Kalachuris Dynasty 550-620 AD Full History |Examsly| Best

In Ancient History, the Kalachuris dynasty was a very important topic for government exams.

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Early History of the Kalachuris Dynasty

The Kalachuris Dynasty also known as the Haihayas, has been referred to in the epics And The Puranas.
When they became associated with the Chedi country, they were also known as the Chedis.
Their earliest seat of power was possibly at Mahishmati on the Narmada.
In the second half of the sixth century A.D., the Kalachuris Emerged as political power, and their Kingdom comprised Gujarat, Northern Maharashtra, and even parts of Malwa.
3 kalachuri Kings Krishnaraja his son Shankaragana and the latter’s Son Buddharaja were known to have ruled between 550- and 620.
They had to contend with two powerful neighbors- the Maitraka of Alabhi and the Chalukyas of Badami.
But the Kalachuris continue to exist as a family of some importance in Eastern Malwa and the neighboring region and established matrimonial relations with eastern and western Chalukya princes.

In the 8th century, several branches of the Kalachuris Dynasty were settled in different parts of Northern India.
One of them founded a principality in Sarayupara in the modern Gorakhpur district and the other was the most powerful ruler in the Chedi country in Bundelkhand.
The Kalachuris of Chedi also known as kings of the ‘Dahalamandal’ had their capital at Tripuri near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

With the accession of Kokalla in or about 845 A.D., the real history of the Kalachuris dynasty of Tripuri may be said to have begun.
Kolla-I is credited with victories over many powerful Kings he came into conflict with the Pratihara king Bhoja-I and gained a resounding victory over him.
He is said to have plundered Vanga or East Bengal vanquished the Rashtrakuta king Krishna-II who was his son-in-law and invaded Northern Konkan.
Thereafter the Kalachuris entered into a series of matrimonial Alliance with the Rashtrakutas still the time of Krishna-III and the two families maintained table relations

Kokalla-I married the Chandela princess Nattadevi and had 18 sons.
The eldest son Shankargaana succeeded his father and defeated the Somavamsi king of Kosala.
He was succeeded by his son Balharsha whose reign was very brief.

Notwithstanding the close relationship between the Kalachuris dynasty and the Rashtrakutas, the latter under Krishna-III invaded the kingdom of Yuvaraja-I.
Latter Yuvaraja succeeded in driving the Rashtrakuta from his Kingdom.
This was a significant achievement in commemoration of which the famous poet Rajasekhara, who now lived in the kalachuri court stage the famous drama Viddhasalabhanjika at the court of Yuvaraja.
Yuvaraja-I was a Saiva and helped the Saiva ecstatic in preaching their Doctrine in his Kingdom.

Yuvaraja-I was succeeded by his son Lakshmanraja who won a victory over Mularaja-I the founder of Chalukyas or Solanki.
Like his father, Lakshmanraja patronized Saivism.
Lakshmanraja was succeeded by his son Shankargana-II who was a Vaishnav.
He was succeeded by his brother Yuvaraja.
The Kingdom suffered serious reverses during its rule.
His maternal uncle Chalukya Taila-II attacked his Kingdom.
Hardly he had recovered from his shock when he was overwhelmed by the Paramara king Munja.

After the withdrawal of the Paramaras, the minister of Shankarajana-II placed his son Kokall-II on The Throne.
Under Kokalla-II the Kalachuris recovered their power.
He was succeeded by his son Gangeyadeva.

During his reign, the Kalachuris dynasty becomes the greatest political power in India.
The most important factor contributing to his success was that the Kalachuri remained unaffected by the marauding raids of Sultan Mahmud.
He carried his arms to Orissa as far as the seacoast.
He commemorated this great victory by assuming the power title of the ‘Trikalingadhipati’ or ‘Lord of Trikalinga’.
He sent an expedition under his son Karna against Anga and Magadha which were under the Pala King Nayapala .
According to Tibetan tradition, Atisha Dipankara who at that time had been residing in Magadha took the initiative in inducing Karna and Nayapala to conclude a Treaty on the basis of mutual restitution of conferred territories.

Gangeyadeva was succeeded by his son Lakshmikarna better known as Karna.
He was one of the greatest generals of his time.
He wrested Allahabad from the Pratiharas.
Karna defeated the Chandela, Krittivarman, and occupied Bundelkhand but a feudatory of the Chandellas freed the country from the Kalachuris.
Far more important was Karna’s invasion of the Paramara kingdom of Malwa in Alliance with Bhima-I the Chalukya king of Gujarat.
During the war, the Paramara King Bhoja died and the two allies got possession of Malwa.
Subsequently, a quarrel broke out between Karna and Bhima on the question of the division of the spoil.
Despite the numerous wars fought with many powers throughout the greater part of his life, the result achieved by Karna was too insignificant.
Allahabad was the only addition to his paternal kingdom.
The series of reverses that Karna suffered particularly at the end of his reign diminished earlier glory and loosened his hold over his feudatories.

Karna abdicated The Throne in favor of his son Yashkarna.
A series of inversions overwhelmed him.
The Chalukya Vikramaditya-VI raided his Kingdom; Chandradeva of the Gahadwala dynasty wrested Allahabad and Banaras; the Chandela defeated him and Paramara Lakshmandeva plundered his capital.
Vijaysimha was the last Kalachuri king of any importance.
Trailokyaverman defeated him and convert the whole of the Dahalamandala.

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