Krishna III
Encyclopedia
Krishna III, whose Kannada name was Kannara (939–967 CE), was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty
of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring back the glory of the Rashtrakutas and played an important role in rebuilding the Rashtrakuta Empire. He patronised the famous Kannada poets Sri Ponna
, who wrote Shanti purana, Gajankusha, also known as Narayana, who wrote on erotics, and the Apabhramsha
poet Pushpadanta who wrote Mahapurana and other writings. His queen was a Chedi
princess and his daughter Bijjabbe was married to a Western Ganga
prince. During his rule he held titles such as Akalavarsha, Maharajadhiraja, Parameshvara, Paramamaheshvara, Shri Prithvivallabha etc. At his peak, he ruled a vast empire stretching from the Narmada
river in the north to the Kaveri river delta in the south. A copper grant of 993 issued by the Shilahara king of Thana claims the Rashtrakuta control extended from the Himalayas in the north to Ceylon in the south and from the eastern sea to the western seas. The grant states that when Emperor Krishna III mobilised his armies, the kings of Chola, Bengal
, Kannauj
, Andhra and Pandya regions used to quiver.
the king of the Gangavadi
territory. He invaded the territory of Gurjara Prathihara and captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjara regions. He even defeated his own family relations, the Chedi of Tripuri
who had turned against the Rashtrakutas. Later he invaded the southern Deccan and recaptured Kolar
and Dharmapuri
from the Banas
and Vaidumbas who had given shelter to Govinda IV
due to his matrimonial relations with the Cholas. Though he initially may have experienced setbacks, Tondaimandalam (northern Tamil regions) was secured by 949–950 AD. He boasts of capturing Kanchi and Tanjore and claims to have killed Rajaditya Chola
. On the other hand his feudatory Butuga II confesses to having shamelessly killed Rajaditya in his inscriptions.
The Atagur inscriptions of Krishna III and Butuga II reveal the details of how Rajaditya was treacherously murdered. The inscription is in two parts; the principal portion belonging to Krishna III mentions the Saka date 872 (949–950 AD) while the subsidiary belongs to Butuga II. Here is an excerpt:
The subsidiary engraved on the same slab and belonging to Butuga II throws some more light on the incident:
Historian John Faithfull Fleet of Archaeological Survey of India
(1894–1900) decisively says that pretended overtures of peace were made and that Rajaditya was stabbed at a meeting between him and Butuga.
s had captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjar. This prompted Krishna III to send his Western Ganga feudatory Marasimha, son of Buthuga II, to retrieve the lost areas. Marasimha defeated the Gurjara Prathihara and the Paramara ruler Harsha Siyaka of Malwa. The northernmost Kannada inscription of the Rashtrakutas, dated about 964 is the Jura record (near Jabalpur) in present-day Madhya Pradesh
. The details of these victories are inscribed in this inscription.
At his peak, Krishna III ruled an empire that extended from Narmada
river in the north and stretched south covering large parts of present-day northern Tamil Nadu
in the south. The Prathihara, the Paramara
, the Seuna
(ruled by Vaddiga) and the northern Kalachuri
were his feudatories in the northern Deccan and central India.
His enmity towards the end of his rule with the northern Kalachuri of Tripuri proved fatal to the empire. Krishna III was also perhaps reckless in giving large fiefs (land grants) to his commanders. He gave the province of Tardavadi (present day Bijapur district) sometime before 965 to Tailapa II
his Chalukya feudatory right in the heart of his empire. This later turned out to be to the Rashtrakutas' undoing.
Rashtrakuta Dynasty
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...
of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring back the glory of the Rashtrakutas and played an important role in rebuilding the Rashtrakuta Empire. He patronised the famous Kannada poets Sri Ponna
Sri Ponna
Sri Ponna was a Kannada poet in the court of Rashtrakuta Dynasty king Krishna III . The emperor honoured Ponna with the title "emperor among poets" for his domination of the Kannada literary circles of the time, and the title "imperial poet of two languages" for his command over Sanskrit as well...
, who wrote Shanti purana, Gajankusha, also known as Narayana, who wrote on erotics, and the Apabhramsha
Apabhramsha
Apabhraṃśa is a term used by Sanskrit grammarians since Patañjali to refer to dialects that deviate from the norm of Sanskrit grammar. The term in Sanskrit literally means "corrupt" or "non-grammatical language". It is used as a cover term for the dialects forming the transition between the late...
poet Pushpadanta who wrote Mahapurana and other writings. His queen was a Chedi
Chedi Kingdom
Chedi kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled during early periods by Paurava kings and later by Yaduvanshi Rajput kings in the central and western India. It falls roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna and along river Betwa or Vetravati...
princess and his daughter Bijjabbe was married to a Western Ganga
Gangas
The Western Ganga Dynasty was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India. They are known as Western Gangas to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over modern Orissa...
prince. During his rule he held titles such as Akalavarsha, Maharajadhiraja, Parameshvara, Paramamaheshvara, Shri Prithvivallabha etc. At his peak, he ruled a vast empire stretching 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...
river in the north to the Kaveri river delta in the south. A copper grant of 993 issued by the Shilahara king of Thana claims the Rashtrakuta control extended from the Himalayas in the north to Ceylon in the south and from the eastern sea to the western seas. The grant states that when Emperor Krishna III mobilised his armies, the kings of Chola, 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...
, 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...
, Andhra and Pandya regions used to quiver.
Southern invasion
He killed the Western Ganga ruler Rachamalla II and made his brother-in-law Butuga IIButuga II
Buguta II became the ruler of the Western Ganga Dynasty after his elder brother Rachamalla III.-Relations with Rashtrakutas:In order to ascend the throne he had to first seek help from the Rashtrakutas who were hitherto their arch enemies...
the king of the 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...
territory. He invaded the territory of Gurjara Prathihara and captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjara regions. He even defeated his own family relations, the Chedi of Tripuri
Tripuri
The Tripuri people are the original inhabitants of the Kingdom of Tripura in North-East India and Bangladesh. The Tripuri people through the Royal family of the Debbarmas ruled the Kingdom of Tripura for more than 2000 years till the kingdom joined the Indian Union in 1949.The Tripuris live on the...
who had turned against the Rashtrakutas. Later he invaded the southern Deccan and recaptured Kolar
Kolar
Kolara is a city in the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar District. It is known for being one of the gold mining sites in India....
and Dharmapuri
Dharmapuri
Dharmapuri is a town and the administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 65 km north of Salem. Dharmapuri is a part of the Kongu Nadu an ancient division of Tamilakam. It is one of the ancient towns of Tamil Nadu and a rapid developing...
from the Banas
Bana Kingdom
The Banas were a dynasty of South India, who claimed descent from the asura Mahabali. The dynasty takes its name from Bana, the son of Mahabali. The Banas faced opposition from several neighbouring dynasties and served some major dynasties such as the Cholas and Pandyas as feudatories, sometimes...
and Vaidumbas who had given shelter to Govinda IV
Govinda IV
Govinda IV was the younger brother of Amoghavarsha II who became the Rashtrakuta emperor in 930 as described in the Kalasa record of Chikmagalur. He was a very unpopular ruler who indulged in licentious acts. Control over Kannauj was lost during his rule. The Chalukyas of Vengi defeated him and...
due to his matrimonial relations with the Cholas. Though he initially may have experienced setbacks, Tondaimandalam (northern Tamil regions) was secured by 949–950 AD. He boasts of capturing Kanchi and Tanjore and claims to have killed Rajaditya Chola
Rajaditya Chola
Rajaditya Chola was a 10th century monarch of the Chola empire. He was one of the sons of Parantaka Chola I.-Death:The Rashtrakutas under Krishna III mounted multiple invasions into the Chola territories between 940 and 950 A.D. In order to ward of the attacks, Rajaditya stationed himself at...
. On the other hand his feudatory Butuga II confesses to having shamelessly killed Rajaditya in his inscriptions.
The Atagur inscriptions of Krishna III and Butuga II reveal the details of how Rajaditya was treacherously murdered. The inscription is in two parts; the principal portion belonging to Krishna III mentions the Saka date 872 (949–950 AD) while the subsidiary belongs to Butuga II. Here is an excerpt:
The subsidiary engraved on the same slab and belonging to Butuga II throws some more light on the incident:
Historian John Faithfull Fleet of Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(1894–1900) decisively says that pretended overtures of peace were made and that Rajaditya was stabbed at a meeting between him and Butuga.
Northern expedition
While Krishna III focussed on southern Deccan, the ChandelaChandela
The Chandela is a Rajput clan found in North India. A section of the Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region of central India for long periods between the 10th and the 13th centuries AD. The Chandela dynasty is famous in Indian history for King Vidyadhar, who repulsed the attacks of Mahmud...
s had captured Chitrakuta and Kalinjar. This prompted Krishna III to send his Western Ganga feudatory Marasimha, son of Buthuga II, to retrieve the lost areas. Marasimha defeated the Gurjara Prathihara and the Paramara ruler Harsha Siyaka of Malwa. The northernmost Kannada inscription of the Rashtrakutas, dated about 964 is the Jura record (near Jabalpur) in present-day Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. The details of these victories are inscribed in this inscription.
At his peak, Krishna III ruled an empire that extended from 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...
river in the north and stretched south covering large parts of present-day northern Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in the south. The Prathihara, the Paramara
Paramara
Paramara is a Maratha, Gurjar,& Rajput clan of India.The Paramara clan belongs to the Agnivansha of Rajputs ancient Kshatriyas...
, the Seuna
Seuna
The Seuna, Sevuna or Yadavas of Devagiri was an Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Tungabhadra to the Narmada rivers, including present-day Maharashtra, north Karnataka and parts of Madhya Pradesh, from its capital at Devagiri...
(ruled by Vaddiga) and the northern Kalachuri
Kalachuri
Kalachuri Empire is this the name used by two kingdoms who had a succession of dynasties from the 10th-12th centuries, one ruling over areas in Central India and were called Chedi or Haihaya and the other southern Kalachuri who ruled over parts of Karnataka...
were his feudatories in the northern Deccan and central India.
His enmity towards the end of his rule with the northern Kalachuri of Tripuri proved fatal to the empire. Krishna III was also perhaps reckless in giving large fiefs (land grants) to his commanders. He gave the province of Tardavadi (present day Bijapur district) sometime before 965 to Tailapa II
Tailapa II
Tailapa II had titles Nurmadi Taliapa and Satyashraya Kulatilaka. He re-established the Western Chalukya dynasty after a period of 220 years during which time they had been in eclipse. The revived Chalukya kingdom rose to its height of power under Vikramaditya VI. The revived dynasty came to be...
his Chalukya feudatory right in the heart of his empire. This later turned out to be to the Rashtrakutas' undoing.