Ranaraga

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Ranaraga
Chalukya king
Reignc.520 – c.540
Predecessor Jayasimha
Successor Pulakeshin I
Dynasty Chalukyas of Vatapi
FatherJayasimha

Ranaraga (IAST: Raṇarāga) was an early 6th century ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi (modern Badami) in present-day India. A vassal ruler, he was the father of the dynasty's first sovereign ruler, Pulakeshin I.

Vassal person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe

A vassal is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support by knights in exchange for certain privileges, usually including land held as a tenant or fief. The term is applied to similar arrangements in other feudal societies.

Pulakeshin was the first sovereign ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi. He ruled parts of the present-day Maharashtra and Karnataka states in the western Deccan region of India. Pulakeshin established the city of Vatapi, and performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice to assert his sovereign status. The dynasty established by him went on to rule a major part of peninsular India in the subsequent years.

Contents

Reign

A 543 CE (Shaka 465) inscription dated to the reign of Ranaraga's son Pulakeshin I has been discovered at Badami. Assuming a reign of around 20 years for Ranaraga, historian Durga Prasad Dikshit dates Jayasimha's reign to c. 520-540 CE. [1]

Shaka era historical calendar era

The Shaka era is a historical calendar era, corresponding to Julian year 78. It is commonly known in Indian languages as Shalivahana Śaka or RTGS: Mahasakkarat "Greater Era").

Badami Town in Karnataka, India

Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from AD 540 to 757. It is famous for its rock cut structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake. Badami has been selected as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.

Ranaraga succeeded his father Jayasimha, who was also a vassal ruler, possibly that of the Kadambas or the early Rashtrakutas of Manapura (not to be confused with the later imperial Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta). Jayasimha seems to have carved out a principality around modern Bijapur after the decline of his overlords, and Ranaraga appears to have spent his reign stabilizing the Chalukya power in the area. [2]

Kadamba dynasty 4th-6th century Indian dynasty

The Kadambas were an ancient royal family of Karnataka, India, that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present-day Uttara Kannada district. The kingdom was founded by Mayurasharma in c.345 which at later times showed the potential of developing into imperial proportions, an indication to which is provided by the titles and epithets assumed by its rulers and the marital relations they kept with other kingdoms and empires, such as the Vakatakas and Guptas of northern India. Mayurasharma defeated the armies of the Pallavas of Kanchi possibly with the help of some native tribes and claimed sovereignty. The Kadamba power reached its peak during the rule of Kakusthavarma.

Bijapur Corporation City in Karnataka, India

Bijapur is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluka. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of the Adil Shahi dynasty. And it also well known for the sports by the popular Karnataka premier league team as Bijapur Bulls. Bijapur is located 530 km northwest of the State Capital Bangalore and about 550 km from Mumbai, and 384 km west of the city of Hyderabad.

Like his father, Ranaraga finds a mention in the Aihole and Mahakuta inscriptions of the Vatapi Chalukyas. The Mahakuta inscription states that "his fondness for war elicited the affection of his own people and caused vexation of mind to his enemies." [3] The dynasty's inscriptions do not credit Ranaraga with any military achievements. However, according to the Yevor inscription of the later Kalyani Chalukyas, who claimed descent from the Vatapi Chalukyas, Jayasimha was a brave ruler, and bore a "stately and gigantic personality". The Kalyani Chalukya court poet Ranna calls him Raṇarāga-siṃha. [4]

Aihole 4th - 12th century Hindu, Jain, Buddhist temples site in Karnataka, India

Aihole, also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in north Karnataka (India) dated from the fourth century through the twelfth century CE. Located around an eponymous small village surrounded by farmlands and sandstone hills, Aihole is a major archaeological site featuring over one hundred and twenty stone and cave temples from this period, spread along the Malaprabha river valley, in Bagalakote district.

Mahakuta group of temples village in Karnataka, India

The Mahakuta group of temples is located in Mahakuta, a village in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka state, India. It is an important place of worship for Hindus and the location of a well-known Shaiva monastery. The temples are dated to the 6th or 7th century CE and were constructed by the early kings of the Chalukya dynasty of Badami. The dating of the temples is based on the style of architecture which is similar to that of the temples in nearby Aihole and the information in two notable inscriptions in the complex: the Mahakuta Pillar inscription dated between 595–602 CE ; and an inscription of Vinapoti, a concubine of king Vijayaditya, dated between 696–733 CE and written in the Kannada language and script.

Ranna (Kannada poet) Indian poet

Ranna was one of the earliest and arguably one of the greatest poets of the Kannada language. His style of writing is often compared to that of Adikavi Pampa who wrote in the early 10th century. Together, Ranna, Adikavi Pampa and Sri Ponna are called "three gems of ancient Kannada literature".

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References

Bibliography

  • Durga Prasad Dikshit (1980). Political History of the Chālukyas of Badami. Abhinav. OCLC   8313041.
  • K. V. Ramesh (1984). Chalukyas of Vātāpi. Agam Kala. OCLC   567370037.
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