Krishna II succeeded Amoghavarsha circa and had the titles Subhatunga and Akalavarsha. A verse repeated in a number of epigraphs state that he frightened the Gurjaras, humbled the Gandas, deprived the people on the seashore of their abodes and, in addition, was worshipped by the Andhra, Kalinga and Magadha rulers standing at his gates. Prasasti and therefore not exactly history perhaps, but some of these exploits are referred to in other sources. A fragmentary Pratihara inscription mentions Bhoja’s attack on Krishna-raja and refers to Narmada in this regard.
The Nausari plates (AD 914) refer to old men describing the Guijara-Rashtrakuta fight as thundering and the Bagumra plates (888) state that Krishna of the Lata branch of the Rashtrakutas conquered Ujjain before the eyes of his suzerain (Vallabha). During the reign of Amoghavarsha, there were friendly relations between the main and the collateral branch of the Rashtrakutas, and the Latas generally came to the aid of the main family, particularly for the defence of Malwa. Following Krishna’s accession to the throne, Bhoja tried to consolidate his position by invading Lata and Malwa. Krishna with the help of his Lata feudatory (also named Krishna) was able to resist the attack.
But Krishna’s relationship with the feudatories did not remain friendly for a long time. The Kapdvanj grant of 910 shows Krishna ruling Lata directly with the assistance of a new feudatory, Prachanda of the Brahmavakas. The matter is further enunciated in a verse stating that “out of fear for the valour of Krishna, the whole of the Khetaka- mandala was abandoned by those who were unfriendly to him”. Similar ups and downs marked his relations with Vengi. It would seem that Krishna’s association with people who rebelled against his father Amoghavarsha did not make him popular and the Vengi ruler Gunaga Vijayaditya tried to take advantage of it. He rebelled against the Rashtrakuta supremacy, and Krishna’s attempt to subjugate him ended in disaster. The events are described in Eastern Chalukyan sources, particularly those relating to Pananga, the talented general of Gunaga Vijayaditya.
Gunaga took over from Krishna the palidhvaja and the insignia of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna and proclaimed himself the supreme monarch of Dakshinapatha along with the Trikalinga country. Krishna was reinstated in his capital at Manyakheta.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Naturally, Krishna waited for an opportunity to set right this untenable situation and Gunaga’s death in 892 provided that. A nephew of Gunaga, Chalukya- Bhima I was the new ruler of Vengi and Krishna attacked him before he could even celebrate his cornation. Krishna was unstoppable and was helped by Baddega, the Chalukya chief of Vemulabada. A large part of Vengi was occupied by Krishna’s forces and Bhima was made a prisoner by Baddega in a batde fought deep inside the Vengi territory.
However, the Rashtrakutas could not hold on; Bhima- Chalukya escaped (it is not known how) and rallied back with help from samantas and others, notably Kusumayudha of the Mudigonda Chalukyas. They cleared the Vengi territory of the Rashtrakuta forces and enabled Bhima to celebrate his coronation on the 14th of April 892. A few years later, Krishna sent his intrepid general Gundaya along with supporting forces from Karnata and Lata. Gundaya had early successes and gains but was defeated in the battles of Niravadyapura (Nidadvole) and at Peruvanguru-grama (Pedavanguru). In the second battle he lost his life and so did Irimantiganda, son of Chalukya-Bhima and valiant defender of Vengi.
Krishna made an attempt (presumably) to a friendly relationship with the rising Chola power by giving a daughter of his in marriage to the Chola ruler, Aditya I, and epigraphs of the Cholas refer to a Vallava-arayar (daughter) as the queen and Kannaravadeva, her son by Aditya. But this did not work.