# Kirtivarman 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 :
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Kirtivarman II also known as Rahappa (reigned 746 – 753 CE) was the last ruler in the Badami Chalukya dynasty. He succeeded his father Vikramaditya II. His reign was continuously troubled by the growing power of the Rashtrakutas and Pandyas and finally succumbed to them.

## Conflict with the Pandyas

Kirtivarman and his Ganga feudatory Sripurusha came into conflict with the Pandya ruler Maravarman Rajasimha I who was extending the Pandya empire on to the Kongu country which was adjacent to the Ganga kingdom. Rajasimha crossed the Kaveri and engaged Kirtivarman and Sripurusha in a big battle at Venbai on the banks of the river Kaveri. The Chalukya king was defeated.

## Diminishing power

Kirtivarman was steadily undermined by the activities of Rashtrakuta Dantidurga who was establishing the Rashtrakuta Empire. Dantidurga was a feudatory of the Chalukyas and was beginning to establish an independent kingdom around Ellora.
Kirtivarman II was plagued by intense outside pressure: by the Pandays under Rajasimha in the south, and Rashtrakutas under Dantidurga in the north. Dantidurga managed to wrest control of the northern provinces of the Chalukyan kingdom, he also completely surrounded the Chalukya in the east and the south by conquering the Telugu provinces, Kalinga and Kosala kingdoms. Dantidurga also went into an alliance with the Pallava Nandivarman II. Thus isolated, Kirtivarman could not turn to any direction for help.
In 750 CE, the Chalukyas conceded their southern provinces to Rajasimha in a huge defeat at Veṇbai. The final assault on Kirtivarman came in 752 and completely overwhelmed the Chalukyan kingdom.
Kirtivarman II was the last king of the Badami dynasty.

## Vijayaditya II

Vijayaditya II (born c. 738 CE), son of Kirtivarman II, was crown prince of the Badami Chalukya dynasty until its destruction in 753 by the Rashtrakutas. The young prince narrowly escaped a grim fate at Vātāpi (Badami) by fleeing south.
At a young age, Vijayaditya II married a princess from the neighboring Ganga kingdom, a subordinate kingdom to the southwest. When Dantidurga's army reached Vātāpi in 753, Vijayaditya II and his wife escaped the bloodshed by fleeing to Ganga territory, where he lived for many years by the grace of the Ganga king Sripurusha. He departed on a journey north in 774 CE, after which his whereabouts are unknown.
Vijayaditya II's descendant, Tailapa II, would go on some 220 years later to found the Western Chalukya Empire, reviving the lost dynasty in 973.