When Amoghavarsha III died his son Krishna III ( AD 939-AD 966) ascended the throne. One of the first things he did was to plan to avenge the defeat of Krishna II at the hands of the Cholas at Vallala. It was a standing sore to the honour of the mighty Rashtrakuta family.
So Krishna III secured the support of his brother-in-law (Ganga) Butuga who was reigning in Gangavadi. A blitzkrieg was organised and the Rashtrakuta forces dashed to the south and captured Kanchi and Tanjore.
Parantaka Chola, taken by surprise, however, soon rallied his forces and for a moment held back the invader. But in AD 949 at Takkolam where the opposing forces met, a terrible and decisive battle was fought. In this battle Rajaditya, the Chola crown Prince who attacked the enemy forces from an elephant’s back was killed by the sure aim of a determined arrow. The prince fell in batle and earned posthumously the title ‘Yanai Mel Tunjiya’ (killed while being seated on an elephant).
This was a serious blow to the Chola cause. The defending forces were badly beaten and Vallala was more than avenged at Takkolam. There was a temporary eclipse of the Chola power. The victorious Krishna marched down to Rameswaram and set up a pillar of victory there. He is said to have built the temples of Krishneswara and Gangamartandaditya near Rameswaram.
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The Rashtrakuta left the Chola kingdom to itself annexing only the Tondaimandalam which remained within his empire till the end jof his reign. As a result of his southern expedition he gave himself the tide ‘Kanchiyum Tanjaiyum Konda’ (the conqueror of Kanchi and Tanjore).
More than a decade after this signal success Krishna led the usual expedition into North India. His definite objectives in the north are not known, but it is known that he occupied Ujjain for a while having defeated the Paramara ruler Siyaka. He had his share of an aggressive thrust against the eastern Chalukyas.
His interference there resulred in the expulsion of Amma II and the enthronement of Badappa in AD 956. But affairs became soon normal in Vengi where Amma II regained the throne and rid the country of the Rashtrakuta menace. Krishna was a powerful monarch whose military fortunes fluctuated generally in his favour and occasionally against him as in the north.
The Poets-Ponna and Pampa
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In his time the Deccan witnessed a rare resurgence of literary achievement. He personally patronised the Kannada poet Ponna on whom he conferred the title of ‘Ubhaya Kavi Chakravarthi’ since the poet was proficient in Sanskrit as well as in Kannada. Another great Kannada poet Pampa who composed the Bharata in 941 was patronised by one of the chieftains of the realm.
Decline
Krishna passed away in AD 966 and was succeeded by his younger brother Khottiga who ruled from AD 967to A.D. 973. In his reign Siyaka Paramara did to the Rashtrakutas what the latter did to the Cholas under Krishnia III.
Siyaka sacked Malkhed and this sounded the death knell of Rashtrakuta power. Unable to bear the humiliation Khottiga died and was followed by his nephew Karka (in AD 973) who was destined to be the last of the Rashtrakuta rulers. He reigned for a few months in AD 973 and was soon dethroned by one of his chieftains Taila II, a Chalukya, no doubt connected with the Chalukyas of Badami whose government was upset by the Rashtrakuta Dantidurga.