Veera Ballala II
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Amriteshwara temple 1196, Chikkamagaluru district

Veera Ballala II (Kannada: ವೀರ ಬಲ್ಲಾಳ) (1173 - 1220 CE) was the greatest monarch of the Hoysala Empire. This is proven by his successes against the Seuna, Southern Kalachuri, Pandya and the waning Kalyani Chalukya and Chola dynasties. His period also saw prolific literary activity in Kannada. He patronised Ranna and Rudrabhatta. During his forty seven years of rule, the Hoysala kingdom consolidated to the extent of being called an independent empire. The Kedareshwara temple at Halebidu and Amritheswara temple in Chikmagalur were some important temples built by him.

Ballala's revolt

Ballala II was unhappy with the shrinking size of the Hoysala kingdom during the rule of his not too popular father Narasimha I. With the help of some malnad chiefs, Ballala II overthrew his father and assumed control of the kingdom. He later ensured the same Malnad chiefs could not rise against him.

Wars against Kalachuri, Chalukya and Seuna

Profile, Kedareshwara Temple in Halebidu

During his early rule in 1178 Ballala II captured Hanagal and tried to reach Belvola where he faced defeat against the Kalachuri. But in the subsequent years with the weakening of the Kalachuri after the assassination of Bijjala II and the waning of the Kalyani Chalukya power, Veera Ballala II once again pressed his claims over these northern territories. He captured Balligavi from the Kalachuri and defeated Chalukya Somesvara IV in 1187. He won a comprehensive victory against the Seuna Bhillama V at Soraturu in 1190 and gained much material and land gains from the victory. An inscription dated 1196 claims he had reached as far north as Kaliburgi (Gulbarga). He certainly had full control over lands up to the Krishna River. However by 1212 it seems some of his gains were lost due to southern incursions of Senua Singhana II.

Relations ship with Cholas

Ballala II was married to a daughter of Kulothunga Chola III and vice versa. When the Pandyas attacked the Cholas, Ballala's sent crown prince Vira Narasimha II who fought successfully to maintain the Chola kingdom and drive back the Pandyas. By virtue of this, Ballala II gained the title Cholarajyapratishtacharya or "Establisher of the Chola kingdom". In 1206-1218 Hoysalas invaded Magadai Mandalam. His overlordship over the Cholas gained him some territories in Tamil country as well.

References

• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, A Concise history of Karnataka from pre-historic times to the present, Jupiter books, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002) OCLC: 7796041
• K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002), ISBN 019560686-8

External links

• History of Karnataka, Arthikaje

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