Kalachuri

Kalachuri refers to several medieval Indian dynasties that used Kalachuri as a dynastic name. The term is applied to distinct polities that rose in different regions of central and southern India from roughly the 6th to the 13th centuries. The Kalachuri were part of the complex network of medieval Indian kingdoms and are known mainly from inscriptions in Sanskrit and Prakrit, as well as from coin finds. Their political fortunes varied, but they generally played a role as regional powers amid larger neighboring dynasties.

Kalachuris of Tripuri, also called the Kalachuris of Chedi, ruled in central India with a capital at Tripuri near present-day Jabalpur. Their era is usually dated from the early medieval period into the later centuries, roughly from the 6th to the 11th or 12th century. They patronized Shaivism and supported temple building. Inscriptions from this line emphasize land grants, military victories, and royal genealogies, though their power declined as other regional powers rose.

Kalachuris of Ratnapur (Ratanpur) controlled parts of present-day Chhattisgarh, with their capital at Ratanpur. Their prominence is generally placed in the 11th to 13th centuries, overlapping with the Tripuri Kalachuris and with the rise of neighboring powers such as the Yadavas and later Delhi Sultanate influences in the region. Their inscriptions and coins attest local sovereignty and temple patronage.

Kalachuris of Karnataka, known as the Western Kalachuris, ruled portions of present-day Karnataka during the 10th to 12th centuries, with capitals at Karahalli and later Basavakalyan. They formed a northern branch that interacted with the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, and later regional states such as the Hoysalas and Yadavas. Their legacy includes regional temple architecture and the support of Shaiva and Jain communities.

The Kalachuri tradition declined by the late medieval period, but their inscriptions and material remains provide insight into the political and cultural development of early medieval central and southern India.