Vijaya-Bhattarika (r. c. 650-655 CE) was a member of the Chalukya royal family of Deccan region in southern India. She is known from her Nerur and Kochre grant inscriptions, which call her Vijaya-Bhattarika and Vijaya-Mahadevi respectively.
| Vijaya-Bhattarika | |
|---|---|
| Chalukya regent | |
| Reign | c. 650 – c. 655 |
| Predecessor | Chandraditya |
| Successor | Vikramaditya I |
| Spouse | Chandraditya |
| Dynasty | Chalukyas of Vatapi |
Vijaya-Bhatarika was the wife of Chandraditya, who appears to have held the weakened Chalukya throne for a brief period, in the years following the Pallava invasion of the Chalukya capital Vatapi. After Chandraditya's death, Vijaya-Bhattarika seems to have acted as a regent for their minor son. Subsequently, the throne passed to her brother-in-law Vikramaditya I, who had probably become the de facto ruler during her regency, after having restored the dynasty's power as the supreme commander of the Chalukya army.
Sources of information
editVijaya-Bhattarika was a queen from the Chalukya dynasty in the 7th century, and some historical details about her are known from her inscriptions. The Nerur and Kochre (or Kochri) inscriptions are the primary sources that provide insight into her life and rule. Here’s what is generally known from these inscriptions:
Nerur Inscription: This inscription, found in present-day Maharashtra, indicates that Vijaya-Bhattarika was the wife of Chalukya ruler Vikramaditya I. The inscription also highlights her political and administrative roles, suggesting she acted as a regent during her husband's military campaigns. Vijaya-Bhattarika is depicted as a competent ruler, holding power in her own right during the absence of her husband.
Kochre (or Kochri) Inscription: This inscription reaffirms her influential position within the Chalukya dynasty. It praises her abilities not just as a queen but also as a protector and administrator of the kingdom. It demonstrates her role in the governance of the empire, possibly during a time when her husband or other male members of the royal family were preoccupied with military expeditions.
Both inscriptions underscore her authority and contributions, showing that Vijaya-Bhattarika was a significant female figure in the administration and military aspects of the Chalukya reign.
Political status
editVijaya-Bhattarika's husband Chandraditya was one of the sons of the powerful Chalukya king Pulakeshin II, who was defeated and probably killed during the Pallava invasion of the Chalukya capital Vatapi around c. 642 CE. The Chalukya power was restored by Chandraditya's younger brother Vikramaditya I around c. 655 CE, and the Chalukya history during the intervening period is uncertain: it is possible that after Pulakeshin's death, his son Adityavarman held the throne, followed by Adityavarman's son Abhinavaditya, and then by Chandraditya.[1]
The theory that Vijaya-Bhattarika ruled as a regent for her minor son after Chandraditya's death is based on the following facts:[2]
- Her Nerur and Kochre inscriptions accord her husband imperial titles, and her the titles of a chief queen: Mahishi, Bhattarika, and Mahadevi.[2]
- The inscriptions are dated in her own regnal years, which suggests that Chandraditya was dead when these grants were issued.[2]
- The inscriptions describe Vikramaditya as the person who restored Chalukya power by defeating hostile kings, but do not accord him any royal title.[2]
It is possible that Vikramaditya rose to prominence after having restored the dynasty's power as the supreme commander of the Chalukya army, and became the de facto ruler during the regency of Vijaya-Bhattarika.[3] Later, he formally ascended the Chalukya throne, possibly after the son of Vijaya-Bhattarika and Chandraditya died (naturally or otherwise).[2]
The Nerur inscription suggests that she ruled as a regent for at least 5 years.[3]
Identification with Vijayanka and Vijja
editRajashekhara, a noted Sanskrit poet and dramatist of the 9th-10th century, mentions a woman poet called Vijayanka, who belonged to the historical Karnata region (in present-day Karnataka). This region was a part of the Chalukya territory, and based on similarity of names, some modern scholars - such as M. B. Padma of University of Mysore - have identified this poet with the Chalukya royal Vijaya-Bhattarika.[4] A verse, attributed to Rajashekhara in Jalhana's Suktimuktavali, compares Vijayanka to Sarasvati, the goddess of wisdom and learning.[5]
Vijayanka, in turn, has been identified by some scholars with Vijja, a Sanskrit woman poet known from major anthologies of Sanskrit verses. One of the verses from these anthologies compares Vijja to the goddess of learning, Sarasvati, and states that she had a dark complexion unlike the goddess. This verse also mentions the famous poet Daṇḍin (a native of southern India), calling him wrong for describing Sarasvati as "all-white".[6][7] The verse may be considered as evidence supporting Vijja's connections to south India, where the Chalukyas ruled, but there is no concrete proof that she was same as the Chalukya royal Vijaya-Bhattarika.[6] In fact, such an identification results in chronological improbabilities: the poet whose works mention the 8th century poet Dandin could not have been the 7th century royal Vijaya-Bhattarika, unless she lived until the end of the century, and deigned to notice a verse by a much younger author.[8] The names "Vijaya" (literally "victory") and "Vijayanka" (literally "having the mark of victory") have a different meaning from the name Vijja (literally "knowledge" or "science").[5]
References
edit- ^ Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, pp. 116–118.
- ^ a b c d e Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, p. 117.
- ^ a b Durga Prasad Dikshit 1980, pp. 118–119.
- ^ M. B. Padma 1993, p. 167.
- ^ a b A. K. Warder 1994, p. 421.
- ^ a b A. K. Warder 1994, pp. 421–422.
- ^ Supriya Banik Pal 2010, p. 152.
- ^ A. K. Warder 1994, p. 422.
Bibliography
edit- A. K. Warder (1994). Indian Kavya Literature. Vol. 4: The ways of originality (Bana to Damodaragupta). Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0449-4.
- Durga Prasad Dikshit (1980). Political History of the Chālukyas of Badami. Abhinav. OCLC 8313041.
- M. B. Padma (1993). The Position of Women in Mediaeval Karnataka. Prasaranga, University of Mysore. OCLC 36806821.
- Supriya Banik Pal (2010). "Some Women Writers and their Works in Classical Sanskrit Literature: A Reinterpretation". In Philip F. Williams (ed.). Asian Literary Voices: From Marginal to Mainstream. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 978-90-8964-092-5.
- T. V. Mahalingam (1977). "Aditya and Vikramaditya". Readings in South Indian History. Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies / B.R.