauj. King Mahipala I abandoned his position and fled.
As a result, the city fell to Rashtrakutas without much bloodshed. They still sacked and completely destroyed the beautiful city of Kannauj.
Annexation of Malwa
Rashtrakuta king Govinda III annexed Malwa in 800 AD during his raid over North India and against Pratiharas and Paramaras.
After the conquest of Malwa, Govinda III forced the Paramaras to rule as vassals of the Rashtrakutas.
Invasion of Sri-Lanka
Rashtrakutas under Govinda III invaded Sri Lanka. In a sanguine battle, the Lankan army was routed and the Lankan King and his ministers were captured and brought over as prisoners to Halapur.
Rashtrakutas also carried two statues of the chief deity of Lanka to the Rashtrakuta capital Manyakhet and installed them like pillars of victory in front of a Shiva temple.
War with Chalukyas, Pallavas and Pandyas
The Rashtrakutas fought against the eastern Chalukyas of Vengi (Modern Andhra Pradesh) and in the south against the Pallavas of Kanchi and the Pandyas at Madurai.
According to an inscription, Govinda terrified the Kerala, Pandya, and the Chola kings and caused the Pallavas to wither. The Gangas of Karnataka, who became dissatisfied through baseness, were bound down with fetters and executed.
Bloody War of Successions
The Rashtrakuta empire had no rigidly fixed rules about succession. Usually, the eldest son succeeded as the next king after the death of his father under the customary principle of primogeniture.
However, there are many instances when the eldest son had to fight his younger brothers and vice versa in a bloody war of succession.
For instance, the Rashtrakuta rulers Dhruva and Govinda IV had deposed their elder brothers.
The Decline of the Rashtrakuta Empire
After the death of Krishna III, the Rashtrakuta empire witnessed a decline due to weak and incapable successors.
In 972 AD, Cholas, Chalukyas, and Pallavas launched a united campaign against the Rashtrakutas.
The Rashtrakuta capital Manyakheta fell soon and it was thoroughly looted, sacked, and burnt by the victors. This marked the end of the Rashtrakuta empire.
Also Read: Chola Dynasty: A Powerful Empire that Conquered the Far East
Important Personalities
Al-Masudi
Al-Masudi was an Arab traveler and scholar who visited the Rashtrakuta empire during the reign of Indra III.
According to Masudi the Rashtrakuta king, Balhara or Vallabharaja was the greatest king of India and most of the Indian rulers accepted his suzerainty and respected his envoys.
Medhatithi
Medhatithi was a radical thinker and Brahmin scholar who lived during the Rashtrakuta times. He vehemently advocated for the right to bear arms.
He propounded that it was the right of an individual to bear arms to defend himself against thieves and assassins.
Medhatithi also thought that it was the right of citizens to oppose an unjust king. This shows that the extreme view of royal rights and privileges advocated by the Brahmanical Puranas was not accepted by all the thinkers of those times.
He also talked about the separation of state and religion. According to him, the ideals of public duty or Rajdharma were to be based on the principles of politics derived from both Arthshastra and Dharmashastra and not religion alone.
Svayambhu
Svayambhu was a great poet who wrote in Apabhramsha languages. According to Satish Chandra, he and his son probably lived at the Rashtrakuta court.
Chandrobalabbe
She was a Rashtrakuta princess and daughter of Amoghavarsha I.
Though women were rarely appointed to administrative posts in a significant departure from traditions she was made the governor of the Raichur doab for some time.
Art and Culture
Rashtrakuta rulers were patrons and admirers of art and culture.
They have left their indelible marks on art, architecture, and culture during their long reign that lasted for over two hundred years, till the end of the tenth century.
Language
Rashtrakutas patronized both Sanskrit and Kannada. According to Scholars they made the Kannada language as important as Brahmanical Sanskrit.
Further, Rashtrakuta king Amogvarsha wrote the first Kannada book on Poetics.
Though Rashtrakutas were Kannadigas, they were also well-versed in the Deccani language of Maharashtra.
In addition to Sanskrit and Kannada scholars, they also supported poets and others who wrote in Prakrit and the Apabhramsha much to the displeasure of Brahmins.
Though Brahmins called them corrupt languages they were the forerunners of the many modern Indian languages like Marathi, Hindi, Rajasthani, Punjabi, etc.
Religious views
Scholarly opinions and historical records suggest that Rashtrakuta rulers, in general, were tolerant in their religious views.
In terms of Indic regions, they patronized not only Brahmanical sects like Shaivism and Vaishnavism but also Jainism and Buddhism.
Though Brahmins did not dominate the king or interfere in political affairs, religion remained important for legitimizing and strengthening the position of the rulers.
Rashtrakuta kings, therefore, did not hesitate in building grand Brahmanical temples and giving handsome donations, gifts, and land grants to Brahmins.
On the insistence of Brahmins, the Rahtrakuta kings also honored the general duty of protecting Brahmans and maintaining the division of society into four states or varnas.
According to Medhatithi, the public duties of the king were to be derived from both Dharmashastras and the political treatise Arthashastra.
Rashtrakutas and Muslims
When it came to Islam, the Rashtrakuta kings welcomed Muslims and allowed Muslim traders to settle and propagate Islam in their dominions.
As per Satish Chandra, Muslims had their own headman and had large Friday mosques for their daily prayers in many of the coastal towns in the Rashtrakuta empire.
According to Al-Masudi, Muslim settlers married local women and their children were known as Mappilas or Moplahs who were actively involved in the horse trade and manning shipping fleets.
This tolerant policy helped to promote foreign trade which enriched the Rashtrakutas, writes Satish Chandra.
Education and Caste System
Only Kshatriyas and Brahmin children were admitted to Vedic schools. The children of the Vaishya and Shudra castes were not allowed to study in these schools.
Capital punishment was widespread but Kshatriyas and Brahmins were exempted from it even when found guilty of heinous crimes. Only Vaishyas, Shudras, and Chandalas were frequently given death sentences and sometimes even for small crimes.
The taxation system was also regressive and based on the caste system. The tax burden disproportionately fell on Vaishya and Shudras.
Whereas the farmers, landowners, and tenants paid a variety of taxes, including land taxes, produce taxes, and payment of the overhead for maintenance of the Gavunda (village headmen), Brahmins and their temple institutions were taxed at a much lower rate.
Intercaste functions were rare and people of different castes did not dine together, writes Anant Sadashiv Altekar in The Rashtrakutas and their Times.
Also Read| Gupta Empire: The Golden Age of India or Caste System?
Condition of Women
According to Arab travelers, women did not cover their faces in the Rashtrakuta empire. They also witnessed women attending the royal darbar on festive occasions.
However, women were denied political participation. They were not appointed to administrative posts. One rare exception was princess Chandrobalabbe, the daughter of King Amoghavarsha who governed the Raichur Doab.
Rashtrakuta Architecture
Rashtrakutas are well known for constructing some famous palaces and temples throughout their empire and particularly at their capital Manyakheta.
Notable amongst these is the famous rock-cut temple of Siva at Ellora. Rashtrakuta king Krishna I built it in the ninth century.
Some famous Rashtrakuta era temples include the Kashivishvanatha temple and Jain Narayana temple at Pattadakal, Karnataka.
Positive Side
The positive sides of the Rashtrakuta rule in India include-
- Rashtrakutas unified the Deccan and Southern India and thus provided security and political stability for trade and commerce to flourish.
- Established robust trade networks with Arabs and the West.
- Rashtrakuta rulers were tolerant of their religious beliefs.
- They patronized art, culture, and literature.
- Women did not cover their faces and attended the royal Darbar.
Negative Sides
Some negative aspects of the Rashtrakuta rule in India include-
- Positions of both the post of King and ministers were hereditary.
- Objectification of women as dancing girls and musicians in the royal court.
- Large land grants to Brahmins and temples led to the rise of feudalism and oppression of the peasantry.
(Edited by Mirror Web Desk)