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The
Rashtrakutas rose to political prominence in the Deccan
after collapse of the Chalukya power at Badami in the 8th
century. They were destined to become a truly formidable
political force in South India, and in fact, waves of their
imperial expansion went beyond the Vindhyas into North India,
where they had occasions to pose as masters. Their dazzling
political achievements, however, were adequately matched
by some of their impressive contributions to Karnataka culture.
The
Origin of the Rashtrakutas:
The origin of the Rashtrakutas has been subject of much
controversy, providing ample scope for legends and speculations.
Some of the later records of the family arrogantly recount
legendary associations of the family, some tracing its descent
in the lineage of Yadu, some starting with Brahma as its
progenitor. A few epigraphs claim that their early ancestor
was the redoubtable Satyaki of the Yadava clan.
These
descriptions were obviously intended to invest the family
with epic fame. Again, a few records with to tell us that
the Rashtrakuta family originated from a person called Tunga.
This is again an attempt to explain the suffix Tunga occurring
in the titles of the members of this family like Nripatunga,
Shubhatunga or Jagattunga. These legendary associations,
therefore, need not be taken seriously.
Dr.
J. F. Fleet was inclined to think that the Rashtrakutas
were connected with the Rajputs, and that they were the
descendants of the Rathors.
Dr.
A. C. Burnell and H. Krishna Shastri held the view that
the Rashtrakutas were linked with the Dravidian Reddis of
Andhra Desha. C. V. Vadiaya, R. G. Bhandarkar and Pathak
subscribe to the theory of the Maratha origin of the Rashtrakutas.
Dr.
A. S. Altekar in his book, Rashtrakutas and their Times
(1934) repudiates these theories as untenable.
According to him the Rashtrakutas descended from the Rastiks
or Rathikas whose name is mentioned in the edicts of Ashoka.
However,
he does not believe that the Rashtrakutas originally hailed
from Maharashtra. The considered opinion of Dr. Altekar
is that the original home of the Rashtrakutas was in Karnataka
and that their mother tongue was Kannada. They inherited
the cultural tradition of Karnataka. They patronized Kannada
literature.
The
earliest extant classical work on Kannada poetics, Kavirajamarga,
is ascribed to Nripatunga Amoghavarsha I. The Rashtrakuta
inscriptions are almost all in the Kannada script and language.
An epigraph of Krishna III composed in ornate literary style
has been found at Jura near Jabbalpur. These evidences substantiate
the theory that the Rashtrakutas very much belonged to Karnataka.
The
Rashtrakutas called themselves "Lattalura - Puravara -Dhisvara",
implying thereby that they hailed from Lattalur or Latur
in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra. Dr. P. B. Desai is
of opinion that the area formerly formed the part of Karnataka
as attested by the surviving vestiges of Kannada place -
names, Kannada inscriptions and other cultural relics.
Dr.
Altekar, however, believes that Rashtrakutas of Malkhed
were a different branch and could not be identified with
those of Lattalur. The derivation of the word Lattalur is
also interesting.
According
to Dr. P. B. Desai, Latta is a Prakrit variation of Ratta.
Hence, Rattana - Ur become Lattana - Ur. And finally, Lattalur.
The
Deoti plates of Govinda III incidentally refer to the first
ancestor of the family, a chief named Ratta, after whom
the dynasty took its name.
The
Rashtrakuta emblem was Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu.
The rulers are often referred to as Vallabha, which is an
abbreviation of Sri Prithvi - Vallabha, a title commonly
sported by the Chalukyas of Badami.
The
Arab writers call them balhara, which is an abridged from
of "Ballaharaya" prakritized from Vallabha Raya.
to
be continued…..
Arthikaje,
Mangalore
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