# Chandraditya (Chalukya dynasty)

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 :
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Chandraditya (IAST: Chandrādityā, r. c. 646-649 CE) was a king of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi that ruled in the Deccan region of peninsular India. His father Pulakeshin II was a powerful emperor, who was defeated and most probably killed during a Pallava invasion.
Chandraditya was probably among the kings who held the weakened throne for a brief period after Pulakeshin's death, having been preceded by his brother Adityavarman, and Adityavarman's son Abhinavaditya. After his death, his wife Vijaya-Bhattarika appears to have ruled as a regent on behalf of their minor son. During this period, his brother Vikramaditya I, who later ascended the throne, seems to have restored the Chalukya power as the supreme commander of the Chalukya army.

## Sources of information

Chandraditya is known from the Nerur and Kochre (or Kochri) grant inscriptions of his wife Vijaya-Bhattarika (alias Vijaya-Mahadevi). He also finds a mention in the Kuknur inscription of his younger brother Vikramaditya I.

## Political status

Chandraditya was one of the sons of the powerful Chalukya king Pulakeshin II, who was defeated and probably killed during the Pallava invasion of the Chalukya capital Vatapi around c. 642 CE. The Chalukya power was restored by Pulakeshin's son Vikramaditya I around c. 655 CE, and the Chalukya history during the intervening period is uncertain: it is possible that after Pulakeshin's death, his son Adityavarman held the throne, followed by Adityavarman's son Abhinavaditya.
The Kuknur inscription of Vikramaditya accords Chandraditya the title Bhattaraka. The royal genealogy section of the Nerur inscription introduces Chandraditya's younger brother Vikramaditya I after his father Pulakeshin II, describing Vikramaditya as the restorer of the Chalukya rule. Therefore, scholars such as J. F. Fleet and D. C. Sircar theorize that Chandraditya was a feudatory ruler.
Other scholars, such as D. P. Dikshit, theorize that Chandraditya held the throne after Abhinavaditya, during c. 646-649 CE, based on the following points:
* The Nerur and Kochre inscriptions of Chandraditya's wife Vijaya-Bhattarika accord him the imperial titles Shri-prithvi-vallabha ("beloved of the goddess of wealth and the earth"), Parameshvara ("supreme lord"), and Maharajadhiraja ("king of great kings").
* The inscriptions accord Vijaya-Bhattarika the titles of a chief queen: Mahishi, Bhattarika, and Mahadevi.
* The inscriptions describe Vikramaditya as the younger brother of Chandraditya and the "dear son" of Pulakeshin, and as the person who restored Chalukya power by defeating hostile kings. However, they do not accord any royal title to Vikramaditya.
The inscriptions are dated in the regnal years of Vijaya-Bhattarika, which suggests that Chandraditya was dead when these grants were issued. According to one theory, his wife was ruling as a regent on behalf of their minor son at this time. It is possible that Vikramaditya rose to prominence during this period, and became the de facto ruler, after having restored the dynasty's power as the supreme commander of the Chalukya army. Later, he formally ascended the Chalukya throne, possibly after the son of Chandraditya and Vijaya died (naturally or otherwise).