Part 32 - The Chalukyas of Srikurmam (A.D. 1150-1310)

The Chalukyas of Srikurmam ruled over a portion of the Ganjam district for a century and a half from the middle of the 12th to the beginning of the 14th with capital at Srikurmam. The dynasty produced half a dozen king who held positions of importance in the Kalingan empire. The Chalukyas contracted alliances of marriage with the Ganga emperors. Not much is known about their political achievements.

Origin and rise of the Dynasty

The records of the Chalukyas of Srikurmam are found mostly in the temples at Srikurmam and Simhachalam. The Srikurmam pillar inscriptions give the early history of this line. Unlike in the records of the Chalukyas of Elamanchili and Pithapur, the mythical ancestors and the early members of the Vengi Chalukyas are left of, in these records. The genealogy begins with the Chalukya emperor Vimaladitya born in the lunar race. Vimaladitya subdued his enemies and ruled for seven years (A.D. 1015-1022). His son Rajaraja with capital at Rajahmundry ruled for forty years from A.D. 1023 to 1063. He is said to have translated Bharata into Telugu with the help of scholars.