Mansollasa of Somadeva

Manasollasa (Sanskrit:Happy State of Mind) is an ancient treatise written by King Sovadeva III, son of  the Chalukyan emperor Vikramaditya. Manasollasa, also known as Abhilashitartha Chintamani is a Sanskrit encyclopedia, which is divided into five books (Vimsati), each one further divided into 20 sections. The Kalyana Chalukya king, Somadeva III (1127-1138 A.D.) has taken all the pains to collect up data information on art, architecture, dance, music, ornaments, food and drinks, love and lust, and presents them in a logical and methodical way. Gaekwad's Oriental Series, Bardoda (Gujarat) has published this manuscripts in three parts. Late G.K. Shrigondekar had to work for  thirty six long years, from 1925 to 1961 to edit these volumes.

The Manasollasa has dedicated a separate section for the erotica (Yosidupabhoga, enjoyment of women). On the basis of inheritance, physical strength and attitude towards sex, Somadeva classifies women into six types, namely, Chitrini, Padmini, Hastini, Sankhini, Mrugi, and Vadava. He says, " ... a virtuous woman is one who is beautiful, youthful, is a musician and a dancer. However, it is extremely difficult to find a woman who is excellent in every accomplishment of life. Therefore one has to try to get a woman as best as physically possible."  He further warns about the physical incompatibility of "Linga" and "Yoni", the male and female organs. He insists that they should be complimentary each other. However, if linga is slightly larger it could be adjusted. But an  extra largelinga should be avoided at all costs as it may rupture yoni itself. Similarly a woman with too small or very large yoni should not be selected for bhoga (union) as she fails to satisfy the man.

http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/erotica/manas.htm

Administration system in kalyani chalukyas period

The kalyani Chalukya kingship was hereditary, passing to the king's brother if the king did not have a male heir. The administration was highly decentralised and feudatory clans such as the Alupas, the Hoysalas, the Kakatiya, the Seuna, the southern Kalachuri and others were allowed to rule their autonomous provinces, paying an annual tribute to the Chalukya emperor.Excavated inscriptions record titles such as Mahapradhana(Chief minister),Sandhivigrahika, and Dharmadhikari (chief justice).Some positions such asTadeyadandanayaka (commander of reserve army) were specialised in function while all ministerial positions included the role of Dandanayaka (commander), showing that cabinet members were trained as army commanders as well as in general administrative skills.

The kingdom was divided into provinces such as Banavasi-12000, Nolambavadi-32000,Gangavadi-96000, each name including the number of villages under its jurisdiction. The large provinces were divided into smaller provinces containing a lesser number of villages, as in Belavola-300. The big provinces were called Mandala and under them were Nadu further divided into Kampanas (groups of villages) and finally a Bada (village). A Mandala was under a member of the royal family, a trusted feudatory or a senior official. Tailapa II himself was in charge of Tardavadi province during the Rashtrakuta rule. Chiefs of Mandalas were transferable based on political developments. For example, an official named Bammanayya administered Banavasi-12000 under King Somesvara III but was later transferred to Halasige-12000.Women from the royal family also administered Nadus and Kampanas.Army commanders were titled Mahamandaleshwaras and those who headed aNadu were entitled Nadugouvnda.

The kalyani Chalukyas minted punch-marked gold pagodas with Kannada and Nagari legends which were large, thin gold coins with several varying punch marks on the obverse side. They usually carried multiple punches of symbols such as a stylised lion, Sri in Kannada,a spearhead, the king's title, a lotus and others. Jayasimha II used the legend Sri Jaya, Somesvara I issued coins with Sri Tre lo ka malla, Somesvara II used Bhuvaneka malla, Lakshmideva's coin carried Sri Lasha, and Jagadhekamalla II coinage had the legend Sri Jagade. The Alupas, a feudatory, minted coins with the Kannada and Nagari legend Sri Pandya Dhanamjaya. Lakkundi in Gadag district and Sudi in Dharwad district were the main mints (Tankhashaley). Their heaviest gold coin was Gadyanaka weighting 96 grains, Dramma weighted 65 grains, Kalanju 48 grains, Kasu 15 grains, Manjadi 2.5 grains, Akkam 1.25 grains and Pana 9.6 grain

Somesvara IV - The last king of the kalyani Chalukyas

Somesvara IV (1183–1200) was the last king of the kalyani  Chalukyan empire. He made a brief attempt to revive the Chalukya kingdom by defeating the waning Kalachuri kingdom. He managed to capture Basavakalyana but failed to prevent the other feudatories, the Seuna,Hoysala and the Kakatiya dynasty from completely overwhelming the Chalukya empire. In the end, the three feudatories divided the vast area between the Kaveri River and Narmada River amongst themselves.

Somesvara III

Somesvara III (1126–1138 A.D) was a kalyani  Chalukya king and son of Vikramaditya VI and Queen Chandaladevi.A monarch more inclined towards literature, Someshvara III had to face the invasion of the Hoysala ruler  Vishnuvardhana,but was able to suppress him He lost some territory as the Vengi Chalukyas tried to gain freedom,but was able to maintain most of the vast empire left behind by his famous father.He was a scholar of merit and wrote the Sanskrit classic Manasollasa.He held titles like Tribhuvannamalla, Bhulokamalla and Sarvanjyabhupa.

Manasollasa:

The Manasollasa (the refresher of the mind) or the Abhilasitartha Cintamaṇi (the magical stone that fulfils desires) is an encyclopedic work in Sanskrit composed in 1051 Saka era (1129 A.D). This work is divided into 100 adhyayas (chapters) which are grouped into five vimsatis (twenties) and each chapter deals with a specific topic. This treatise deals with a wide range of topics, which include the means of acquiring a kingdom, methods of establishing it and royal enjoyment. It contains valuable information regarding Indian art,architecture,cuisine, ornaments, sports,music and dance.

Somesvara Ahavamalla king of kalyani chalukyas

Somesvara I (Ahavamalla or Trilokamalla) (1042–1068) succeeded his father Jayasimha II as the kalyani chalukyas king. He was one of the famous kings of the later Chalukya Dynasty. In spite of many reverses he managed to safeguard the integrity of the Chalukya kingdom. He founded the city of Kalyani, present day Basavakalyana in  Bidar district and moved his kingdom to that location. He had great faith in himself and managed to impart that to his many generals and feudatories. He patronized the Kannada scholar Shridharacharya who wrote Jatakatilaka, a work on astrology, and Chandraprabhacharite, a Jain purana. One of his queens was Hoysala Devi,a princess from the feudatory Hoysala ruling family.

Rajadhiraja Chola I became the Chola king in 1042 and immediately sought to restore Chola power in Vengi. He personally led a force to the Vengi kingdom and defeated the occupying Western Chalukya forces there at the battle of Dannada on the Krishna River and made Somesvara's son Vikramaditya (the later VikramadityaVI) and Vijayaditya retreat. Rajadhiraja then entered the Western Chalukya territories and sacked the fort at Kollipakkai (Andhra Pradesh). Rajadhiraja thus enabled the Eastern Chalukya Rajaraja Narendra to get some respite.

Rajadhiraja continued his campaign on the western front and in several battles defeated the Chalukya army, demolished the Chalukya palace in the city of Kampili, in present day Bellary district. The victorious Chola army planted a victory pillar at Yedagiri. After more fighting, the Chalukya capital Kalyani itself was occupied in 1045 . Rajadhiraja celebrated a coronation in the Chalukya capital and assumed the title of Virarajendra.

The Chola occupation was however short lived. Somesvara managed to defeat and drive the Chola forces out of the Chalukya territories by 1050 .He also managed to revive his influence in Vengi and made Rajaraja Narendra to acknowledge this suzerainty. He also made a counter invasion into the Chola territories and captured Kanchipuram.

Battle of Koppam

Rajadhiraja, in response to these aggressions by Somesvara led another expedition into the Chalukya territories in 1054 . The two forces met at Koppam on the Krishna River. In a hot contested battle, Rajadhiraja was killed. His younger brother Rajendra Chola II immediately took command of the Chola forces and defeated the Chalukya forces and made them retreat after killing Somesvara's brother Jayasimha. A number of generals were killed in the battle and the Cholas captured great treasure and some of Somesvara's queens. However, other sources indicate a Chalukya victory and the construction of a temple in Annigeri, Dharwad district in celebration.

Anxious to wipe out the disgrace at Koppam, Somesvara soon renewed the war. He again involved in the succession politics of Vengi when Rajaraja Narendra died. Somesvara supported Saktivarman II, the son of Vijayaditya to the Vengi throne and sent one of his generals into Vengi to assist Saktivarman. He also sent his sons, Vikramaditya and Jayasimha into the Gangavadi territories of the Cholas. Rajendra II sent two armies to the north, one to Vengi and the other into the Gangavadi. Saktivarman and the Chalukya generals were killed the Chalukyas driven out of the Vengi kingdom.In the west, the Chalukya invaders in Gangavadi were driven back and defeated at the battle of Kudalasangama in 1064 (where the river Malaprabha meets Krishna river). Thus Somesvara's attempts at avenging the failure at Koppam were unsuccessful.

Rajendra Chola II died in 1063 and his brother Virarajendra Chola became the Chola king. Virarajendra was occupied with other problems and so did not press any campaigns against the Chalukyas. But Somesvara knew that an attack would be imminent and made preparations for battle on both the eastern and the western fronts. On the east he counted on the help of the his Eastern Ganga feudatory. In the west he sent Vikramaditya VI into the Chola territories.

After initial reversals in which Vikramaditya plundered Gangaikondacholapuram, Virarajendra counter attacked in 1066 and the Chalukya forces again suffered defeat on the western front. But Somesvara soon reorganised and sent a message to the Chola for a battle at a specified spot on a specific day. The Chola monarch accepted this challenge and took his troops to the assigned spot. However Somesvara did not turn up. The reasons for this are not clear. It has been speculated that Somesvara was indisposed and so could not take the field. After waiting for a month, Virarajendra attacked and defeated the demoralised Chalukya forces. He then proceeded to the east and met the Chalukya forces near Vijayawada which ended in heavy defeat for the Chalukyas.

During this time of constant conflict with the Cholas, Somesvara I dealt successfully with the Shilaharas of North Konkan, Seuna Bhillama III, Paramara Bhoja of Dhara and Chaulukyas of Gujarat around 1051Bhoja attempted to align with the Kalachuri, but this did not help him against Somesvara I who plundered Dhara, Ujjaini and Mandapa.The Chindaka Nagas of Bastar in central India were defeated by Chalukya feudatory Kakatiya dynasty Prolla.

Unable to endure the illness he suffered from, Somesvara committed suicide by drowning himself in the Tungabhadra at Kuruvatti on 29 March 1068.Thus departed one of the greatest Chalukya rulers. He managed to keep the Vengi region under his control practically throughout his reign.Throughout his rule he had the upper hand over Konkan, Gujarat, Malwa and even Kalinga.

Somesvara I was succeeded by his eldest son Somesvara II.

Jayasimha Jagadekhamalla(1015 – 1042 A.D)

Jayasimha II (1015 – 1042 A.D) (Jagadekhamalla and Mallikamoda) succeeded his brother Vikramaditya V on the kalyani Chalukya throne.Jayasimha had to fight on many fronts to protect his kingdom. He patronised Kannada poets and scholars such as Devara Dasimayya (Vachanakara saint), Durgasimha, Chavundaraya II, Kavitavilasa, and Sanskrit poet Vadiraja.

The Paramara king Bhoja of Malwa invaded the Chalukya kingdom to avenge the mistreatment of a previous Malwa king Munja byTailapa II. Tailapa II imprisoned Munja after defeating him. Munja died in captivity after suffering ill treatment for several years. The Malwa army occupied north western portions of the Chalukya kingdom for several years only to lose it to the Chalukyas again.

Jayasimha, with the help of his feudatories, fought very hard and recovered the territories occupied by Bhoja.

Rajendra Chola I was the primary enemy of the Chalukyas. Cholas were exerting influence in the Vengi kingdom of the kalyani Chalukyas. The Cholas were constantly trying to expand their kingdom northwards into the Chalukyan kingdom. Satyasraya had tried to stop Chola influence in Vengi and had to suffer the Chola invasion in retaliation. He however repulsed the Chola invasion from his territories in the battle at Masangi.

Soon after his accession, Jayasimha tried to retrieve the losses suffered by Satyasraya. Rajendra Chola was at that time engaged in the south with wars in Lanka and in the Pandya country. Jayasimha utilised this opportunity and got involved in the politics of the kalyani Chalukyas. In 1018 Jayasimha crossed the Tungabhadra and occupied parts of the Vengi kingdom in support of the claims of Vijayaditya VII to the Vengi throne against his step brother Rajaraja Narendra. Rajaraja Narendra was related to the Cholas through his mother Kundavai, a daughter of Rajaraja Chola. In Vengi Vijayaditya captured the throne with the help of Jayasimha II. Rajendra Cholaturned his attention towards the Chalukyas in order to help nephew Rajaraja Narendra.

Rajendra employed a two-pronged attack into the Chalukya territories, one army going into the Vengi kingdom to assist Rajaraja Narendra and the other into the Western Chalukaya kingdom itself. In the west Jayasimha II was defeated at Maski. But the Chola army could not proceed further west than the Tungabhadra.

In Vengi the Chola army defeated the forces of Vijayaditya in several battles, took possession of the kingdom on behalf of Rajaraja Narendra and proceeded north into the Kalinga kingdom.In 1032 Vijayaditya again with the help of Jayasimha drove Rajaraja Narendra out and made himself king. By 1035 Rajaraja Narendra had regained his kingdom. Vijayaditya sought refuge in Jayasimha's court.

Jayasimha was succeeded by his son Somesvara I Ahavamalla in 1042.

Irivabedanga Satyasraya ( 997–1008 A.D )

Satyasraya, also known as Sattiga or Irivabedanga, was the king of the revived kalyani chalukyas.Towards the end of his rule with the great Chola Rajaraja Chola I and had to face disastrous consequences of entering into a war with the Cholas which greatly endangered his own survival as well as the territorial integrity of the kalyani chalukyas as a consequence of the Chola twin counter-onslaught into his kingdom.Satyasraya, like his predecessor partonised Kannada poet Ranna who compared the king to Bhima of Mahabharatha.

Satyasraya continued the aggressive policies of his father Tailapa II. He quickly identified the growing Chola power as his nemesis and resented their increasing influence in the Vengi region and with the kalyani chalukyas. He sent an army led by one of his generals Baya Nambi to invade the kalyani Chalukyan kingdom in 1006 A.D. to overthrow the Chola-Chalukya alliance and bring the east coast under his control. The general entered Vengi from the south, reduced the forts of Dharanikota and Yanamadala to ashes and established himself at Chebrolu (Guntur). Rajaraja Chola distracted the attention of Satyasraya by sending his son Rajendra Chola I to invade Rattapadi in the west and thus compelled him to withdraw his army from Vengi for the defence of his realm.

According to Chalukya records, Satyasraya gained success in war against the Cholas, though this is not supported by any epigraphical or inscriptional evidence, especially considering that for several years after his war with the Cholas led by Raja Raja Chola I's son Rajendra Chola I in 1007-08 AD, the inscriptions of Satyasraya himself are issued from places far away from his capital Manyakheta, like Kogali and Kadambalige in Chitradurga district of modern Karnataka claiming him to be 'ruling from' those places.

During his reign the Paramaras and Chedi,rulers of areas that are modern Gujarat and Central India reconquered the territory that they had lost to the Chalukyas earlier. Satyashraya, however, subdued the Shilahara king Aparijitha ruler of North Konkana. He was drawn into a war with the Cholas under Raja Raja Chola I because of their close association with the Eastern Chalukya kingdom of Vengi, which was cemented through marriage. Perceiving this to be an increased interference of Cholas in his sphere of influence, Satyasraya invaded Vengi in 1006 AD.

The Cholas responded with a two-pronged attack on the Vengi kingdom and on the kalyani Chalukya territory itself. The Chola armies were led by Rajendra Chola I. According to Chalukya records, Rajendra marched up to Donur, deep inside the Chalukya country, near what is modern Bijapur. He subsequently raided and captured Banavasi and also conquered large parts of the Raichur Doab.In a subsequent lightning raid by another Chola regiment consisting of ace cavalrymen and a fleet of over 6000 well-armed elephants with four men with swords and arches above them, the Cholas sacked the Chalukyan capital of Manyakheta itself and Satyashraya had to flee the battlefield in dire haste. Raja Raja Chola I entered into war with the Chalukyas following the maxim that attack is the best form of defence, by attacking Chalukya positions right in their capital Manyakheta (Mannaikadakkam in Tamil records),while deploying several other divisions to attack Chalukya positions in Vengi, and chased the Chalukya forces from Vengi to the lower Deccan plateau, near Kulpak (Kollippakkei in Chola records), which is around 45 miles north of modern Hyderabad. These tough measures compelled Satyashraya to withdraw his forces from Vengi because his own capital Manyakheta had been seized by the Chola Crown Prince Rajendra Chola I. The vanquished Satyashraya, thereafter, was forced to shift south of Manyakheta the capital of his kingdom and issued inscriptions for several years, as 'Satyashraya ruling from Kogali' (near Chitradurga). Rajendra Chola returned the territories to him and his forces returned to the Chola country with many riches accumulated from this grand victory. Apparently, Satyasraya was decapitated in his war with Rajendra Chola for he was succeeded by his son Vikramaditya V within two years. The Cholas, presumably because of this, also preferred to strengthen their position in Vengi rather than focus on the Chalukya country, for there were no clashes between the Cholas and the kalyani Chalukyas during the reign of Vikramaditya V.