Vishnuvardhana
Encyclopedia : V : VI : VIS : Vishnuvardhana
| Hoysala Kings (1000-1346) | |
| Nripa Kama | (1000 - 1045) |
| Vinayaditya | (1045 - 1098) |
| Ereyanga | (1098 - 1100) |
| Veera Ballala I | (1100 -1108) |
| Vishnuvardhana | (1108 - 1152) |
| Narasimha I | (1152 – 1173) |
| Veera Ballala II | (1173 – 1220) |
| Narasimha II | (1220 – 1235) |
| Vira Someshwara | (1235 – 1253) |
| Narasimha III | (1253 – 1292) |
| Ramanatha | (1253 – 1295) |
| Veera Ballala III | (1292 – 1342) |
| Harihara Raya (Vijayanagara Empire) | (1342-1355) |
Conquests
Vishnuvardhana worked closely with his brother Veera Ballala I in matters of administration and military campaigns. Vishnuvardhana's first major conquest was the Cholan territory of Gangavadi, which is now a major portion of south Karnataka. Vishnuvardhana's general Gangaraja wrested the territory from the Cholas. One Hoysalan epitaph notes that Vishnuvardhana burned the city Gangavadi city of Talakad and polluted the waters of river Kaveri by throwing the corpses of his enemies into it [link].
After his victory against the Cholas, Vishnuvardhana proceeded southeast to Kolar and captured the town. Some records indicate that he travelled further east into Tamil territory and conquered Kanchi and Rameshwaram from the Pandyas.
The Hoysalas further defeated Chalukyan king Vikramaditya VI at Kennagal in 1118.
Towards the end of his life, Vishnuvardhana had wrested many territories that were hitherto under the control of other ruling dynasties. Though not fully able to defeat and conquer South India from the Chalukyas, Vishnuvardhana laid the foundations for the conquests that were to follow by his successors Veera Ballala II and III.
Art & Religion
Scholars believe that Vishnuvardhana was originally a Jain known as Bittideva. Under the influence of the Hindu philosopher Ramanujacharya, Vishnuvardhana converted to Hinduism and practiced Vaishnavism. Numerous Vishnu temples were built during his reign at Belur, Talakad and Melkote. However, Vishnuvardhana's chief queen, Shantala Devi remained a devout Jain, and set a precedent of religious tolerance in the kingdom. Many of Vishnuvardhana's generals, including Gangaraja, were Jains. The Famous Chennakeshava temple at Belur is attributed to him. He built this temple to commemorate his victory against the Cholas of Tamil country.
Upon Vishnuvardhana's death in 1152, his son Narasimha I ascended to the Hoysala throne.
See also
External links
- http://www.ourkarnataka.com/states/history/historyofkarnataka29.htm
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