Hoysala Empire
The Hoysala Empire (Kannada: ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ) was an Indian empire. It controlled part of southern India from 1000 to 1346 A.D. Belur, Karnataka was the empire's capital. The Hoysala Empire is remembered today mostly because of its architecture. The hundreds of temples found across Karnataka are good examples of temples that were in the cities of Belur, Halebid and Somnathpura. The Hoysala kings were affected majorly by two religions, Jainism and Hinduism. King Vishnuvardhana and the kings after him believed in Vaishnavism.
Hoysala Empire | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000–1346 | |||||||||
| Greatest extent of the Hoysala Kingdom, c.1050- c.1355 Greatest extent of the Hoysala Kingdom, c.1050- c.1355 | |||||||||
| Capital |
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| Common languages | Kannada Sanskrit | ||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism Jainism | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
• 1026–1047 | Nripa Kama II | ||||||||
• 1342-1346 | Veera Ballala IV | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• | 1000 | ||||||||
• | 1346 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
In the beginning, the Hoysalas were a small part of the Chalukyas of Kalyani. However, they began to grow until they made their own empire in Karnataka. Some famous Hoysala kings were Vishnuvardhana, Veera Ballala II and Veera Ballala III. Kannada was the main language of the Hoysala kings. The Hoysalas helped to increase Kannada and Sanskrit writing.
Kings
- Nripa Kama (1000 - 1045)
- Vinayaditya (1045 - 1098)
- Ereyanga (1098 - 1100)
- Veera Ballala I (1100 -1108)
- Vishnuvardhana (1108 - 1152)
- Narasimha I (1152 – 1173)
- Veera Ballala II (1173 – 1220)
- Narasimha II (1220 – 1235)
- Vira Someshwara (1235 – 1253)
- Narasimha III (1253 – 1292)
- Ramanatha (1253 – 1295)
- Veera Ballala III (1292 – 1342)
- Veera Ballala IV (1342-1346)
Hoysala Empire Media
- Hoysala emblem.JPG
Sala fighting a tiger, the emblem of the Hoysala Empire, at the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur
- Long Fine Rectangle (plain).png
Long Fine Rectangle (plain)
- Garuda pillar with Old Kannada inscription dated 1220 A.D of Kuvara Lakshma, a body guard of Hoysala King Veera Ballala II.jpg
Garuda pillar hero stone (virgal) at Halebidu with old Kannada inscription of about 1220 CE.
- Somanathapura Keshava temple altered.JPG
Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura, built 1268 CE.
- Old Kannada inscription dated 1182 A.D. at the Akkana Basadi in Shravanebelagola.jpg
Old Kannada inscription dated to 1182 of King Veera Ballala II at Akkana Basadi, Shravanabelagola.
- Belur Temple Apsara with Mirror.JPG
"Darpanasundari" (lady with a mirror), one of the many madanakai decorating the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur.
- Shasana (Inscription) at Keshava Temple, Somanathapura.jpg
Old Kannada inscription (1270 CE) of King Narasimha III at Keshava Temple, Somanathapura.
- View of Akkana Basadi from northeastern side at Shravanabelagola.jpg
- Vesara style shrine and superstructure in Lakshmi Narasimha temple at Nuggehalli.JPG
Vesara style Vimana of the Lakshmi Narasimha temple at Nuggehalli (1246 CE)
- Rear view of stellate shrine in the Ishvara temple at Arasikere 1.JPG
Stellate Vimana, at Ishvara Temple (Arasikere) built in 1220 CE
Other websites
- www.hoysala.in Archived 2020-10-28 at the Wayback Machine
- More on Hoysala art and architecture by Dr. Jyothsna Kamat
- History of Karnataka Archived 2006-11-04 at the Wayback Machine by Mr Arthikaje
- South Indian Inscriptions Archeological Survey of India (vols 9, 15,17,18) Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
- Hoysala Tourism Archived 2018-03-08 at the Wayback Machine