Someshvara II

Chalukya dynasties

Vatapi / Badami Chalukyas

Jayasimha	500-520
Ranaraga	520-540
Pulakeshin I	540–566
Kirttivarman I	566–597
Mangalesha	597–609
Pulakeshin II	609–642
Adityavarman	643-645
Abhinavaditya	645-646
Chandraditya	646-649
Vijaya-Bhattarika (regent)	650-655
Vikramaditya I	655–680
Vinayaditya	680–696
Vijayaditya	696–733
Vikramaditya II	733–746
Kirtivarman II	746–753

Vengi / Eastern Chalukyas

Kubja Vishnuvardhana	624–641
Jayasimha I	641–673
Indra Bhattaraka	673
Vishnu Vardhana II	673–682
Mangi Yuvaraja	682–706
Jayasimha II	706–718
Kokkili	719
Vishnuvardhana III	719–755
Vijayaditya I (Eastern Chalukya)	755–772
Vishnuvardhana IV	772–808
Vijayaditya II	808–847
Kali Vishnuvardhana V	847–849
Vijayaditya III	849–892
Chalukya Bhima I	892–921
Vijayaditya IV	921
Amma I	921–927
Beta Vijayaditya V	927
Tala I	927
Vikramaditya II	927–928
Bhima II	928
Yuddhamalla II	928–935
Chalukya Bhima II	935–947
Amma II	947–970
Tala I	970
Danarnava	970–973
Jata Choda Bhima	973–999
Shaktivarman I	1000–1011
Vimaladitya	1011–1018
Rajaraja Narendra	1019–1061
Vijayaditya VII	1061-1075

Kalyani / Western Chalukyas

Tailapa II	957–997
Satyashraya	997–1008
Vikramaditya V	1008–1015
Jayasimha II	1015–1042
Someshvara I	1042–1068
Someshvara II	1068–1076
Vikramaditya VI	1076–1126
Someshvara III	1126–1138
Jagadhekamalla II	1138–1151
Tailapa III	1151–1164
Jagadhekamalla III	1163–1183
Someshvara IV	1184–1200

Someshvara II (IAST: Someśvara; r. 1068 – 1076 CE) who was administering the area around Gadag succeeded his father Someshvara I (Ahavamalla) as the Western Chalukya king. He was the eldest son of Someshvara I. During his reign Someshvara II was constantly under threat from his more ambitious younger brother Vikramaditya VI. Eventually Someshvara was deposed by Vikramaditya VI.

Around 1070 AD Someshvara II expanded his empire and brought Malava under his control.^[1]

Chola invasion

Almost immediately after coming to power, Someshvara II had to face an invasion by the Chola forces led by Virarajendra Chola. The Chola army invaded the Chalukya country and laid a siege to the town of Gutti in (Kurnool district) and attacked Kampili. Instead of assisting his brother in order to save the Chalukya kingdom, Vikramaditya turned the troubles of his brother into his opportunity to capture the Chalukya throne.

Vikramaditya's Opportunism

Vikramaditya saw the opportunity presented by the confusion in the kingdom due to the Chola invasion. Vikramaditya seduced Someshvara's feudatories from their loyalty towards the monarch, and with their aid, entered into negotiations with the Chola king Virarajendra.

Vikramaditya made his alliance with Virarajendra.

Chalukya civil war

The political situation drastically changed when Virarajendra died in 1070 and his son Athirajendra Chola came to the Chola throne. Kulothunga Chola I eventually came to the Chola throne in a confusion created by civil disturbances in which Athirajendra was assassinated. As Vikramaditya was antagonistic towards Kulothunga, Someshvara II went into an alliance with Kulothunga and prepared to attack Vikramaditya.

The conflict eventually occurred in 1075 when Kulothunga launched an attack on Vikramaditya. Someshvara aided Kulothunga Chola by attacking Vikramaditya's rear. What resulted was a brief civil war in which Someshvara suffered heavy defeats and his fate is unknown after the defeat.^[2] Vikramaditya captured the Chalukya king and imprisoned him. Vikramaditya VI proclaimed himself the Chalukuya king in 1076.

References

^ Nath sen, Sailendra (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. Routledge. p. 385.
^ Nath sen, Sailendra (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. Routledge. p. 386.

Sources

Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002).

Preceded by

Someshvara I

Western Chalukyas
1068–1076

Succeeded by

Vikramaditya VI