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Amoghavarsha

( 800s Births )

Early years
Wars in the south
Religion
Culture and literature
Writings
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Amoghavarsha Jain Kannada Rashtrakuta

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Amoghavarsha Nrupatunga (also known as "Amoghavarsha I") (r. 814 – 878 CE) is considered by many historians to be the greatest emperor of the Rashtrakuta. His reign of 64 years is one of the longest precisely dated monarchical reigns on record. Many Kannada and Sanskrit scholars prospered during his rule, including the great Indian mathematician Mahaviracharya who wrote Ganita-sara-samgraha, Shakatayan and Sri vijaya (a Kannada language theorist), as well as Jain Monks like Acharya Jinasena and Acharya Virasena.

Amoghavarsha I was an accomplished poet and scholar. He wrote (or co-authored) the Kavirajamarga, the earliest extant literary work in Kannada,Sastri (1955), p. 355. and Prashnottara Ratnamalika, a religious work in Sanskrit. During his rule he held titles such as Nrupathunga, Atishadhavala, Veeranarayana, Rattamarthanda and Srivallabha. He moved the Rashtrakuta regnal capital from Mayurkhandi in the present-day Bidar district to Manyakheta in the present-day Kalaburagi district in the modern Karnataka state. He is said to have built the imperial capital city to "match that of Lord Indra". The capital city was planned to include elaborately designed buildings for the royalty using the finest of workmanship.Sastri (1955), p. 146.

The Arab traveler Sulaiman described Amoghavarsha as one of the "Four great kings of the world".The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva, and Beyond; Acyuta Yājñika, Suchitra Sheth, Penguins Books, (2005), p.42, For his dharmic temperament, his interest in the fine arts and literature and his peace-loving nature, historian Panchamukhi has compared him to the emperor Ashoka and given him the honorific "Ashoka of the South".Panchamukhi in Kamath (2001), p80 Amoghavarsha seems to have entertained the highest admiration for the language, literature and culture of the Kannada people as testified to in the text Kavirajamarga.M. V. Krishna Rao (1936), The Gangas of Talkad: A Monograph on the History of Mysore from the Fourth to the Close of the Eleventh Century, p.80

Early years

Amoghavarsha I (whose birth name was Sharva)Kamath (2001), p77It has been claimed that Sharva may be a title (Reu 1933, p66) was born in 800 CE in Sribhavan on the banks of the river Narmada River during the return journey of his father, Emperor Govinda III, from his successful campaigns in northern India. This information is available from the Manne inscription of 803 and the Sanjan plates of 871, both important sources of information about Amoghavarsha I. The Sirur plates further clarify that Amoghavarsha I ascended to the throne in 815 at the age of 14 after the death of his father. All his inscriptions thereafter refer to him as Amoghavarsha I.

A revolt led by some of his relatives together with feudatories of the empire temporarily unseated Amoghavarsha I, who, with the help of his cousin (Karka) also called Patamalla, re-established himself as the emperor by 821. This information comes from the Surat records and the Vadodara plates of 835.Kamath (2001), p78 The first to revolt was the Western Ganga feudatory led by King Shivamara II. In the series of battles that followed, Shivamara II was killed in 816. But Amoghavarsha I's commander and confidant, Bankesha, was defeated in Rajaramadu by the next Ganga king, Rachamalla.From the Hiregundagal records (Kamath 2001, p78) Due to the resilience of the Western Gangas, Amoghavarsha I was forced to follow a conciliatory policy. He gave in marriage his daughter, Chandrabbalabbe, to the Western Ganga King Butuga I, and another daughter, Revakanimmadi, to prince Ereganga. More revolts occurred between 818 and 820, but by 821 Amoghavarsha I had overcome all resistance and stabilised the empire to rule.

Emperor Amoghavarsha reigned from 815 to 877 CE.

Wars in the south

Vijayaditya II of the Eastern Chalukya family overthrew Bhima Salki, the ruling Rashtrakuta feudatory at Vengi, took possession of the throne and continued his hostilities against the Rashtrakutas. He captured Sthambha (modern Kammamettu), a Rashtrakuta stronghold. From the Cambay and Sangli plates it is known that Amoghavarsha I overwhelmingly defeated the Vengi Chalukyas and drove them out of their strongholds in the battle of Vingavalli. The Bagumra records mention a "Sea of Chalukyas" invading the Ratta dynasty which Amoghavarsha I successfully defended. After these victories he assumed the title Veeranarayana.

Tranquility was restored temporarily by a marriage between Vijayaditya II's son, Vishnuvardhana V, and the Ratta princess Shilamahadevi, a sister of Karka of the Gujarat Rashtrakuta branch. However, Vishnuvardhana V attacked the northern Kalachuri feudatory of the Rashtrakutas in Tripuri, central India, and captured Elichpur near Nasik. Amoghavarsha I killed Vishnuvardhana V in 846 but continued a friendly relationship with the next Eastern Chalukya ruler Gunaga Vijayaditya III, and suppressed the recalcitrant Alupas of South Canara under prince Vimaladitya in 870. Likewise, Amoghavarsha I maintained friendly interactions with the Pallava who were busy keeping the Pandyas at bay. The Pallavas had marital ties with the Rashtrakutas as well. Nandivarman II was married to a Ratta princess, Sankha, and their son was also called Nripathunga. This has prompted historians to suggest that the Pallava monarch must have married Nrupatunga Amoghavarsha I's daughter.Hultzsch in Kamath (2001), p79

Amoghavarsha's reign lasted until 877 CE after which he had voluntarily retired from his imperial throne.

Religion

Amoghavarsha Nrupatunga was a devout Jain ruler like earlier Rashtrakuta kings.Desai, P.B. (1957). Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha. pp. 10–15. He was a disciple and close patron of the Digambar Acharya Jinasena,Desai, P.B. (1957). pp. 10–15. who served as royal advisor and spiritual guide. Under Acharya Jinasena’s influence, Amoghavarsha ruled for 64 years.Altekar, A.S. (1934). The Rashtrakutas and Their Times. Poona: Oriental Book Agency. pp. 50–55. He is credited with composing, along with Acharya Jinasena, the Kavirajamarga, the earliest known work of Kannada poetics.Narasimhacharya, R. (1988). History of Kannada Literature. Asian Educational Services. p. 12. His reign is marked by generous patronage of Jain monks, scholars, and temples, notably at Manyakheta, the Rashtrakuta capital.Desai, P.B. (1957). pp. 10–15; Altekar, A.S. (1934). pp. 50–55.According to the Kannada historical novel "Nrupatunga" by Ta. Ra. Su., his son Krishna II is also said to have learned under Acharya Jinasena.Ta. Ra. Subba Rao (Ta. Ra. Su.). Nrupatunga. Kannada historical novel, 1950s. According to Ta. Ra. Su, Amoghavarsha was so deeply moved by a sense of renunciation (vairagya) that he handed over the kingdom to Krishna II and spent his final days with Acharya Jinasena. It is also suggested that he may have even become a monk and ultimately taken Sallekhana (The Jain ritual of fasting to death).Ta. Ra. Subba Rao (Ta. Ra. Su.). Nrupatunga. Kannada historical novel.Altekar, A.S. (1934). pp. 50–55.

Amoghavarsha being a Jain King, is also remembered for his religious tolerance and support for other faiths such as Hinduism.Altekar, A.S. (1934). pp. 50–55.some interpret as saying he "cut his finger" as a sacrifice for the Mahalakshmi Temple, Kolhapur.Settar, S. (1989). Inviting Death: Indian Attitude Towards the Ritual Death. Indian Institute of Advanced Study. pp. 105–106. However, this is a misinterpretation: the inscription uses the word "bali", which in context means "dana" (gift or donation), indicating he made a donation for the temple, likely to serve local needs. Blood sacrifice (rakta bali) was not a practice of Shramana religions like Jainism. The temple itself is believed to have originally been dedicated to Padmāvatī The Yakshini of Tirthankara Parshvanatha,Desai, P.B. (1957). Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha. pp. 10–15.Settar, S. (1989). Inviting Death: Indian Attitude Towards the Ritual Death. Indian Institute of Advanced Study. pp. 103–107.Kolhapur District Gazetteer. Government of Maharashtra (1960s–1970s editions).Soundara Rajan, K.V. (1981). Art of South India: Deccan. New Delhi: Sundeep Prakashan. pp. 45–50. It is said that during Amoghavarsha’s time the site was associated with Jain worship—particularly Yakshi Padmavati—and only later became strongly identified with the goddess Mahalaxmi.Desai, P.B. (1957). Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs. Sholapur: Jaina Samshodhana Sangha. pp. 10–15.Kolhapur District Gazetteer. Government of Maharashtra (1960s–1970s editions).Soundara Rajan, K.V. (1981). Art of South India: Deccan. New Delhi: Sundeep Prakashan. pp. 45–50.

Culture and literature

Amoghavarsha’s court is also linked with the Jain Acharya "Gunabhadra" co-author of the "Mahapurana" and author of the "Prashnottara Ratna Malika", a didactic text in question-answer format.Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1991). Gender and Salvation: Jaina Debates on the Spiritual Liberation of Women. University of California Press. p. 60. Another luminary of his era was the Jain mathematician Mahaviracharya, author of the "Ganita-Sara-Sangraha", a landmark treatise on arithmetic and algebra, dedicated to a Rashtrakuta king often identified as Amoghavarsha I.Datta, B. and Singh, A. (1935). History of Hindu Mathematics. Vol. II. Lahore: Punjab University Press. pp. 30–35.It is said that his father Govinda III supported Jain monks like "Virasena" and "Jinasena", under whom the famous Jain text "Dhavala" (a commentary on the Satkhandagama) was written. Work on the "Jayadhavala" was also initiated under them and completed by their disciples.Williams, R. (1963). Jain Yoga: A Survey of the Mediaeval Śrāvakācāras. Oxford University Press. pp. xi–xiii.

According to the Arab traveller Sulaiman al-Tajir, Amoghavarsha I's empire was one among the four great contemporary empires of the world and because of his peaceful and loving nature, he has been compared to Emperor Ashoka.From the notes of 9th-century Arab traveller Suleiman (Kamath 2001, p80) The Jainism Narayana temple of Pattadakal, (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) a basadi at Konnur and the Neminatha Basadi at Manyakheta were built during his reign. His queen was "Asagavve". Famous among scholars during his time were Mahaviracharya, Virasena, Jinasena, Gunasena and Gunabhadra, "Shakatayan", and "sri vijaya".Kamath (2001), p79

Writings

Amoghavarsha was a scholar in Kannada and Sanskrit literature. His own writing Kavirajamarga is a landmark literary work in the Kannada language and became a guide book for future poets and scholars for centuries to come. The Sanskrit writing Prashnottara Ratnamalika is said to have been written by Amoghavarsha I in his old age when he had distanced himself from the affairs of the state. However others argue that it may have been written by Adi Shankara or by Vimalacharya.While the Tibetan version of the book and copies of the book written by Digambara Jains claim the author was indeed Amgohavarsha I, the manuscript copy of the writing preserved in the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Madras, states that Adi Shankara (Shankaracharya) was the author. According to Reu, some Svetambara Jains claim the author was Vimalacharya (Reu 1933, p36, p73)

There is a mention of several Kannada authors in his works who preceded him. Those who wrote in prose were Vimala, Udaya, Nagarjuna, Jayabandhu and Durvinita, whereas those who wrote in poetry were Sri vijaya, Kavisvara, Pandita, Chandra and Lokapala.

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