Rashtrakuta Dynasty- Overview, Prominent Rulers, Architectural Wonders, Social Status, Religious Practices

An Overview Of The Rashtrakuta Dynasty

The inception of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty has always been contentious since there has not been solid evidence to back its roots. While some historians talk about the ancestry of Rashtrakuta dating back to King Ashoka’s reign, before the common era, certain other chroniclers deliberate over the connection between the Rashtrakutas in the 6th and 7th century to those of the 8th and 10th centuries, who are more commonly known as the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta. To understand the history behind the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, historians and scholars have inferred to various resource materials like the journals of Arab travellers like Al- Masudi (944), Sulaiman (851), Ibn Khurdadba (912), archaic inscriptions and coetaneous literature from several Kannada and Sanskrit texts. Being a dominant kingdom during the 8th till the 10th century, the Rashtrakuta empire stretched across Maharashtra, specific regions of Andhra Pradesh, with their centre being Karnataka having Kannadiga roots.

Literary records and documents indicate the heir to the throne was thoroughly lineal with no outside competition. Although in most cases, the firstborn was given priority, there were also instances when abilities and intellect for the future king were given more importance than just the chronological age. For instance, the succession of Govinda III to the throne of King Dhruva Dharavarsha was a similar experience. The Rashtrakuta Dynasty also had women to oversee certain areas of administration as exemplifying the daughter of Amoghavarsha I, Revakanimaddi, who governed Edathore Vishaya. The domains ruled by the Rashtrakutas were segregated into provinces or Rashtras, which were governed by Rashtrapati. The Rashtras were further divided into Districts or Vaishyas administered by Vishayapatis. The Grahmasor the villages, which were the lowest division, was often led by the village headman or Grahmapathi. 

Rulers Of The Rashtrakuta Dynasty

Here is a list of all the prominent rulers of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty who went down in history, defending their territories. 

Rulers of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty	Brief facts during their reign
Dantidurga	Ruled from c. 735 – c. 756 CE. Established the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. Annexed the regions between the Godavari and Vima. He made Manyakhet (Malkhed) the capital of the empire
Krishna I	Ruled from c. 756 – c.774 CE. Magnified the Rashtrakuta Empire by annexing the Ganga Dynasty and the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi. Commissioned to build the Kailash Temple at Ellora.
Govinda II	Ruled from c.774 – c. 780 CE.
Dhurva Dharmavarsha	Ruled from c. 780 – c. 793 CE. Annexed the regions of Kanchi and Bengal.
Govinda III	Ruled from c. 793 – c. 814 CE. His military accomplishments have been compared to those of Alexander the Great. He crushed the Gujara King Nagabhatta II and the Pala King Dharmapala.  Cholas, Pandyas and the Cheras paid him tribute.
Amogavarsha I	Ruled from c. 814 – c. 878 CE. Longest ruler to reign in the Rashtrakuta dynasty. Called the Ashoka of South. Patron of literature and art. He was an adept scholar whose Kavirajamarga and Prashnottara Ratnamalika works in Kannada poetics, and Sanskrit laid a benchmark for the rest of his lineage.  He practised Jainism upon spending time with Jinasena.
Krishna II	Ruled from c.878 – c. 914 CE. The uprising of the Eastern Chalukyas. Managed to oversee Gujarat from Manaykheta, thereby putting a halt to the independent position of the territory.
Indra III	Ruled from c. 914 – c. 929 CE. Re-established the Rashtrakuta Empire after its conquest.
Amogavarsha II	Ruled from c. 929 – c.930 CE.
Govinda IV	Ruled from c. 930 – c. 936 CE.
Amogavarsha III	Ruled from c. 936 – C.939 CE.
Krishna III	Ruled from c. 939 – c.967 CE. Annexed the regions of the Chola Kingdom and also overpowered the territories of Kanchi and Tanjore.
Khottiga Amogavarsha	Ruled from c.967 – c. 972 CE.
Karka II	Ruled from c. 972 – c. 973 CE. Was overthrown by the Chalukya King of Kalyani.
Indra IV	Ruled from c. 973 – c. 982 CE.

Architectural Wonders From the Era Of The Rashtrakuta Dynasty

Much of the architectural contributions were made to the Deccan by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. Instances of the art and architecture from the Rashtrakuta Empire are visible through the temple Kailasanatha at Ellora. This monolithic rock-cut temple lies unparalleled and is regarded as one of the wonders of the present world. The central place of the pedestal has monumental figures of lions and elephants, making it seem like the entire monolith rests on them. There are a few sculptures within the temple, including those of Ravana trying to uplift Mount Kailasa and another one in which Goddess Durga is portrayed slaughtering Mahishasura, the buffalo asura or demon.

Furthermore, the cave temples at Ellora and Elephanta portray the influence of both the Pandyas and the Rashtrakutas. The temple walls have chiselled figures from Hindu mythology, depicting the life and story of Shiva Parvathi and even of Ravana. The most significant sculpture of the Elephanta caves is the Trimurti which is 6 metres in height. The people under the reign of the Rashtrakuta Empire were staunch devotees of Lord Shiva, and the Trimurthi is said to symbolize Shiva as the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Worlds. 

Social Status During The Reign Of The Rashtrakuta Dynasty

Records from various documents and traveller journals mention the existence of more than the four prevalent castes, including Zakayas (castes whose main profession was acrobatics and dance) and Antyajas(provided lowly services to the upper castes and the rich). Only the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas, as usual above the caste system. Education, Mathematics, Philosophy and even poetry were restricted only to the Brahmins, taking into account that they were free to pursue whichever career they wanted. Even schooling for the Brahmin children was normal, whereas the children of Vaishyas and Shudras were not even permitted inside the school building.

Intercaste marriages were seen as heinous crimes against society, often resulting in death for the one who was from the lower caste. The practice of Sati was a common occurrence in the royal families, but recorded instances of the tradition have not been documented much. Widows were allowed to remarry, although those from the upper castes seldom did when compared to the lower castes. Widows were also permitted to grow their hair, but any form of decoration or use of ornaments on the hair was frowned upon.

Religious Practices During The Rashtrakuta Dynasty

History states that under the reign of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, the public followed Shaivism and Vaishnavism. The practice of Jainism occurred during the latter half of the Rashtrakuta reign, dominating the culture. King Amoghavarsha I have been described as an ardent supporter and devotee of Mahavira Jain and has been exalted by the mathematician Mahaviracharya in his Ganita Sarasangraha as thus – “The subjects under Amoghavarsha are happy, and the land yields plenty of grain. May the Kingdom of King Nripatunga Amoghavarsha, follower of Jainism ever increase far and wide”.

Evidence suggests the Rashtrakuta dynasty became ardent devotees of Shiva and Vishnu. Several engravings and inscriptions start with an appeal to the religious gods. One such example would be that of the Sanjan inscription wherein King Amgoshavarsha I cuts off his finger as a sacrifice to the Lakshmi Temple at Kolhapur to thwart a certain tragedy in his kingdom. The Rashtrakuta Empire supported and encouraged the flourishing of Hinduism and its different sects, including Buddhism and Adi Shankara’s Advaita Philosophy.

Conclusion

Under the reign of Indra IV (who pledged fasting unto death), the entire Empire crumbled, which led to their vassals and other clans striving for independence. The Western Chalukyas, as a result, took over the capital of Manyakheta during the 11th century, marking the decline of the Rashtrakutas. Sulaiman(c.851 CE) wrote of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty as “one among the four great contemporary empires of the world” during that era. With the decline of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, the Chola dynasty and other empires took over but mostly followed the administrative practices of the fallen dynasty. 

FAQs

• SSC CGL Handwritten Notes PDF Free Download by Toppers
• SSC Calendar 2025 Out, Download Upcoming SSC Exam Dates
• Success Story of SSC CGL 2024 Topper Shubham Agrawal, AIR 1
• Success Story Of Manjot Singh, AIR 1 SSC CGL 2024 (JSO)
• SSC JHT Exam Date, CBT Schedule