Pulakeshin II

Pulakeshin II was a Chalukya ruler who expanded his kingdom across much of the Deccan in the early 7th century and checked Harsha’s advance south.

Chalukya dynasty: A dynasty that ruled parts of the Deccan and southern India from the sixth to the twelfth centuries. Pulakeshin II inherited and greatly enlarged this dynasty’s power.
Deccan Plateau: A large elevated region of peninsular India bounded by mountain ranges. Its geography framed the kingdom Pulakeshin II expanded and defended.
Ravikirti: A Sanskrit poet and Jain scholar who served at the court of Pulakeshin II. He composed the Aihole inscription celebrating the king’s achievements.
Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin II: A Sanskrit inscription dated 634–635 CE that praises Pulakeshin II and records his victories. Ravikirti’s inscription is the principal contemporary narrative of the king’s campaigns.
Mangalesha: A Chalukya ruler who governed before Pulakeshin II and contested his succession. Their struggle for the throne shaped Pulakeshin II’s early rule.
Narmada River: A major river flowing westward across central India to the Arabian Sea. The river marked the frontier where Pulakeshin II halted Harsha’s southward advance.
Vishnuvardhana I: A Chalukya prince who became the first ruler of the Eastern Chalukya branch. Pulakeshin II appointed his brother to govern Vengi, beginning a lasting dynasty.
Battle of the Narmada: A seventh-century confrontation in which Pulakeshin II’s forces checked Harsha near the Narmada River. The encounter established a northern limit to Pulakeshin II’s expansion.
Vatapi: An ancient city in present-day Karnataka, known today as Badami. Pulakeshin II made this Chalukya capital the center of his kingdom.
Harsha: A north Indian emperor who ruled much of the subcontinent in the seventh century. Their confrontation checked Harsha’s expansion into the Deccan.

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