Govinda III
Encyclopedia
Govinda III was a famous Rashtrakuta
ruler who succeeded his illustrious father Dhruva Dharavarsha
. He was militarily the most successful emperor of the dynasty with successful conquests from Cape Comorin in the south to Kannauj
in the north, from Banaras in the east to Broach
(Bharuch) in the west. He held titles such as Prabhutavarsha, Jagattunga, Anupama, Kirthinarayana, Prithvivallabha, Shrivallabha, Vimaladitya, Atishayadhavala and Tribhuvanadhavala. From the Someshvara inscription of 804 it is known that Gamundabbe was his chief queen.
of Talakad
had joined Kambarasa but after the defeat was imprisoned for a second time while Kambarasa was pardoned and allowed to govern from Gangavadi
.
, Govinda III conducted his northern campaign in 800. He successfully obtained the submission of Gurjara-Pratihara Nagabhata II
, Dharmapala
of Pala Empire
and the incumbent puppet ruler of Kannauj, Chakrayudha. It is said Nagabhata II ran away from the battle field. The Sanjan plates of Govinda III mentions that the horse of Govinda III drank the icy liquid bubbling in the Himalayan stream and his war elephants tasted the holy waters of the Ganges. The rulers of Magadha
and Bengal
also submitted to him. A inscription of 813 states the Govinda III conquered Lata (southern and central Gujarat) and made his brother Indra the ruler of the territory. This in effect became a branch of the Rashtrakuta Empire. However, another opinion is Govinda III had control over the regions between Vindhyas and Malwa in the north to Kanchi in the south, while the heart of his empire extended from the Narmada
to Tungabhadra rivers.
who had taken an antagonistic stand against the Rashtrakutas again had to face the wrath of Govinda III, who defeated Chalukya Vijayaditya II and installed Bhima Salki as its ruler. He further defeated the king of Kaushal
(Kosala) and occupied parts of Andhra and defeated Pallava
Dantivarman in 803 at Kanchi. He even obtained the submission of the King of Ceylon without even going to battle. The King of Ceylon is said to have sent him two statues, one of himself and another of his minister as an act of submission.
Never had the Rashtrakuta Empire reach such levels of military success and zenith of glory. Govinda III died in 814. His brother Indra during this time founded the Gujarat (Lata) branch. He was succeeded by his son Amoghavarsha I.
Rashtrakuta
The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...
ruler who succeeded his illustrious father Dhruva Dharavarsha
Dhruva Dharavarsha
Dhruva was one of greatest ruler of the Rashtrakuta Empire. He ascended the throne after replacing his elder brother Govinda II. Govinda II had become unpopular among his subjects on account of his various misconducts and demeanors as a ruler, including excessive indulgence in sensual pleasure....
. He was militarily the most successful emperor of the dynasty with successful conquests from Cape Comorin in the south to Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
in the north, from Banaras in the east to Broach
Broach
Broach may mean:* to raise a topic/subject for discussion*Broaching , a machining operation that uses a metalworking tool with a series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel...
(Bharuch) in the west. He held titles such as Prabhutavarsha, Jagattunga, Anupama, Kirthinarayana, Prithvivallabha, Shrivallabha, Vimaladitya, Atishayadhavala and Tribhuvanadhavala. From the Someshvara inscription of 804 it is known that Gamundabbe was his chief queen.
Early feud
Though Govinda III became the emperor it was not before having to face some internal family feuds. His elder brother Kambarasa (also known as Stambha) who coveted the throne went to war having formed an alliance of twelve chiefs as written in the Navasari record. Other records like the Sisvayi and Sanjan records mention support to Govinda III from brother Indra and victory against the combined forces of Kambarasa. Shivamara II of Ganga DynastyGanga Dynasty
Ganga Dynasty is a name used for two unrelated dynasties who ruled parts of India:* The Western Ganga Dynasty, a kingdom in southern India, based in southern Karnataka, from the 3rd to the 10th centuries...
of Talakad
Talakad
Talakad is a desert-like town on the left bank of the Kaveri river at a spot where the river makes a sharp bend. It is 45 km from Mysore and 133 km from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. A historic site, Talakad once had over 30 temples that today are buried in sand. Now it is a scenic...
had joined Kambarasa but after the defeat was imprisoned for a second time while Kambarasa was pardoned and allowed to govern from Gangavadi
Mysore State
The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...
.
Capture of Kannauj
From his capital in Mayurkhandi in Bidar districtBidar District
Bidar is a district of Karnataka state in southern India. The historic city of Bidar is the administrative centre of the district. The district is located in the northeastern corner of the state, near the borders with Andhra Pradesh to the east and Maharashtra to the north and west...
, Govinda III conducted his northern campaign in 800. He successfully obtained the submission of Gurjara-Pratihara Nagabhata II
Nagabhata II
Nagabhata II ascended the throne of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty after his father Vatsaraja. His mother was queen Sundari-Devi. He was designated with imperial titles - Paramabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, and Paramesvara after conquest of Kannauj.-Reign:Nagabhata II finds a mention in the Gwalior...
, Dharmapala
Dharmapala of Bengal
Dharama Pala was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal region in the Indian Subcontinent. He was the son and succeessor of Gopala , the founder of the Pala Dynasty. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the Pala Empire founded by his father and made the Palas the most dominant power in...
of Pala Empire
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...
and the incumbent puppet ruler of Kannauj, Chakrayudha. It is said Nagabhata II ran away from the battle field. The Sanjan plates of Govinda III mentions that the horse of Govinda III drank the icy liquid bubbling in the Himalayan stream and his war elephants tasted the holy waters of the Ganges. The rulers of Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
and Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
also submitted to him. A inscription of 813 states the Govinda III conquered Lata (southern and central Gujarat) and made his brother Indra the ruler of the territory. This in effect became a branch of the Rashtrakuta Empire. However, another opinion is Govinda III had control over the regions between Vindhyas and Malwa in the north to Kanchi in the south, while the heart of his empire extended from the Narmada
Narmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
to Tungabhadra rivers.
Southern conquests
The Eastern ChalukyasEastern Chalukyas
Eastern Chalukyas were a South Indian dynasty whose kingdom was located in the present day Andhra Pradesh. Their capital was Vengi and their dynasty lasted for around 500 years from the 7th century until c. 1130 C.E. when the Vengi kingdom merged with the Chola empire...
who had taken an antagonistic stand against the Rashtrakutas again had to face the wrath of Govinda III, who defeated Chalukya Vijayaditya II and installed Bhima Salki as its ruler. He further defeated the king of Kaushal
Kaushal
The word Kaushal in Devnagri thesaurus means clever, perfect orskillful. Kaushal means "Excellence".Kaushal is also used as a name in parts of India and Nepal....
(Kosala) and occupied parts of Andhra and defeated Pallava
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
Dantivarman in 803 at Kanchi. He even obtained the submission of the King of Ceylon without even going to battle. The King of Ceylon is said to have sent him two statues, one of himself and another of his minister as an act of submission.
Never had the Rashtrakuta Empire reach such levels of military success and zenith of glory. Govinda III died in 814. His brother Indra during this time founded the Gujarat (Lata) branch. He was succeeded by his son Amoghavarsha I.