Question

Pulakeshin II was the best-known Chalukyan ruler. Explain in brief.

Answer 1

Hint:
Pulakeshin II was the most well-known leader of the Chalukya bloodline of Vatapi (present-day Badami in Karnataka, India). During his rule, the Chalukya realm extended to cover the greater part of the Deccan area in peninsular India.

Complete step by step solution:
A child of the Chalukya ruler Kirttivarman I, Pulakeshin toppled his uncle Mangalesha to deal with the seat. He stifled insubordination by Appayika and Govinda, and unequivocally vanquished the Kadambas of Banavasi in the south. The Alupas and the Gangas of Talakad perceived his suzerainty. He combined the Chalukya power over the western coast by oppressing the Mauryas of Konkana. His Aihole engraving additionally acknowledges him for oppressing the Latas, the Malavas, and the Gurjaras in the north.
The most eminent military accomplishment of Pulakeshin was his triumph over the amazing northern sovereign Harsha-vardhana, whose inability to vanquish the Chalukya realm is verified by the Chinese explorer Xuanzang. In the east, Pulakeshin oppressed the leaders of Dakshina Kosala and Kalinga. Subsequent to vanquishing the Vishnukundins ruler, he selected his sibling Vishnu-vardhana as the legislative head of eastern Deccan; this sibling later settled the autonomous Eastern Chalukya line of Vengi. Pulakeshin likewise accomplished a few triumphs against the Pallavas in the south, however, was at last vanquished, and presumably slaughtered, during an attack by the Pallava lord Narasimhavarman I.

Note:
Pulakeshin was a Vaishnavite, yet was open-minded toward different beliefs, including Shaivism, Buddhism, and Jainism. He disparaged a few researchers, including Ravikirtti, who made his Aihole engraving.