The Early Chalukyas of Vatapi (An Old and Rare Book)

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The Early Chalukyas of Vatapi are not a quite new subject of historical research.

The work is divided into twelve chapters and it includes three Appendices. The first chapter is introductory. It explains the need for writing this book and discusses the source materials and gives a resume of the previous works done on the subject. The second chapter relates to the political conditions on the eve of the rise of the Dynasty. The next seven chapters are related to the political history of the Dynasty; and the remaining three chapters are devoted to the system of their Government and the Cultural attainments. Of the three Appendices, Appendix A explains the terms Raja-traiya and Avanipati-tritya, that occur in the records of Vikramaditya I and his successors and are variously interpreted by the scholars. The other two appendices B and C, contain the lists of the select inscriptions of the Dynasty and their feudal chiefs and some other Dynasties that throw light on the History and Culture of the period of the Dynasty.

In presenting this book, it has been my endeavor to use all the available source material and to place a knit-pattern of the history of the Early Chalu-kyas of Vatapi.

Udayana, the author of Atmatattva-viveka was a Maithila brahmana by birth and flourished in the second half of the tenth century. Besides his celcbrated work Atmatattvaviveka, he wrote LakiatiamaM. Nyayakusumailjali, Nyayaparisuddhi and Kiranavali on Praiastapada's Padarthar-dharmasarkgraha.

The Subject discussed in Atmatattva-viveka is the acceptance or the rejection of the soul that constitutes a prominent demarcating line between the two sects of philosophical system-brahmanical and the Buddhist. Udayana took a comprehensive note of Buddhist philosophy and is considered to be the last word in the controversy between Buddhism and Nyaya.

The Early Chalukyas of Vatapi are not a quite new subject of historical research. Much has been written about them. But whatever had been written so far about them, they mostly deal only with one aspect or the other of their history. Little was done to look into the subject in a wider perspective or to produce a comprehensive or detailed history of the Dynasty. The present work in and humble effort to meet this long felt need. It was originally submitted to the Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, as a thesis for the Ph. D. Degree. In the present form, the thesis is considerably revised.

The work is divided into twelve chapters and it includes three Apendices. The first chapter is introductory. It explains the need for writing this book and discusses the source materials and gives a resume of the previous works done on the subject. The second chapter relates to the political conditions on the eve of the rise of the Dynasty. The next seven chapters are related to the political history of the Dynasty; and the remaining three chapters are devoted to the system of their Government and the Cultural attainments. Of the three Appendices, Appendix A explains the terms Rajatraiya and Avanipati-tritya, that occur in the records of Vikramaditya I and his successors and are variously interpreted by the scholars. The other two appendices Band C, contain the lists of the select inscriptions of the Dynasty and their feudal chiefs and some other dynasties that throw light on the history and culture of the period of the Dynasty.

In presenting this book, it has been my endeavor to use all the available source material and to place a knit-pattern of the history of the Eearly Chalukyas of Vatapi. But it would be too bold a claim to say that I have exhausted all the sources and nothing is left for future researches. I would not dare also to say that my interpretations of the material or my views, expressed herein, are final. My work is very much liable for revision or modification with the future discoveries of new material in the form or inscriptions, coins and other things. Apart from it, I am conscious that there might be occasions when scholars might not share with me, the way I have handled the subject. So, I would only say that I have sincerely tried to interpret the material, available to me, with-out being dogmatic or biased.

In course of my researches for this work, I had been helped by many scholars and my colleagues. I discussed my problems with them freely; and whenever, the source material needed any translation or interpretation, they ungrudgingly helped me. I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude particularly to my teacher and supervisor Porfessor Yogendra Misra (Head of the Department of History, Patna University) He, sympathitically gave his guidence and help through out the period of writing this work and later went through the manuscript. I also thank Professor D. C. Sircar (Calcutta) Professor R. S. Sharma (Delhi) and Professor B. N. Puri (Lucknow) for their valuable suggestions and the help that they affectionately gave me when I approached them with some of my problems. I owe special words of thanks to Dr. P.L. Gupta (Retired Curator, Patna Museum) for the help and encouragement that I had from him during the revision of my thesis for the purpose of this book. He devoted his time, skill and stimulation in genezous measure.

My thanks are also due to Sri V.S. Manjul, the Librarian, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (Poona), Sri D. K. Kapoor, Central Library of the Archaeological Survey of India (New Delhi), the staff of Magadha University Library (Bodh Gaya), Patna University Library (Patna), Bihar Research Society Library (Patna), National Library (Calcutta), Karnatak Research Society (Dharwar) for their valuable co-operation in collecting material for this work.

I affectionately record that my younger brother Shri Kumar Narendra Singh, M.A. and Amita M A. who assisted me in preparing the Index. I am grateful to Sh. Sham Lal Malhotra, Propriter, of Eastern Book Linkers, Delhi, who took upon himself the publication of the book and took all pains in its publication. Lastly, I place on record with thanks that The Indian Council of Historical Research.