# Abhinavaditya

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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Abhinavaditya (r. c. 645–646 CE) was a king of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi in southern India. He appears to have succeeded his father Adityavarman on the weakened Chalukya throne, in the period following the death of his grandfather Pulakeshin II. He appears to have died heirless, and was probably succeeded by his uncle Chandraditya.

## Background

Abhinavaditya's father Adityavarman was one of the sons of the powerful Chalukya emperor Pulakeshin II. After Pulakeshin II was defeated and probably killed during a Pallava invasion in 642–643 CE, Adityavarman appears to have held the weakened Chalukya throne, as attested by the Kurnool (Karnul) grant inscription. Abhinavaditya seems to have succeeded his father on the throne, as attested by his Nelkunda grant inscription. He probably died heirless, as the next known person to have held the Chalukya throne was his uncle Chandraditya. The Chalukya power was subsequently restored by Chandraditya's younger brother Vikramaditya I. Another possibility is that Abhinavaditya and Vikramaditya belonged to two different branches of the family, and ruled different parts of the Pulakeshin's former empire simultaneously.
Abhinavaditya's Nelkunda inscription is the only historical source that mentions him. The subsequent Chalukya records presumably omit his name because he was not in direct line of succession of the subsequent rulers such as Vikramaditya I. Historian D. P. Diskhit assumes that he probably ruled between c. 645 and 647 CE, and lost his life while trying to restore the Chalukya power.

## Nelkunda inscription

The Nelkunda copper-plate inscription of Abhinavaditya came to the notice of the Mysore State's archaeology department in the 1950s. The copper-plates were originally in the possession of the family of Pujar Bhimanna, a resident of the Ganjigatte village near Holalkere. The inscription was later given to the archaeological museum at Chitradurga.
The inscription is in form of a set of three copper-plates tied using a circular ring, which is fastened to a circular seal containing a boar emblem. The first and the third plates are engraved only on one side, while the second plate is engraved on both the sides.
The writing comprises 28 Sanskrit language lines inscribed in the 7th century Telugu-Kannada alphabet. The inscription first praises the foot of the Hindu god Hari (Vishnu) that crushed the demon (Bali), followed by a prashasti (eulogy) of the Chalukya dynasty. The genealogy portion of the prashasti mentions Abhinavaditya, his father Adityavarman, and his grandfather Pulakeshin II; all three kings are accorded the imperial titles Maharajadhiraja and Parameshvara. Like his grandfather, Abhinavaditya is also accorded the title Satyashraya-Prithvi-vallabha.
Next, the inscription records Abhinavaditya's grant of the Nelkunda village, located in the Uchcha-shringa vishaya (district) to a Brahmana named Kuppa-sharman. Nelkunda can be identified with present-day Nalkunda in Davanagere district of Karnataka; the name Uchcha-shringa is preserved in the name of the present-day Uchangidurga village in the same district. The donee Kuppa-sharman belonged to the Devarata-Kaushika gotra (lineage), and was well-versed in the Vedas and the Vedangas. The record ends with imprecatory verses cursing anyone who violates the grant deed. The grant was made on the full-moon day of the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar; the inscription states that it was made during the "victorious reign" of king Abhinavaditya, but does not specify the regnal year.