The Eastern Calukyas
By Dhirendra Chandra Ganguly
Summary
In this essay Ganguly traces the genealogy and history of the Eastern Calukyas of Vengi, an offshoot of the Western Calukyas of Badami. Using inscriptions and Puranic lists, he reconstructs a line beginning with Kubja Viśnuvardhana, who separated from his brother Pulakeśin II around the seventh century. The article discusses the consolidation of Vengi, the transition from subordinate status to autonomy, and the dynasty’s alliances through marriage with the Cholas. Ganguly situates the Eastern Calukyas within Deccan politics, noting their patronage of Telugu literature and promotion of Shaivism and Vaishnavism. Economic and administrative details gleaned from grants illustrate land tenure systems and the role of Buddhist monasteries. The study concludes that the Eastern Calukyas played a crucial intermediary role between northern and southern cultures and acted as a bridge for the diffusion of Sanskritic traditions into the Telugu country.
Conclusion
Ganguly’s conclusion emphasizes that the Eastern Calukyas, though initially an offshoot of the Calukya empire, developed an independent identity by cultivating local elites and embracing Telugu culture. Their alliance with the Cholas resulted in a major cultural efflorescence, and their polity laid foundations for subsequent regional kingdoms in the eastern Deccan.