Vikramaditya VI facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vikramaditya VI
Kaitabheshvara temple (c.1100) at Kubatur
Western Chalukya King
Reign	1076-1126 CE (50 years)
Predecessor	Someshvara II
Successor	Someshvara III
Died	1126 CE
Spouse	Chandala Devi Kethala Devi Savala Devi
Issue	Someshvara III
House	Chalukya dynasty
Father	Someshvara I

Mahadeva temple at Itagi (c.1112)

Kalleshvara temple (c.1083) at Ambali

Bhimeshvara temple at Nilagunda (c.1075-1100)

Mallikarjuna temple at Kuruvatti temple (c.1070-1100)

Vikramaditya VI was a powerful king of the Western Chalukya dynasty. He ruled for 50 years, from 1076 to 1126 CE. This was the longest reign in his family's history. He became king after taking the throne from his older brother, Someshvara II. He did this with the help of other rulers who supported him during a time when the Chola kingdom was invading.

Vikramaditya VI was known as the greatest Western Chalukya king. He even started a new calendar, called the Chalukya-Vikrama era. He had special titles like Permadideva and Tribhuvanamalla, which means "lord of three worlds." His queens were also very involved in running the kingdom. For example, Queen Chandala Devi was a skilled artist, and Queen Kethala Devi managed the Siruguppa area. Historians say he was a "great king who ruled over South India." Many old writings in Kannada about him still exist today.

Vikramaditya VI loved art and learning. His royal court was home to many famous poets and scholars. His brother, Prince Kirtivarma, wrote a book on animal medicine. A poet named Brahmashiva wrote a book called Samayaparikshe and was called the "Emperor among poets."

Famous scholars from far-off places also came to his court. Bilhana, a scholar from Kashmir, wrote a poem praising Vikramaditya's life. He compared the king's rule to a perfect kingdom. Another important person was Vijnaneshwara, a legal expert. He wrote a famous book on Hindu family law. He said that a king like Vikramaditya was "neither to be seen nor heard of," meaning he was truly unique.

Vikramaditya VI was a follower of the god Shiva. During his rule, many beautiful temples were built. Some of these include the Mallikarjuna temple, the Mahadeva temple, and the Kaitabheshvara temple. His 50-year reign was mostly peaceful and successful. At its strongest, his empire stretched across a huge part of India.

How Vikramaditya Became King

Even before he became king, Vikramaditya showed he was a strong leader. He led successful military trips when his father, Someshvara I, was still king. After his father passed away, his older brother Someshvara II took the throne. But Vikramaditya VI wanted to rule and also stop the growing power of the Chola kingdom.

He used smart plans and deals to achieve his goals. He took advantage of the Chola invasion of some Chalukya areas. He also made friends with the Chola king Virarajendra Chola. He got support from his younger brother Jayasimha and other local rulers who were under the Chalukya kingdom. These included the Pandyas, Seunas, Hoysalas, and Kadambas.

This changed things a lot, splitting the Chalukya kingdom in two. Vikramaditya VI gained control over the southern part. He even married one of Virarajendra Chola's daughters. This helped to stop the long-standing fights between the two kingdoms for a while.

Things changed again in 1069 when Virarajendra Chola died. Vikramaditya VI went to Kanchi, stopped a rebellion there, and put his brother-in-law on the Chola throne. But another powerful Chola leader, Kulothunga Chola I, had his own plans. Kulothunga took over the Chola empire. By 1076, Vikramaditya VI had defeated his older brother and became the Chalukya king. He then started his new era, the Vikrama Varsha.

Dealing with the Hoysala Kingdom

Around 1080-1082, Vikramaditya's younger brother, Jayasimha, who was a governor, rebelled. The king stopped this rebellion and forgave his brother. However, a bigger challenge came from the Hoysala dynasty. They were becoming very strong in the Malnad region of modern Karnataka. This area was like a neutral zone between the Chalukya and Chola kingdoms.

For many years, the Hoysalas had been loyal to the Chalukyas. Vikramaditya's father had even married a Hoysala princess. The Hoysala kings before Vishnuvardhana had good relations with Vikramaditya VI. But Vishnuvardhana was a very ambitious and strong ruler. He wanted to expand his kingdom.

The Hoysalas, led by Vishnuvardhana, started to grow their territory. First, they defeated the Cholas in a famous battle in 1116. This allowed the Hoysalas to take over Gangavadi, a part of modern Southern Karnataka. When Vishnuvardhana started moving north, crossing the Tungabhadra river and reaching areas like Ballary, Vikramaditya VI saw this as a serious threat.

The Chalukya emperor sent his trusted generals to handle the situation. After several battles between 1117 and 1122, Vishnuvardhana and his supporters had to accept that the Chalukyas were still their main rulers.

Success in Other Regions

From the start of his rule, Vikramaditya VI often got involved in the affairs of Vengi and Kanchi. He captured Kanchi in 1085 and held it for a few years. He also conquered parts of Vengi in 1088 and held them for many years. Vengi was under his rule again from 1093 to 1099.

In 1115, the Chola king called his son, who was governing Vengi, back to Kanchi. Seeing this opportunity, and encouraged by the Hoysalas' success against the Cholas, Vikramaditya VI sent his general Anantapala to invade Vengi. Vengi was conquered and remained under his rule from 1118 to 1124. This meant the Chola influence over Vengi disappeared for a long time. After Vikramaditya's death in 1126, the Cholas slowly started to take back Vengi.

Before 1088, Vikramaditya VI also defeated the rebellious Shilahara King Bhoja I and the Seuna Yadavas. He invaded Lata (modern Gujarat), where he attacked the capital of the Gurjara Chalukya King Karna. He also stopped the advances of the Kalachuri king. He dealt firmly with the rebellious Kadamba ruler of Goa but also gave his daughter in marriage to the Kadamba King Jayakeshi II.

Images for kids

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  Old Kannada inscription (c.1083) of King Vikramaditya VI, at the Kalleshvara Temple, Ambali

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  Old Kannada inscription (c.1107 AD) of Western Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI

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  Old Kannada inscription (c.1108 AD) of Western Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI

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  Old Kannada inscription (1112 CE) of King Vikramaditya VI in the Mahadeva temple at Itagi

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  Old Kannada inscription (c.1122 AD) of Western Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI

See also

• Vikrama Chola
• Vishnuvardhana Hoysala
• The title Vikramaditya