This is Part 3 of a three part series on the Rashtrakuta empire.
The first part of the series was focused on the rise of the Rashtrakutas and can be read here. The second part focused on how they reached the peak of their power and can be read here. Achievements in the field of art and architecture and further reading/reference materials will be the focus of the third and final part.
Art & Architecture
Literature
Language
The Rashtrakuta kings encouraged both Sanskrit and Kannada. In fact, some of the kings such as Amoghavarsha had mastery over both. Kannada increasingly became the ‘lingua franca‘ not only for the common citizen, but also for most administrative tasks.
The Kannada language spread far and wide. In fact, inscriptions in Kannada have been found in Jabalpur in present day Madhya Pradesh. Jainism spread its wings throughout the empire using Kannada as the medium to spread the message of the Tirthankaras to the common masses.
Kavirajamarga was the first Kannada essay on poetry and rhetoric
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| Jainism has very strong roots and close connection with the state of Karnataka. Chandragupta Maurya, the first great Emperor of India, spend his last days at Shravanabelagola. He followed the Jain monk Bhadrabahu to Shravanabelagola and fasted to death here following the Jain tradition of Sallekhana. |
Literary Works
The age of classical Sanskrit had come to an end with the end of the Gupta empire in the North. South of the Vindhyas, in the Rashtrakuta empire, authors were increasingly bilingual and would write prose and poetry both in Sanskrit – the classical language – and Kannada – the language of the masses.
The modern Kannada language and the state of Karnataka, in many ways, can trace its lineage directly to the Rashtrakutas
The literary masterpiece of the era was Amoghovarsha’s ‘Kavirajamarga’. This was the first Kannada essay on poetry and rhetoric. Kavirajamarga literally means “the way of the king of the poets”.
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| Historians believe that Kavirajamarga may have been co-authored by Amoghavarsha’s court poet Sri Vijaya. No matter what, there is no doubt that Amoghavarsha was a well learned and competent scholar himself. |
Temples
It was in the field of architecture that the Rashtrakutas left their strongest impression. The peak of the Rashtrakuta contribution in this field is seen at the Kailasa temple in Ellora, Maharashtra.
If there is poetry in stone, it has to be this.
Kailasa Temple
Kailasa is the largest rock cut temple in the world. The second Rashtrakuta king, Krishna I, is credited with excavation and construction of this gigantic temple. This 100 feet high temple was excavated top down and constructed in the 8th century CE.
200,000 tons (1 ton = 1000 kg) of volcanic basalt rock was excavated for the temple. All of this was accomplished in a span of 18 years. Even the 21st century tools and technology that we have at our disposal today would find it difficult to mimic what the Rashtrakuta artisans achieved.
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| So who was the architect behind the Kailasa temple? Archaeologists have identified Kokasa from Paithan as the architect. Legend has it that the Queen had taken a vow to fast until she saw the ‘Kalasha’ of a grand temple to Lord Shiva. Now the Kalasha is always at the top of a temple and if the Queen’s life had to be saved somebody would have to build the temple from foundation to Kalasha quick enough. That, of course, was impossible. Kokasa comes by and builds a temple top down. He carves the Kalasha first and helps the Queen meet her vow. The story may be just fiction, but the idea was definitely ingenious! |
Poetry in Stone
The Ramayana fresco is breathtaking in its simplicity of execution. You start following the story from the right side of the top most panel.
You can observe Rama bowing to Dasaratha before leaving to the forest. Look closely at the third row, towards the right. Mareecha has come disguised as a deer and Ravana carries away Sita in his chariot. The left side of the fourth row has Rama kill Vali. This row ends with coronation of Sugriva. Follow the fifth row and you now see Hanuman on his journey to Lanka. Mid way through the flight, he flies through the belly of an ogress. The sixth row shows Hanuman at the Ashoka vana with Sita. And the last rows show the battle with Ravana and Rama emerging victorious.
The entire depiction leaves you completely spell bound in its simplicity. Who would have thought such a great epic could be described in such an imaginative way. If there is poetry in stone, it has to be this.
Stone in Motion
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| Ellora is located in the Deccan Plateau in the state of Maharashtra. The rock here is hard basalt of volcanic origin. Basalt happens to be an extremely difficult rock to cut. You can imagine the trouble the artisans would have taken to cut through solid rock and create these imposing structures. |
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| There are many questions that the Kailasa temple poses that have still not been fully understood or answered. For example, where has all the rock and earth that was excavated for the temple disappeared? What tools did the artisans use? How did hundreds of artisans work over so many years and not make a single mistake in their work? |
Conclusion
In the annals of Indian history, the Rashtrakutas usually don’t find a place of pride. They belong to the ‘forgotten era’ of India, with many historians casually jumping over from the Gupta era (6th century CE) to the Delhi Sultanate (13th century CE).
The 6th-13th century period was a period of churn with multiple dynasties coming into prominence. Amidst this, the Rashtrakutas were the overlords of the Deccan for a period of nearly 300 years.
Rashtrakutas rose into prominence defending their territory against Umayyad Caliphate. They put an end to the Eastern expansion of the Arabs. Having replaced the Chalukyas, the new rulers of the Deccan crossed the Narmada and went on to claim rights over the fertile Ganga-Yamuna doab.
Art, architecture and literature flourished. The modern Kannada language and the state of Karnataka, in many ways, can trace its lineage directly to the Rashtrakutas.
Museums to visit
As they say, seeing is believing. Many Indian museums, such as National Museum in Delhi, have objects from the Rashtrakuta period.
The Rashtrakutas were the overlords of the Deccan for a period of nearly 300 years
Of course, the best representation of Rashtrakuta art is to be found at the Kailasa temple, Ellora. A visit here is highly recommended for anyone interested in the Rashtrakutas.
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| Kailasa Temple is part of a complex of rock cut caves in Ellora. This includes a mix of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain caves. Ellora stands as a symbol of how people from different religions co-existed in peace. Kailasa Temple is cave number 16 and there are 34 caves in all at Ellora. The greater Ellora complex, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. |
Important Cities
| City Name | Significance |
|---|---|
| Manyakheta | The Royal capital of the Rashtrakutas. Manyakheta is known in present times as Malkhed. It is located in Gulbarga district, Karnataka |
| Vatapi | Royal capital of the Chalukyas. Vatapi is known in present times as Badami. Located in Bagalkot district, Karnataka |
| Navasari | This city was the site of the battle between Chalukyas and Umayyad armies. The battle of Navasari resulted in decisive victory for the Chalukyas. Navasari is located near Surat, Gujarat. |
| Vengi | Vengi is the region of the Krishna-Godavari Doab. The Eastern Chalukyas were based from Vengi |
| Kalyani | The Royal capital of the Western Chalukyas. Kalyani is known in present times as Basavakalyan. It is located in Bidar district, Karnataka |
Important Kings
Additional Reading
There are several books and articles on the internet (outside of Wikipedia!) that go into details of the Rashtrakuta empire. I have listed a few books that could help you get a wider perspective.
Dr. Suryakanth Kamath in his book “A Concise History of Karnataka” goes over the history of the Rashtrakuta empire in detail. As a bonus, you also get to read about all other kingdoms based out of Karnataka.
Dr. Dhavalikar’s “Ellora (Monumental Legacy Series)” is truly a monumental book! It describes each of the Ellora caves in detail. This is also a wonderful book to keep in hand while visiting Ellora caves
R S Sharma’s “India’s Ancient Past” has information on Rashtrakutas. But, to my mind, the book glances over many of the achievements of the empire.
The Sanjan Copper Plate is a wonderful reference material. The original plate and its translation are available to read.
Videos to watch
Do you want to know more about Kailasa Temple? Watch this video from the Human Resources Ministry, Govt of India.
