Chalukya Dynasty

(7th–8th c. C.E.) Central Indian dynasty
whose capital was at Badami, in
the Deccan plateau in modern
Karnataka. The greatest Chalukya ruler
was Pulakeshin II, who defeated the
northern Indian emperor Harsha, stopping his southern advance. He also
killed the Pallava dynasty ruler
Mahendravarman, setting off a series of
wars between the Chalukyas and the
Pallavas in which each dynasty was able
to defeat the other in battle, but neither
was strong enough to retain control of
the other’s empire. Aside from the
Chalukya dynasty based at Badami,
there were two other smaller dynasties
by the same name, both of which flourished between the tenth and thirteenth
centuries. One of these later dynasties
was in the Gujarat region, and the other
was in the Karnataka region.