Rashtrakuta Empire

A medieval Indian empire ruled by the Rashtrakuta dynasty, centered in the Deccan from the eighth to the tenth century. Its rulers built a powerful state and supported distinctive temple architecture and literature.

Dantidurga: An eighth-century Rashtrakuta ruler credited with founding the dynasty’s imperial power. His defeat of the Chalukyas established Rashtrakuta independence and initiated imperial expansion.
Amoghavarsha I: A long-reigning Rashtrakuta emperor known for patronage of literature and Jainism. His lengthy reign illustrates the dynasty’s ability to sustain authority through diplomacy and cultural patronage.
Kannada literature: Literature composed in the Kannada language, with early major works appearing during the Rashtrakuta era. Rashtrakuta patronage helped Kannada become a major language of courtly literary production.
Kailasa Temple, Ellora: An immense rock-cut Hindu temple at Ellora, carved from a single mass of basalt. Rashtrakuta king Krishna I is traditionally credited with commissioning this defining monument.
Manyakheta: A historic city in present-day Karnataka that served as the Rashtrakuta capital. The city became the political center from which Rashtrakuta rulers governed the empire.
Rashtrakuta–Pratihara wars: A series of conflicts between the Rashtrakutas, Gurjara-Pratiharas, and Palas for influence in northern India. These contests reveal how Rashtrakuta emperors projected power beyond their Deccan core.
Kavirajamarga: A ninth-century Kannada treatise on poetics traditionally associated with Amoghavarsha I and his court. It is a landmark work from the literary culture fostered under Rashtrakuta rule.
Krishna I: An eighth-century Rashtrakuta ruler associated with the construction of Ellora’s Kailasa temple. His reign links Rashtrakuta political power to one of India’s most ambitious rock-cut monuments.
Chalukya dynasty: A series of Deccan dynasties that ruled parts of peninsular India across several centuries. The Rashtrakutas displaced the Badami Chalukyas and later fought the Western Chalukyas.
Kannauj: A strategically important city in northern India contested by major early medieval powers. Control or influence over Kannauj was a recurring goal in Rashtrakuta northern campaigns.

Linked from 4 pages