Pulakeshin (IAST: Pulakeśin, r. c. 540–567) was the first sovereign ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi (modern Badami). He ruled parts of the present-day Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states in the western and central Deccan region of India. Pulakeshin established the city of Vatapi and performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice to assert his sovereign status. The dynasty established by him went on to rule a major part of peninsular India in the subsequent years.
Names and titles
Various variants of the name "Pulakeshin" appear in the dynasty's inscriptions, including Polekeshin (Polekeśin), Polikeshin (Polikeśin), and Pulikeshin (Pulikeśin). According to historians J. F. Fleet and D. C. Sircar, the name may be a Sanskrit-Kannada hybrid word meaning "tiger-haired". K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, on the other hand, derived the name from the Sanskrit words pula or pola ("great") and keśin ("lion").
The 'Badami Chalukyas' published by Kannada University of Hampi the meaning of 'Polekesi' (Pulakesi, Pulikesi) Written by N. Laxmi Narayana Rao mentioned "Dr. Fleet says that Pōlekesi may be the original form as the earliest epigraph of the dynasty (Chālukya) records Pōlekesi. The pioneer in the field of the epigraphic studies, Dr. Kiel Horn too used the same form of the name. The first form of the name Pōlekesi is formed by the combination of two Kannada words Pōle and Kēsi. The word Pōle means Hōlemane; agricultural family. The word Kēsi is a short form of the word Kēsava. This word is found in the same form in the Kannada literature. It is noteworthy here that the author of the 'Shabdhamani Darpana' has noted his name in both of the forms, Kēsi as well as Kēsava"
The Chalukya inscriptions confer a number of titles and epithets on Pulakeshin:
Satyashraya (abode of truth) Rana-vikrama (valorous in war); appears in the Satara copper-plate inscription of Vishnuvardhana and the Godachi copper plate inscription of Klrttivarman I Shri-prithvi-vallabha (the husband of the goddess of fortune and the Earth i.e. Vishnu), and its variants (Vallabha, Vallabha-raja, Shri-vallabha); this title indicates paramountcy Maharaja (great king) Raja-simha (lion among kings); appears in the Altem copper-plate inscription Dharma-maharaja (great king of dharma); appears in the Godachi inscription
Early life
Pulakeshin was the son and successor of Ranaraga, and a grandson of Jayasimha, the earliest historically attested ruler of his family. His predecessors were vassal kings, probably that of the Kadambas or the early Rashtrakutas of Manapura (not to be confused with the later imperial Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta). The records of the later Kalyani Chalukyas, who claimed descent from the Vatapi Chalukyas, name Pulakeshin's father as Vijayaditya. However, these records can be dismissed as unreliable, as the Vatapi Chalukya records explicitly name Ranaraga as Pulakeshin's father.
Reign
Pulakeshin was the first sovereign ruler of his dynasty, and as such, has been termed as the "real founder" of his dynasty. Some scholars, such as K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, theorize that Pulakeshin was initially a Kadamba vassal, and later declared independence by taking control of the area around Vatapi. Others, such as Durga Prasad Dikshit, theorize that he was a feudatory of the Rashtrakutas of Manapura, and captured the former Kadamba territory as their subordinate.
The Chalukya inscriptions suggest that Pulakeshin made Vatapi his capital by constructing a fort there. His earliest inscription, issued under the title Vallabheshvara, has been discovered at Badami, and is dated to 543 CE (Shaka year 465). Pulakeshin probably ascended the throne a few years earlier, around 540.
According to his 543 Badami inscription, Pulakeshin performed Ashvamedha sacrifice. However, the early records of the dynasty do not provide any specific details about his military achievements. Historian D. C. Sircar suggested that the Chalukya military successes achieved during his reign can be attributed to his son and commander-in-chief Kirttivarman I. This suggestion is corroborated by the fact that the Chiplun inscription credits Kirttivarman I with founding the city of Vatapi. However, this statement can alternatively be explained by assuming that the construction of the Vatapi fort was started during Pulakeshin's reign and was completed during Kirttivarman's reign.