An interregnum followed, and it lasted from AD 642 to AD 655. Vikramaditya I, the third son of Pulakesin II, patiently waited for more propitious times for the recovery of the lost prestige, power and the kingdom. The recovery took place in 655. This competent son of a brilliant but unfortunate father rehabilitated the Chalukyan kingdom after an anarchy of 13 years.

The Gadval plates issued in the 20th regnal year (674) of this ruler declare when the record was issued the Chalukyan army was encamping on the southern bank the Kaviri, to be more precise at Uragapura i.e., Uraiyur.

There is perhaps no exaggeration in this statement and it at least shows that the recovery was complete. The Chalukyan claim is countered by opposing claims in Pallava inscriptions which speak of Chalukyan defeat in the Tamil country.

Vikramaditya I in addition to taking the usual Chalukyan titles assumed also the title Rajamalla suggesting that he became sovereign of the Mallas namely, the Pallavas. He was Ranarasika meaning a lover of battle and he is said to have captured Kanchi and conquered Isvara Potharaja, i.e., Paramesvaravarman I.

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These claims are countered by the Pallava claim that Vikramaditya I fled the Tamil country ‘covered only by a rag’ and this statement may have some truth in it. But both parties agree that there was a Chalukyan invasion of the Pallava kingdom and possibly a Chalukyan occupation of Kanchi though only for a while. It may, however, be noted that the occupying Chalukyan forces did not destroy Kanchi and their conduct was in marked contrast to the Pallavan pillage of Vatapi.

The facts of the situation relating to this encounter have been reconstructed for available data as follows: When Vikramaditya I anxious to avenge his father’s defeat at hands of the Pallava marched into the Tamil country, Narasimhavarman the Mamalla passed away; his son and successor Mahendravarman also had come and gone; his Paramesvaravarman I was then the reigning prince.

Evidently the Pallava ruler did n expect a punitive raid from Vikramaditya. But the raid did occur and the Chalukyan approached Kanchi which the Pallava promptly fled. The invader pursued the flee1 Pallava to beyond the banks of the Kaviri at Uraiyur where possibly a meeting between successful invading Chalukyan and his friend the Pandya took place.

Paramesvarava wishing to throw back the invader collected a large army and battled at Vilande Bhuvikrama the Ganga accomplice of Vikramaditya. The Pallava lost the battle as well as a valuable crown jewel containing a jem named Ugrodaya. Still he thought of making up in strategy his deficiency in tactics, and so sent an army into the Chalukyan kingdom to distract the enemy’s attention.

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Near Uraiyur at a place called Peruvalanallur another battle was fought in which he managed to inflict defeat on the invaders. The Pallava army which struck deep into the Chalukyan territory successfully combated Vinayaditya and Vijayaditya the son and grandson respectively of Vikramaditya and returned to Tondaimandalam with! Considerable booty. Thus it transpires that there is much truth in the version of these expeditions and counter-expeditions of both sides.

Vikramaditya I, to whom the Western Chalukya kingdom at Vatapi owed its resurgence passed away in AD 681. His successor Vinayaditya assisted by his son Vijayaditya once invaded North India perhaps with some success. But little else happened. Vijayaditya w’ ruled for about 37 years had the longest reign period among the Vatapi Chalukyas to his credit.

His reign was absolutely peaceful and relatively prosperous, marked generally by temple-building and other similar activities. Vijayaditya’s son Vikramaditya II ruled fro AD 733 to AD 745 and his reign is noted for his repeated invasions of Tondaimandal The copper plates of his successor Kirtivarman II describe how this second Vikramaditya ‘defeated the natural foe, entered the Pallava capital Kanchi without destroying it and even restored to the Rajasimhesvara and other temples heaps of gold and rubies which had been taken away from them a statement confirmed by Vikramaditya’s inscription’.

In this invasion the Chalukya was ably assisted by his Ganga feudatory Sri Purusha. The reigning Pallava monarch Nandivarman Pallavamalla who had sustained defeat about 740 recovered his capital soon. This was the last conflict between the Vatapi Chalukyas and the Pallavas.

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Vikramaditya II is also noted for his temple-building activities.

Decline

Kirtivarman II ruled for ten years till AD 755 when the power of the Vatapi Chalukyas was broken. While he reined he and his Ganga subordinate Sri Purusha waged war with the Pandya Maravarman Rajasimha I who was threatening the southern flanks of the Ganga territory by invading Malakongam. In an ensuing battle at Venbai Kirtivarman and his Ganga ally sustained a big defeat.

The Pandya collected a victory for himself and a Ganga princess for his son in 750. Kirtivarman II whose reign is singularly devoid of honorable achievements and who allowed his feudatory Dantidurga (the Rashtrakuta) to grow in power under his very nose succumbed to the overgrown rebel in AD 752/AD 753 when he was unceremoniously relieved of his royal position by a final assault mounted by the Rashtrakuta.

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Kirtivarman was reduced to the position of an obscure chieftain. The last of the rulers of Vatapi, the direct descendant of the great Pulakesin carried on for a few years more and passed out of history ingloriously. Later inscriptions bewailed ‘in his reign the Rajyasri of the Chalukyas disappeared from the face of the earth’.