Chalukya–Chola wars

Chola-Chalukya Wars
A Hero Stone depicting the Western Chalukya Army engaging with Chola Troops (c.1115 C.E.) at Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi, Karnataka, India
Date 992 C.E. to 1120 C.E. Location South India Result Chola Victory Battle of Donur (1007 CE) Battle of Koppam (1054 CE) Battle of Kudal-Sangamam (1062 CE) Battle of Vijayawada (1068) Territorial changes Cholas annex several parts of South Karnataka from the Western Chalukya Empire
Belligerents
Chola Dynasty	Western Chalukya Empire
Commanders and leaders
Rajaraja I Rajendra I Rajadhiraja I † Rajendra II Virarajendra Athirajendra Kulothunga I Vikrama	Tailapa II Satyashraya Vikramaditya V Jayasimha II Someshvara I Someshvara II Vikramaditya VI
Units involved
Chola Army	Chalukya Army
Strength
900,000+	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Many	Many
Over 1,000,000 civilians killed or enslaved during the war

The Chola–Chalukya Wars were a series of battles that were fought from 992 CE to 1120 CE between the Chola Empire and the Western Chalukya Empire in what is now South India. Most of these conflicts were initiated by the Western Chalukyas, who were defeated by the Cholas and forced to return to their capital. These recurring conflicts eventually exhausted both empires, straining their manpower and material, and were left vulnerable to other enemies. More than 1,000,000 people were killed due to direct or indirect consequences of the war. The battles were rage on two fronts: the Western Front, in which the capture of Manyakheta and Kalyani were the objectives of the Cholas, and the Eastern Front, which centered around Vengi, which was strategic for both sides. The west saw the heaviest fighting with Rajendra Chola I leading an army of 900,000 and defeating Jayasimha II at the Battle of Maski (1019 CE-1020 CE). On the Eastern Front, Rajendra Chola led Rajaraja Chola I's army in Vengi and expelled the rulers in battle. Vengi was later the site of the coronation of Rajendra Chola's nephew following his victories in the Chola expedition to North India.

Chola conquests in the Chalukyan kingdom

All the Chola–Chalukya battles took place in Southern (early battles) and Central (later battles) Chalukyan country and a few in Vengi which the Cholas dominated until the rise of Ganapati of Kakatiya dynasty.

Year of the battle (C.E.)	Battle	Present location and district	Chalukyan commander	Chola commander	Results
992	Rattepadi 7 1/2	Chitradurga district	Sathyashraya	Rajaraja Chola	Chola annexes the region
1008	Rattepadi 7 1/2	Chitradurga, Bellary dt's	Sathyashraya	Prince Rajendra Chola "Vidyadharar" (Hottur stone inscription)
1008	Banavasi 12,000	near Hampi-Bellary district	Sathyashraya	Rajendra Chola
1008	Raichur 2,000	Raichur dt	Sathyashraya	Rajendra Chola
1008	Gulbarga 7,000	Gulbarga dt	Sathyashraya	Rajendra Chola
1008	Manyakheth(Malgate)	-near Mahagaon-Bidar district	Sathyashraya	Rajendra Chola	"Rajendra with his nine lakh soldiers demolished Manyaketh "(Hoattur inscriptions). Chola won all these battles and rule these areas over the next seven years.
1008	Toanur on the River Krishna	near Bijapur-Bijapur	Sathyashraya	Rajendra Chola	Chalukyan king killed in this remote battlefield; the Chalukyas move their capital, further away from the overwhelming Chola borders, to Kalyani (in Bidar dt) 48 km NE of the destroyed Manyaketh
1015					Chalukya reclaim Raichur after the Chola army leave for Rajaraja Chola's funeral at Thanjavur. River Tungabhadra become almost a permanent border between the two kingdoms.
1019	Balagaon	Bijapur dt	King Vikramaditya V and Prince Jayasimha	Chola Governor of Malprabha Region	Chalukya win
1019	Belgaum	Belgaum dt	Vikramaditya V	Chola Governor of Malprabha Region	Chalukya kill the Chola governor
1020	Musangi	Raichur dt	Vikramaditya V	King Rajendra Chola	Chola on a rampage over all of South Chalukya. Raichur annexed to Chola empire.
1042	Gulbarga	Gulbarga dt	Someswara I, Princes Vikramaditya and Vijayaditya	Prince Rajathiraja Chola	Chalukya defeated and Gulbarga annexed.
1045					Someswara I reclaims Gulbarga and Raichur when the Chola prince is away to visit his ailing father.
1046	Gambili	Gambili, near Hospet -Bellary dt	Someswara I	Rajathiraja Chola	Chola again conquer Raichur.
1048	Poondoor on the River Krishna	Gulbarga dt	Someswara I	Rajathiraja Chola	Chola again conquers Gulbarga.
1048	Mannathi on River Krishna	Gulburga dt	Someswara I	Rajathiraja Chola
1048	Kalyani	Bidar dt	Someswara I	Rajathiraja Chola	Chola conquer Kalyani. Chalukyas driven back to their Kunthala hinterland behind the eastern corner of Balaghat Range
1050	Chalukyan Someswara I reclaims the lost up to Kalyani.
1054	KoppaThirtham on River Malprabha	30 km south-east of Kolhapur - Bijapur dt	Someswara I	Rajathiraja Chola	Someswara I advances in a bid to reclaim Gulbarga and Bijapur. Rajathiraja, 54 years old, dies on his elephant ; brother Rajendra II is crowned in the battlefield and leads Cholas to victory ; Chalukyan crown prince Jayasimha killed on the battlefield
1054	Kolapur	Kolhapur -South Maharashtra	Someswara I	King Rajendra Chola II	The 51-year-old new Chola king conquers Kalyani and Kolhapur, which remain under Chola domination for the next three years.
1059	Mudakoor on River Krishna	Mudakoor- Gulbarga dt			Someswara I invading Gulbarga, and is driven back
1063	Gulbarga	Gulbarga dt	Prince Vikramaditya	King VeeraRajendra Chola	Chola king visits Gulburga after putting down revolts in Gangapadi - in Raichur and Bellary dt's. Chalukya prince invade Gulburga, but is routed.
1064	Kollur on River Krishna	West Kurnool dt			Prince Vikramaditya invades on Vengi blocked and driven back by Narendra II and VeeraRajendra Chola. The Chalukya had invaded using the confusion over king RajaNarendra I's sudden demise.
1064	Koodal Sangama on River Krishna meeting the PanchGanga tributaries	near Kidnapur - Bijapur dt	King Someswara I	VeeraRajendra Chola	Chalukyan army destroyed completely.
1066 -	on River Krishna, near Gulbarga	Gulbarga dt	Someswara I	VeeraRajendra Chola	Chalukyan attempt to conquer Gulbarga thwarted.
1067	Karandhai, north of Kalyani	Karanji River valley -Bidar dt	Chalukyan generals and Kadamba prince	VeeraRajendra Chola	King Someswara I does not turn up for the battle. Enraged Cholas devastate the towns of Kalyani and Karanji. Later it is learnt that Someswara had drowned himself in the River Manjira 15 km northeast of Kalyani.
1067					Meanwhile, Prince Vikramaditya invades and conquers Vengi and also Chakrakottam (in Bastar district, Madhya Pradesh)
1068	Vijayawada	Krishna dt	the first and the only Later East Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI	VeeraRajendra,58 yrs
1068	Chakrakottam	Bastar dt (Madhya Pradesh)	Vikramaditya VI	VeraRajendra	Chalukya is defeated and driven back to his Kalyani. VeeraRajendra Chola crowns Vijayaditya VII as the new Vengi king.
1068					After Someswara I's death Vikramaditya's elder brother Someswara II takes to the Chalukyan throne. Vikramaditya and the princes of Kadamba, Nulamba and Gangapadi make truce with VeeraRajendra, and ask for his help to dethrone Someswara II, the tyrant. Chola agrees to help.
1070	Kuththi	Anantapur dt	Someswara II	VeeraRajendra Chola and Vikramaditya
1070	Gambili	near Hospet-Bellary dt	Someswara II	VeeraRajendra Chola
1070	Raichur	Raichur dt	Someswara II	VeeraRajendra Chola	VeeraRajendra wins all battles and crowns Vikramaditya as Chalukyan king
1075	Nangili	Kolar dt	Vikramaditya VI	Kulotunga I
1075	Mańali	Tumkur dt	Vikramaditya VI	Kulotunga I
1075	Halatthi	ChitraDurga	Vikramaditya VI	Kulotunga I
1076	Navila	Bellary dt.	Vikramaditya VI	Kulotunga I
1076	--on Tungabhadra River	Raichur dt.	Vikramaditya VI	Kulotunga I	Kulotunga wins all battles, and reclaim up to Raichur. Vikramaditya move north into the North Chalukyan territory of Someswara II, drives him away, and crowns himself king again.
1088	Chalukya reclaim Raichur and Bellary back.
1098	Chola conquer Bellary (Gambili) back
1118					Vikramaditya captures Vengi and Gangapadi after Kulothunga had granted autonomous power to Telugu Chola prince Kanikoen makana Bhima Chola, over these areas
1120	Vijayawada	Krishna district	Vikramaditya VI	Vikrama Chola	Vikrama Chola reclaims the Vengi kingdom. In the mid 12th century and mid 13th century, the Chalukyas and the Cholas, respectively diminish in power, while the Hoysalas, Kakatiyas and the Later Pandyas encroached upon them

References

• "Tennaattu Porkalangal" by Ka. Appaturaiyaar
• "VeeraSozhiyam"
• "Kalingattu Parani" by Jayankondaar
• [1] our Karnataka
• Chalukya wiki-Chalukya
• [2] Indian inscriptions, Archaeological Society of India
• "Prabandha-Chintamani" of Merutunga
• Vijnanesvara's " Mitakshara"
• Kirthi Verma's "Govaidya "
• "Ajitapurana and Sahasabhimavijaya" of Ranna
• Bilhana's "Vikramankadeva Charitha"