The Vishnu Kundis and Their Times- An Epigraphical Study

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About the Book The incidental publication of the epigraphically text of Chikulla plates in 1896 led to the marvellous historical discovery of the great Deccan dynasty.

the Vishnukundis. Ever since enormous literature has appeared on however, is either fragmentary or superficially treated. Dr. Sankaranarayanan, accomplished epigraphist and an Sanskrit scholars, drawing on the entire range of available epigraphic materials, combined with the secondary and circumstantial evidence, evokes the glorious world of the Vishnukundis highlighting its rulers' political relations with the contemporary king of the Vakataka, Maukharis, chalukyas and Pallval dynasties. Through his logical and scholarly reinterpretations of the relevant epigraphs, he offers a balanced. Chronological and comprehensive survey of the Vishnukundis and their times and brigs within the field of this authentic work a delightfully refreshing discussion on religion, society, administrative set up, art, architecture and education during the region of the subject, a larger part of which Vishnukundis.

This work, designed for the author's doctoral degree examines, the divergent views of the Deccan historians and offers fresh conclusions in regards to the genealogy and chronology of the rulers of Vishnukundis dynasty. Besides, reproducing epigraphic texts, the ume includes elaborate lanatory notes and references, Spendices, plates and bibliography hich can we used for all future work in the area.

About the Author Dr. S. Sankaranarayanan was born in 1926 in a family of noted Sanskrit scholars. He had his early education in the Vedas in the traditional style at Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiyar,s Vedapathsala at Karur, Tiruchirapalli district, Tamilnadu. He studied Nyaya Sastra in the Siromoni classes of the Annamalai University, passed the examinations in the first rank and got the Siromani title in 1949. He took his M.A. degree in History and Politics from the Annamalai University in 1956. He joined the Epigraphical Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1956 and has had training under the reputed epigraphists like Dr.

D.C. Sircar and Dr. N.Ch. Chhabra. He has contributed several research papers to the Epigraphic Indica and other reputed research journals. Besides, he has brought out a critical edition of the Sanskrit work, Bhojacharitra and has published two of his original Sanskrit glosses on the Tarkasangraha, and Tarkasangraha Dipika- Parkasa. The present work The Vishnukundis and their Times-An epigraphically Study is his thesis for which he was awarded Doctorate of Philosophy in History by the Karnataka University in 1971. Prof. R. Sathianathaier recognized in him a scholar admirably well-equipped to be a first rate researcher in Indian History.

Foreword Decades ago our knowledge of the history of the Daccan from the fall of the Satavahanas in third century A.D. to the Chalukyas in the sixth century A.D. practically nil. But not so now. The history region. during this period of three been messure recons discovery of few new inscriptions, both stone copper. plate, and attempts made by scholars studying them. Among the important dynasties that flourished Deccan during period was that of the Vishoukuodis. Much has written on the chronology dynasty by scholars like kielborn, Duberuil, Krishna K. V. C. Sircar, K. A. Nilakantha Sastri, R. S. Panchamukhi, Venkataramanayya, Rama Rao and others but one finds much divergence of opinion among them.. The recent discovery of two copper plates of this dynasty from Indrapalanagara has necessitated some revision in the history of the Vishnukundis. The present work The Vishnukundis Their Times, by Sankaranarayanan earned him the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the Karnatak University, Dharwar is first exhaustive work, exclusively devoted to the study of the history of the Vishoukundi dynasty and welcome addition to the slender historical literature on the early history of Deccan.

Many aspects of the history of the dynasty such as its name, the genealogy and chronology of the dynasty, the general background of its history taking into account the origin, original home and social status of the rulers of the family, its rise to power, the history of its early rulers, an account of its political history from the reign of Govindavarman to the end of the reign of Madhavavarman IV who fell a prey to his own ambitions by invading the Kalinga territory which ultimately resulted in the disappearance of the family, the description of the feudatories of the Vishnukundis and the advent of the power of that of the Chalukyas of Vätäpi in the region are dealt with in detail in the present work. The book also contains chap ters on the administration, society, religion, education, art and architecture under the Vishnukundis, thus fully justifying the title of the book. The second part of the book containing the texts of the inscriptions of the dynasty as also a few others, and the Appendices at the end are good and useful.

Dr. Sankaranarayanan's good grounding in Sanskrit, experience as a seasoned epigraphist, unbiased approach and the unoffending style of presenting his thoughts and views on complicated questions relating to the study of the history of the dynasty can be seen throughout the book. His scheme of chronology and genealogy seems to be on the whole reasonable in the light of available evidence.

Introduction The family of the Vishoukundis came to be known to the historian for the first time in 1896 when the text of the Chikkalla plates of Vikramendravarman II of the dynasty was published. Since then the history of this royal house has been engaging the attention of the eminent scholars like. Prof. Kielhorn, Sri H. Krishna Sastri, G. Jouveau Dubreuil, Dr. Hultzsch, Sri K. V. Laksman Rao, Dr. D. C. Sircar, Sri R. S Panchamukhi, Sri B. V. Krishna Rao, Dr. K. Gopalachari, Prof. KA. Nilakanta Sastri and others. Of these scholars some have dealt with the history of the family briefly and others a little elaborately. There have also been long controversies and uncompromisingly opposite views among these writers on different problems connected with the history of this family and they were very much attracting my attention for a long time. The result is the present work. I feel very much indebted to all the earlier writers who had dealt with the one or other problem. connected with the history of the Vishoukundis. In the present work an attempt has been made to study the history of the Vishpukupdis as completely as possible. During the course of the present study many new conclusions have been arrived at, a few of which are worth recounting.

The name of the dynasty is Vishoukundi (and not Vishnukundin) called after its founder; there had been at least eight kings in the family ruling from c. 375 A. D. down to c. 612 A. D. and among them there were two Madhavavarmans, f. c., the second and the fourth of that name, claiming eleven Ašvamedhas cach, etc. the latter being great-grandson of the former. The Vishnukundis hailed from the Sriparvata f.e., the modren Srisailam in Andhrapradesh) area and they were perhaphs ethnically connected with the Chutus of the earlier period and they claimed to be Brahmakshatras-a term of techinical import as the Puranas indicate. The early members of the family started ruling over the region of the Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts (i. c., the ancient Rishika country) perhaps as feudatories under the Vakatakas and the kings of subsequent times became independent and expanded their kingdom towards the east. The power of the dynasty reached its zenith during the time of Madhavavarman II, who married a princes of the main house of the Vakatakas; performed many great royal sacrifices to mark his military achievements in many directions; had his capital at Trivarana gara i. e, the modern Tiruvūru. The significance of his sacrifices and of his titles of technical import are studied here in the light of the ancient Indian literature, classical, legal, ritualistic and so on. The Vicissitudes of the family during the period of Madhavavarman's successors and their contacts, both friendly and inimical, with their contemporary powers like, the Väkātakas, the Maukharis, the Chalukyas.

**Contents and Sample Pages**