Kingdoms in the Deccan

After the decline of the Satavahanas, the Deccan became a zone of competing regional powers rather than a single empire. The Chalukyas of Badami, the Rashtrakutas and the later Chalukyas of Kalyani each combined military expansion with temple building and court culture. A concrete example is Pulakeshin II, whose Aihole inscription records his victory over Harshavardhana on the Narmada frontier. Understanding these kingdoms means tracing how control of river valleys, trade routes and temple centres created durable regional states.