Rashtrakuta

The Rashtrakuta Dynasty was a major imperial power in the Deccan region of India, ruling large portions of central and southern India from the 8th to the 10th century. Its heartland lay in the Western Deccan, with the capital at Manyakheta (present-day Malkhed, Karnataka). Dantidurga is traditionally regarded as its founder after overthrowing the Chalukyas of Vatapi in the mid-8th century.

The Rashtrakutas reached their greatest territorial extent in the 9th century under rulers such as Govinda III and Amoghavarsha I. Govinda III (reigned around 793–814) expanded the empire into northern and central India, while Amoghavarsha I (circa 814–878) is remembered for his literary and administrative patronage, including the Kannada and Sanskrit Kavirajamarga.

Religious and cultural policy was pluralistic. The dynasty supported Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Jainism, fostering temples, monasteries, and scholarly activity across their domains. They are associated with major architectural achievements, including rock-cut and cave temples in the Deccan and the celebrated Ellora Kailasa temple, a vast rock-cut monument built during Rashtrakuta rule in the 8th–9th centuries.

Administrative and cultural contributions included a centralized court culture, Sanskrit and Kannada literature, and a flowering of Deccan art and architecture. The era helped lay foundations for later regional powers through infrastructure, land grants, and patronage of learning.

Decline began in the late 9th and early 10th centuries as Western Chalukyas and other rivals gained strength. By the late 10th century the Rashtrakuta realm had weakened and its territories were absorbed by neighboring dynasties. The Rashtrakutas are remembered for their role in Deccan politics, literature, and monumental architecture, notably the Ellora complex.