Kingdom of Malwa (350–545)

Kingdom in Central India

Kingdom of Malwa

Mālavā Rājya (Shauraseni)

350–545

The Kingdom of Malwa in 544

Capital| Mandsaur
Religion

| Hinduism
Government| Absolute monarchy
Maharajadhiraja|

• 350–375

| Jayavarman (first)

• 515–545

| Yashodharman (last)
Historical era|

* Classical Era
* Early Mediaeval Era

• House of Aulikara established

| 350

• Death of Yashodharman

| 545

Preceded by | Succeeded by

|

|  | Malava Republic

|

| Magadhan Empire |

|

Today part of| India

The Kingdom of Malwa, or from 515, the Malwa Empire or the Malava Empire, was a kingdom in Central India ruled by the Aulikara dynasty during the classical era and the early medieval era. It was established by Jayavarman in 350 and vastly expanded during the reign of Yashodharman, the last king.

The Kingdom of Avanti of ancient India had been based in the region where the Kingdom of Malwa later came up. The Kingdom of Avanti was conquered by Indo-Scythia in 61 BC. Following this, the region was ruled by the Malava republic. During the period, the region's name gradually changed to Malava or Malwa. In 350 AD, Jayavarman established the Kingdom of Malwa in region and founded the House of Aulikara. Yashodharman, the King of Malwa between 515 and 545 AD significantly expanded the kingdom and conquered the territories of Huns.

Following the death of Yashodharman, his empire disintegrated and Malwa was re-conquered by the Magadhan Empire.

## History

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### Establishment

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The region where the Kingdom of Malwa was established had earlier been part of the Malava republic. The Malavas had been a tribe from northwestern India who conquered and established their rule over the Malwa region sometime after the fall of the Kingdom of Avanti (61 BC). They formed an oligarchic republic and maintained their rule over Malwa until 350 AD. Jayavarman, a Malava chief, deposed the republican government and established the Kingdom of Malwa and the House of Aulikara.

### Early expansion

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Taking advantage of the confusion created during the reign of Rudrasena III, the Saka Satrap of Gujarat for thirteen years, from 351 to 364 AD, Jayavarman seized the territory near Mandsor from the Sakas. In 423 AD, Viswavarman accepted the suzerainty of Kumaragupta I, the Emperor of Magadha. In 467 AD, following the succession crisis after the death of Emperor Skandagupta of Magadha, Prabhakara became an independent monarch.

### Hunic Wars

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Further north, the First Hunnic War began in 496 between the Hunnic Empire and the Magadha Empire and the Huns conquered parts of Central and Northwest India by 510. However, in 515 during the reign of Yashodharman, the Kingdom of Malwa joined the War in aid of Magadha and managed to defeat the Huns. The Hunnic King Toramana died from war injuries after a battle with the Magadhan Emperor Narasimhagupta.

In 520, the Second Hunnic War began after the son of Tomara, Mihirakula, King of the Huns invaded the Magadhan Empire once more and occupied and sacked Patliputra, the Magadhan capital. Following this, Malwa formed an alliance with the Kingdom of Thanesar and in 528, defeated the Hunnic Empire. Yashodharman died heirless in 545 AD.

## Aftermath

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Following Yashodharman's death, his empire disintegrated and the region of Malwa was re-conquered by the Magadhan Empire. In 575 AD, the Kingdom of Kannauj conquered much of the region of Magadha from the Magadhan Empire, following which Mahasenagupta escaped to Malwa, the remaining unconquered part of his empire. He ruled the rump state of the Malwa until his death in 601 AD, and succession by his son Devagupta. Devagupta engineered a Malwa–Gauda alliance against the Thanesar–Kannauj alliance which was initially successful but later failed and Malwa and Gauda were conquered by Harsha.

## Administration

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Only three offices of the Aulikaras are known from their epigraphical records: the Senapati (commander-in-chief), the Amatyas (ministers) and the Rajasthaniya (viceroy). The exact nature of the office of the Rajasthaniya, which is mentioned in several inscriptions is not clear from them. George Buhlar rendered Rajasthaniya as the viceroy, and his view is mostly accepted. It seems that the office of the Rajasthaniya of the Aulikaras became hereditary in the Naigama family since the days of Shashthidatta. Shashthidatta's son Varaha is identified with Varahadasa of the Chittaurgarh fragmentary inscription of his grandson by a historian D.C. Sircar. Varaha's son Ravikirti was an amatya under Rajyavardhana. He had three sons by his wife Bhanugutpa: Bhagavaddosha, Abhayadatta and Doshakumbha. Bhagavaddosha was a Rajasthaniya under Prakashadharma. His younger brother Abhayadatta was appointed a Rajasthaniya after him[1] The Chiitaurgarh fragmentary inscription mentions Abhayadatta as a Rajasthaniya of Dashapura and Madhyama.[2] The Mandsaur inscription dated Malava Samvat 589 describes Abhayadatta as the Rajasthaniya' between the Vindhyas and the Pariyatras. His nephew and son of Doshakumbha, Nirdosha succeeded him as the Rajasthaniya of the same region. Nirodsha's elder brother Dharmadosha was also a high-ranking official under the Aulikaras, but his exact designation is not known.[1]

## Art and architecture

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See also: Sondani and Gupta art

A victory pillar of Yashodharma at Sondani, Mandsaur district

The most significant monuments which definitely belong to the Aulikara period are two freestanding victory pillars of Yashodharma Vishnuvardhana bearing his inscriptions. These almost identical pillars, situated at Sondani, a suburb to the southeast Mandsaur, are made of sandstone. The height of the entire column is 44 ft 5 in. Its square base is 4 ft 5 in high and 3 ft 4 in wide. The bell-shaped capital is 5 ft 2 in high. Its shaft is sixteen faced round. Most probably there was a crowning statue, which has not been found.[3]

* Sondhni, two Dvarapalas

* Sondhni pillar capital

* Vidyadhara, Sondani, circa 525 CE. National Museum, New Delhi

* Prakasheshvara in Mandsaur Fort

## List of rulers

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Further information: List of monarchs of Malwa

## See also

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* Malwa
* List of Indian monarchs

## References

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1. ^ a b Ojha, N.K. (2001). The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions, Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, ISBN 81-85212-78-3, pp.60-4
2. ^ Jain (1972)
3. ^ Ojha, N.K. (2001). The Aulikaras of Central India: History and Inscriptions, Chandigarh: Arun Publishing House, ISBN 81-85212-78-3, pp.99-100

## Sources

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* Kailash Chand Jain (1972). Malwa Through the Ages, from the Earliest Times to 1305 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.