INDIA , THAT IS BHARAT -A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, #BHARAT[PART-69][EP-298]

HOYSALA DYNASTY

The HOYSALA DYNASTY ruled over KANNADIGA region , now KARNATKA , between the 10th and 14th century AD .The capital of HOYSALAS was initially located at BELUR and later it became HALEBIDU and TIRUVANNAMALAI . Common languages of the people were KANNADA and SANSKRIT . HINDUISM and JAINISM prevailed among the masses . NIRPA KAMA II was the earliest king of the HOYSALA EMPIRE from the MALNAD region of KARNATKA from 1026 AD to 1047 AD . He might possibly be a vassal of the WESTERN GANGA DYNASTY . In the 12th century AD , taking  advantage of the internecine warfare between the WESTERN CHALUKYA EMPIRE and KALACHURI of KALYANI , the HOYSALAS annexed the areas of present-day KARNATKA and the fertile areas north of the KAVERI DELTA of TAMILAKAM . By the 13th century AD , they not only governed KARNATKA and north-western TAMIL NADU but the western ANDHRA PRADESH in the DECCAN PLATEAU also . Ruled from around 1000 AD to 1346 AD , HOYSALAS were preceded by the WESTERN CHALUKYA EMPIRE and when disestablished in 1346 AD , they were succeeded by the VIJAYANAGAR EMPIRE .The HOYSALA era was important for the development of art , architecture and religion . More than hundred surviving temples are scattered across KARNATKA which belong to the HOYSALA period of the history of the South INDIA . They include CHENNAKESHAVA TEMPLE of BELUR , the HOYSALESWARA TEMPLE of HALEBIDU and CHENNAKESAVA TEMPLE of SOMNATHAPURA . Moreover, they also patronized fine arts and encouraged literature of KANNADA and SANSKRIT to flourish in KARNATKA .

LEGENDARY BEGINNING OF HOYSALAS

KANNADA folklore tells a legend of a young man , named as SALA or POYSALA , who saved his JAIN GURU SUDATTA by killing a tiger in a forest , near the temple of the Goddess VASANTIKA at ANGADI . Since the word strike is translated into old KANNADA as HOY , hence the name HOY-SALA .The BELUR inscription of the HOYSALA king VISHNUVARDHANA of 1117 AD , clearly state how SALA became the founder of the HOYSALA DYNASTY . VISHNUVARDHANA achieved a victory over the CHOLAS at TALAKADU in 1116 AD , the legend got popularity after this event . HOYSALA emblem also depicts SALA fighting a tiger. Here one should know that the tiger was the emblem of the CHOLAS . However , the early inscriptions dated 1078 AD and 1090 AD implied that the HOYSALAS were descendants of the YADU of CHANDRAVAMSHA lineage . Historically speaking , the HOYSALAS originated from the WESTERN GHAT mountains northwest of GANGAVADI of MYSORE . During the conflict between the WESTERN CHALUKYAS and the CHOLAS , as a chieftain the HOYSALAS sided with the former , so made Provincial Governors . After the authority of the CHALUKYAS declined , the HOYSALAS achieved the status of  real kingdom under VISHNUVARDHANA . He annexed GANGAVADI and part of NOLAMBAVADI from the CHOLAS in 1116 AD and moved the capital from BELUR to HALEBIDU . After taking TALAKADU and KOLAR in 1116 AD , VISHNUVARDHANA assumed the title TALAKADUGONDA in the memory of his victory . His grandson VEERA BALLALA II during the first 20 years of his reign , freed HOYSALAS from the domination by the CHALUKYA . He declared war against the YADAVAS and defeated KADAMBAS . He declared independence in 1193 AD . In 1217 AD , VEERA BALLALA II defeated the aggressive PANDYAS after they invaded the CHOLA kingdom and the CHOLA king was to restore his kingdom .

HOYSALA SOUTHWARD HEGEMONY

Around 1225 AD , HOYSALAS extended their foothold in TAMIL NADU , making KUNNANUR KUPPAM a Provincial capital and taking control over the Southern DECCAN REGION . From 1220 to 1245 AD , HOYSALAS’ hegemony increased southwards to cover both the CHOLA and PANDYA kingdoms . At the end of the 13th century AD , VEERA BALLALA III recaptured territory in TAMIL NADU which had been lost during a PANDYA uprising . When large areas of northern INDIA was under MUSLIM rule in the early 14th century , major political changes took place in the DECCAN REGION . ALAUDDIN KHALJI , the then SULTAN of DELHI , sent his Commander MALIK KAFUR in 1311 AD on an expedition to plunder DEVAGIRI , the capital city of the SEUNA kingdom . By 1318 AD , the SEUNA kingdom had been subjugated .The HOYSALA capital HALEBIDU was besieged and sacked twice in 1311 AD and 1327 AD . In 1336 AD , the SULTAN of DELHI had conquered the PANDYA of MADURAI , the KAKATIYAS of WARANGAL and a small kingdom of KAMPILI . However, HOYSALAS were the only HINDU kingdom which resisted the invading armies . From TIRUVANNAMALAI VEERA BALLALA III offered stiff resistance to invasions from the north and the MADURAI SULTANATE to the south . After three decades of resistance , VEERA BALLALA III was killed in 1343 AD at the battle of MADURAI .The HOYSALA EMPIRE was merged with the areas administered by HARIHARA I ,the founder of the VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE . It was this new HINDU EMPIRE that resisted tooth and nail to the northern invasions .

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