Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 397

DECEMBER, 1923)
BOOK NOTICES
367
BOOK-NOTICES. THE LITE AND TIMES OF CHALUKYA VIKRAMA for eight years. The contemporary great Chola DITYA VI. BY A. V. VENKATRAMA AYYAR, M.A. Virarajendra died in the year following and was
This is a little book relating to the life of a great succeeded by his own son, only to be set aside and sovereign and dealing with an important epoch
killed by & more enterprising relation, the ChAlukya. in the history of South India. Unlike many an
Chola Kulottunga, who succeeded to the other epoch or personage in Indian History this
throne in A.D. 1070. This latter was the happens to be a subject, the materials for tho his. daughter's son of the great Chola Rajendra I and tory of which we have in some quantity mainly
the legitimate successor to the Eastern ChAlukya in the shape of inscriptions. What is perhaps
territories of his father. He does not appear better in this particular case, we have a life of the
to have made very much of this patrimony of ruler written, no doubt in true epic fashion, but
his, and had been, for some reason or other, and by a person directly and intimately acquainted
perhaps with some little justification in his own with him also. The whole of India south of the
eyes, waiting to succeed to this Chola empire. He "Vindhyas was divided during the last quarter took the opportunity when the Chola Virarajendra of the eleventh century and the first quarter of
died and his son succeeded to the throne, with the twelfth between the dominant rulers, the the aid of his brother-in-law, the prince Chalukya ChOla-Chalukya Kulottunga I and the Western Vikramaditya. That gave the occasion for him Chalukya VikramAditya VI. We have therefore to occupy the Chola throne. for the period a certain quantity of information, Prince Vikramaditya, with his elder brother both of a friendly character and a quantity of Someávara, had already a creditable share in the matter bearing witness on the opposite side. achievement of the father in his manful struggle The period lends itself therefore to far fuller against the Cholas, and was already viceroy of treatment than several others of equal import- perhaps the most vulnerable, but at the same ance in South Indian History. Mr. Venkatrama time the most important viceroyalty of the em. Ayyar has been at the subject for some consider. pire. In the course of the series of wars between able time, and the work has been the result of the Cholas and the Châlukyas, chiefly under the years of study beginning ten years ago. He has Chola Virarajendra, Vikramaditya bore a very attempted to do justice to the subject and has considerable part and attained to some considerbrought to bear upon it a considerable amount able distinction, and, by a series of complicated of labour and careful investigation of facts. transactions, had entered into a treaty with the
Vikramaditya VI was the son of a father who Chola ruler, sealed by himself marrying the great was a great man himself, and fought for the main- Chola's daughter. He let his brother rule however tenance of his kingdom against a succession of for over seven years after this event and powerful Chola rulers, who exhibited a hatred of ultimately succeeded to the throne by attacking the Chalukya empire and wreaked their vengeance and throwing his brother into prison. The main upon it for all that they suffered from the Rash-| incident in the life of Vikramaditya himself, and trakatas, the immediate predecessors of the Chå- the problem calling for solution in the history lukyss themselves. The wars were therefore of the time, were the unravelling of the series of more than ordinarily bitter and very often had the complicated transactions leading up to this been carried with destructive effect to the usurpation, as it seems. Mr. Venkatrama Ayyar very heart of the Chalukyan empire. Somsvara with painstaking carefulness has sorted out and struggled manfully against this irresistible tor. narrated the series of events leading up to this rent, and, on the whole, may be considered.to third act of the tragedy so far as Soméhvara 11 have held his own.
was concerned, and has on the whole done his He died what to modern people must appear
work carefully and well. But in respect of the an unnatural death, while the struggle was the
usurpation itself he has got into so much horohottest and the balance of success in the war 'still
worship by the time that he reaches the period doubtful. The responsibilities of maintaining the
of usurpation, that he lets himself go into arguing struggle and keeping the enemy out of the em.
that Vikramaditya's was almost & legitimate pire attached to the ChAjukya empire at the time,
succession to the throne of his brother, and exo. whoever the successor was. Som svara Ahave.
nerates him from the responsibility of having malla left three sons at least at the time of his
cherished the idea of a usurpation and of plandeath, of whom the eldest happened to be some
ning and carrying it out. We very much fear évara, and perhaps the fittest in Vikramaditya.
in this effort he overshoots the mark. His own The eldest son Soméévars succeeded to his throne,
exhibition of facts seems to give a clear indication apparently without difficulty, soon after the death that in his transactions, which terminated with of his father in A.D. 1068 and continued to rule his marriage with a Chols princese, there must