Jayasimha II (Western Chalukya dynasty)

Jayasimha II
Old Kannada inscription dated c.1035 AD of Western Chalukya King Jayasimha II
Western Chalukya King
Reign	1015-1043 CE (28 years)

Jayasimha II (r.1015 – 1043 CE) (also known as Jagadekhamalla II and Mallikamoda) succeeded his brother Vikramaditya V on the Western Chalukya throne. He had to fight on many fronts, against the Cholas of Tanjore in the south and the Paramara dynasty in the north, to protect his kingdom. His rule however was an important period of development of Kannada literature. The Brahmin Kannada writers Durgasimha (who was also his minister and wrote the Panchatantra, "The five stratagems", 1031), Chavundaraya II (encyclopaedia, Lokopakara, c. 1025) and Kavitavilasa were in his patronage. Chandraraja, a Brahmin writer on erotics (Madanatilaka, "Forehead ornament of passion", the earliest Kannada work in the genre of erotica, c. 1025) was in the court of Machiraja, a vassal of Jayasimha II. The Jain Sanskrit scholar Vadiraja was in Jayasimha II's court and wrote two epics, on logic, and a commentary on an earlier Jain text. His queen Suggaladevi was a disciple of the Kannada saint-poet Devara Dasimayya (one of the earliest Veerashaiva poets).

According to the historians Chopra et al., this period saw Vengi fall firmly into the hands of the Cholas who would use their marital relations with the Eastern Chalukyas and their over lordship over Vengi to frustrate and threaten the Western Chalukyas from two fronts, from the east and from the South. However the historian Sen asserts that despite this reversal, this period saw the consolidation of the Western Chalukya power in the Deccan that would become a stepping stone towards the growth of the empire under the rule of Someshvara I, the successor of Jayasimha II.

The Paramara dynasty King Bhoja of Malwa wanted to avenge the defeat of his predecessor Munja and invaded the Chalukya kingdom from the north and annexed the northern Konkan and Lata (in modern Gujarat) for a few years. Bhillama III, a vassal king of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty of Devagiri (modern Daulatabad) rebelled against Jayasimha II, perhaps with support from Bhoja. The historian Sen feels this invasion may have been caused by the confederacy of Bhoja, the Kalachuri ruler Gangeyadeva and Rajendra Chola. But Jayasimha II dealt successfully with these invasions and rebellion to recover all his northern territories by c.1024. Bhillama III married a daughter of Jayasimha II as an act of peace.