The fortunes of Western Deccan were vacillating between Rashtrakuta chieftains and the Chalukyas during a period of more than tow centuries.
The Chalukyas of Vatapi who came to dominate Western Deccan in the days of Pulakesin I brought the whole of the plateau under their rule and after a temporary recession after the battle of Vatapi in 642, had by no means an ignoble era of effective government of their credit. This dynasty was brought to an end in the days of Kirthivarman II (AD 746-AD 753), by one of his own subordinate chieftains Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta.
The power of the Rashtrakutas lasted till 973 when one of their own subordinates by name Taila II rose in rebellion against the Rashtrakutas and usurped the throne. The last Rashtrakuta ruler was Karka II. Taila (AD 973-AD 997) was perhaps after all no usurper. He was but recapturing power from the successor of an usurper who rose against the last of the Chalukyas of Vatapi and Taila II also was a Chalukya. So this act of rebellion constituted but a restoration. How he was related to the Chalukyas of Vatapi is not known.
His rebellion was assisted by some of the other feudatories of the Rashtrakutas, which shows that the last of the Rashtrakutas was unpopular and inefficient. The Kalachuris of Tripuri surely must have helped them, for Taila’s mother came of that family; and the Kalachuris never forgot their defeat at the hands of Krishna HI.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
After his success against Karka II, he had to overcome the combined opposition of some of the other feudatories and that of the Gangas of Talakad. Taila II made Kalyani his capital; he married the daughter of the deposed Karka II. The achievements against his ovderlord and his fellow subordinates were no indication of his military competence, for he was defeated by Munja Paramara six times and it was only on the seventh occasion that he overpowered his distinguished enemy and that was in 995.