Vishnuvardhana: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox royalty

| image = Vishnuvardhana.JPG

| alt = Vishnuvardhana

| caption = Vishnuvardhana

| succession = [[Hoysala Empire|Hoysala King]]

| reign = {{circa|1108|1152 CE}}

| successor = [[Narasimha I]]

| dynasty = [[Hoysala Empire|Hoysala]]

| religion = [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavite Hinduism]] (convertconverted from [[Jainism]]) {{sfn|Govindāchārya|1906|p=180}}{{sfn|Stein|1989|p=16}}{{sfn|Menon|2013|p=127}}{{sfn|Smith|1920|p=203}}

| predecessor = [[Veera Ballala I]]

| birth_name = Bitti Deva

| spouse = Shantaladevi, Lakshmidevi

{{Hoysala Kings Infoboxsidebar}}

'''Vishnuvardhana''' (r. 1108–1152 CE) was a king of the [[Hoysala Empire]] in what is today the modern state of [[Karnataka]], India. He ascended the Hoysala throne after the death of his elder brother [[Veera Ballala I]] in c.1108. Originally a follower of [[Jainism]] and known as Bitti Deva, he came under the influence of the Hindu philosopher [[RamanujacharyaRamanuja]], converted to Hindu [[Vaishnavism]] and took the name "Vishnuvardhana".{{sfn|Govindāchārya|1906|p=180}}{{sfn|Stein|1989|p=16}}{{sfn|Menon|2013|p=127}}{{sfn|Smith|1920|p=203}} His queen Shanthala however remained a Jain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nandakumar |first=Prathibha |date=March 26, 2018 |title=‘Religion must be burnt every 1,000 yrs’ |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/views/religion-must-be-burnt-every-1000-yrs/articleshow/63455865.cms |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=Bangalore Mirror |language=en}}</ref> This was the transition period from Jainism to [[Hinduism]]. Vishnuvardhana took the first steps in creating an independent Hoysala Empire in [[South India]] through a series of battles against his overlord, the [[Western Chalukya]] King [[Vikramaditya VI]], and the [[Chola Empire]] to the south. He recovered parts of Gangavadi province (modern southern Karnataka) from the hegemony of the Cholas in the battle of Talakad,{{sfn|Sen|1999|pp=386-387, 485}} and parts of [[Nolamba dynasty|Nolambavdi]].{{sfn|Sen|2013|pp=58-60}} According to historian Coelho, the Hoysalas gained the dignity of a kingdom due to the efforts of Vishnuvardhana, whose rule was packed with "glorious" military campaigns.{{sfn|Kamath|1980|p=124}}<ref name="dignity">Coelho in Kamath (1980), p.124</ref> According to historians Sen, Chopra et al., and Sastri, Vishnuvardhana was a "great soldier" and an "ambitious monarch".<ref name="santara"/><ref name="Kanchi"/><ref name="ambition">Sen (1996), p.386</ref>

Vishnuvardhana was the governor over parts of Gangavadi during the rule of his elder brother [[Veera Ballala I]]. After ascending the Hoysala throne, his first major conquest was that of the occupied [[Chola empire|Chola]] territories of Gangavadi in c.1116. According to the historian Kamath, the disgruntled Chola governor Adigaiman may have helped Vishnuvardhana in his conquest. Being a Vaishnava Hindu by faith, the Chola governor may not have been treated well by King [[Kulothunga Chola I]].<ref name="Chola">Kamath (1980), p.124</ref><ref name="overthrow">Sen (1999), p.485</ref> But Sastri claims Vishnuvardhana overwhelmed Adigaiman before gaining his support.<ref name="santara">Sastri (1955), p.174</ref> By c.1117, Vishnuvardhana defeated the other rulers of the Nilgiri region, such as the Chengalvas, the Kongalvas (resulting in his marriage to the Kongalva princess Chandaladevi, according to historian Derrett), and the Nidugal Chola ruler Irukkavela. According to Kamath, Vishnuvardhana's forces marched as far as [[Kanchi]]. The Nolambas of Nolambavadi, [[Kadamba dynasty|Kadambas]] of Banavasi and Goa (ruled by Jayakesi II), the Pandyas of Uchchangi (a small dynasty of rulers near the Tungabhadra), the [[Alupa dynasty|Alupas]] of Tulunadu, and the [[Santara dynasty|Santaras]] of Hosagunda had to pay tribute and accept Vishnuvardhana as their overlord.<ref name="santara">Sastri (1955), p.174</ref><ref name="lord">Kamath (1980), p.125</ref><ref name="pandya">Chopra, Ravindran and Subrahmanian (2003), p.152-153</ref> Hoysala inscriptions of the period note Vishnuvardhana's conquest of the Nilgiris. The [[Chamarajanagara]] inscription gives details that his armies crossed the Nila mountains and proclaims him the "master of Kerala". According to the historians Chopra, Ravindran and Subhramanian, other records mention his temporary stay in [[Kanchi]] after his victories over the Cholas. Vishnuvardhana was responsible in part for the disruption to the Chola empire.<ref name="Kanchi">Chopra, Ravindran and Subrahmanian (2003), p.153</ref> With these victories, Vishnuvardhana assumed the titles ''Talakadugonda'' ("Lord of [[Talakad]]") and ''Nolambavadi gonda'' ("Lord of the Nolambas").<ref name="gonda">Kamath (1980), pp.124-125</ref>

Vishnuvardhana was a great builder. To celebrate his success against the Cholas, he built the Keerthi Narayana temple at Talakad, and the spectacular Vijayanarayana temple at [[Belur, Karnataka|Belur]] (also called the [[Chennakeshava Temple, Belur|Chennakesava Temple]], dedicated to the Hindu god [[Vishnu]]).<ref name="Chola"/> Around the same time, the [[Hoysaleswara Temple]], more ornate than the one at Belur and dedicated to the Hindu god [[Shiva]] was consecrated.<ref name="garuda">{{cite web|title=Hoysala Heritage|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2008/stories/20030425000206700.htm |author=Professor S. Settar|publisher=Frontline, From the publishers of the Hindu|work=Frontline, Volume 20 - Issue 08, April 12–25, 2003|access-date=2006-11-22}}</ref><ref name="shiva">Foekema (1996) p.14</ref> TheThese two temples of Belur and Halebidu, areand athe proposed [[UNESCOChennakeshava Temple, Somanathapura|Keshava temple at Somanathapura]] (built by Hoysala king [[WorldNarasimha Heritage SitesIII|world heritageNarsimha sitesIII]]) were accorded UNESCO World Heritage Site status.<ref name="heritageunesco">{{cite newsweb|title=Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala - Tentative ListsHoysalas|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5898list/1670 |workauthor=UNESCO |access-date=4World SeptemberHeritage 2014Convention|locationpublisher=© UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris, France1992-2023|work=UNESCO|access-date=July 20142023-10-03}}</ref> With in the Chennakesava temple complex is the smaller yet ornate Kappe Chennigaraya temple built by Vishnuvardhana's noted queen Shantaladevi.<ref name="kappe">Jyotsna Chatterji, (1990), p.91, ''Religions and the status of women'', Uppal Publishing House for William Carey Study and Research Centre, Calcutta</ref>

[[Category:Converts to Hinduism from Jainism]]