South Indian Kingdoms After the Twelfth Century
By the end of the 12th and early 13th centuries, the political landscape of Deccan and South India underwent significant changes. The old powers like the Western Chalukyas and Imperial Cholas had declined, and their fall gave rise to four major regional kingdoms:
The Four Major Kingdoms (Early 14th Century)
| Dynasty | Capital | Region Ruled |
|---|---|---|
| Yadavas | Devagiri | Western Deccan (Present-day Maharashtra) |
| Kakatiyas | Warangal | Eastern Telangana |
| Hoysalas | Dvarasamudra | Present-day Karnataka |
| Pandyas | Madurai | Southern Tamil Nadu |
But this rise was short-lived. In the 14th century, the Delhi Sultanate under Alauddin Khalji and later the Tughlaqs, invaded South India. These kingdoms were either defeated, weakened, or absorbed.
🐘 The Pandyas (3rd Century BCE – 14th Century CE)
One of India’s oldest dynasties, the Pandyas had a long and eventful rule from the Sangam Age to the Khalji invasions.
Early Phase (Sangam Age – 3rd Century CE)
- Based in Madurai, ruling over southern and southeastern Tamil Nadu.
- Faced decline due to Kalabhra invasions.
Revival (6th – 9th Century CE)
- Kadunkon and his son Arikesari Maravarman drove out the Kalabhras.
- Fought against Chalukyas of Badami, Rashtrakutas, and Pallavas.
- At this time, the Cholas were minor players.
Chola Domination (9th – 12th Century CE)
- Parantaka I of the Cholas defeated Pandya King Rajasimha II in 920 CE.
- Cholas ruled over Pandya lands through Chola-Pandyas (governors).
Pandya Revival and Fall (13th – 14th Century CE)
- As Chola power declined, Pandya chieftains regained control.
- Maravarman Kulasekara defeated the last Chola ruler.
- But internal civil war between his sons Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan III and Vira Pandyan weakened the dynasty.
🔥 The Khalji Invasion & Fall
- Sundara Pandyan sought help from Alauddin Khalji.
- In 1309 CE, Malik Kafur invaded:
- Temples were looted
- Wealth was plundered
- Civilians massacred
- The weakened Pandyas were divided into small ruling families.
- A Muslim governor, Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan, declared independence in 1335, establishing the Madurai Sultanate.
🛡 The Yadavas of Devagiri (c. 1187 – 1317 CE)
Origin:
- Also called Seunas or Sevunas, ruled from Devagiri (modern Daulatabad, Maharashtra).
- Initially, feudatories under the Rashtrakutas and Western Chalukyas.
Rise:
- Bhillama V declared independence as Chalukyas declined.
- Under Singhana (13th century), their kingdom extended from the Narmada to the Tungabhadra, including:
- Maharashtra
- Northern Karnataka
- Parts of Madhya Pradesh
Fall:
- In 1307, Alauddin Khalji sent Malik Kafur, who captured Devagiri and imprisoned Ramachandra.
- Ramachandra was released and ruled as a vassal.
- Finally, in 1317, the kingdom was annexed by the Delhi Sultanate.
🏹 The Kakatiyas of Warangal (c. 1110 – 1326 CE)
Background:
- Telugu-speaking dynasty, ruled from Warangal.
- Initially feudatories of the Western Chalukyas.
Rise:
- Prola II (c. 1110–1158) declared independence.
- Ganapathi Deva (r. 1199–1262) – brought all of Telugu region under one rule.
Rudramma Devi:
- Daughter of Ganapathi Deva.
- One of the few women rulers in Indian history.
- Admired by Marco Polo, the Venetian traveler.
Prataparudra:
- Grandson of Rudramma Devi.
- Defeated by Malik Kafur in 1309, forced to pay tribute.
- Tried to regain independence after Tughlaqs replaced Khaljis in Delhi.
- Finally defeated by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s son.
- After their fall, the Musunuri Nayakas rose to power in the region.
🦁 The Hoysalas (12th – 14th Century CE)
Region:
- Ruled over most of Karnataka, parts of Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Origin:
- Kannada-speaking dynasty.
- Began as feudatories of Western Chalukyas.
Rise:
- Vishnuvardhana (r. 1108) defeated his overlords and Cholas.
- His grandson, Veera Ballala II (r. 1173), formally declared independence.
Fall:
- In 1310, Malik Kafur invaded and captured their capital, Dvarasamudra.
- Vira Ballala III, the last Hoysala ruler, surrendered treasures.
- Killed in 1343, fighting the Madurai Sultanate.
- Hoysala territories later became part of Vijayanagara Empire under Harihara I.
📚 Hoysala Literature
Hoysala kings were patrons of Kannada and Sanskrit literature, especially:
- Jain
- Veerashaiva (Shaivism)
- Some Vaishnava traditions
📖 Notable Kannada Works:
| Author | Work | Faith |
|---|---|---|
| Nagachandra | Mallinathapurana, Ramachandracharitapurana | Jainism |
| Janna | Yashodharacharite | Jainism |
| Hastimalla | Purvapurana | Jainism |
| Raghavanka | Harishchandrakavya (Secular), Siddharamapurana, Somanathacharite, Viresvara Charita | Shaivism |
| Harihara | Girijakalyana | Shaivism |
🏞 How Bengaluru Got Its Name
There’s a charming local legend behind the name Bengaluru:
- Veera Ballala II, during a hunting trip, got lost and was hungry.
- An old woman offered him a simple meal of boiled beans.
- Touched by her gesture, he named the place Benda-Kalu-Ooru, meaning town of boiled beans.
- Over time, this became Bengaluru.
🧩 Final Thoughts
The period between the 12th and 14th centuries in South India was one of transition:
- From regional monarchies to the increasing north Indian Sultanate influence.
- The Delhi Sultanate’s invasions under Malik Kafur devastated many southern kingdoms.
- Yet, this also paved the way for new formations like the Madurai Sultanate, Musunuri Nayakas, and later the Vijayanagara Empire.
These events show the resilience of regional cultures and the constant churn of political power—a crucial theme for understanding India’s medieval history.