The Nalas could not
retain their hold over Vidarbha for a long time. They were ousted by
Narendrasena's son Prthivisena II, who carried the war into the
enemy's territory and burnt and devastated their capital Puskari which
was situated in the Bastar State. Parthivesena II, taking advantage of
the weakening of Gupta power, carried his arms to the north of the
Narmada, Inscriptions of his feudatory Vyaghradeva have been found in
the former Ajaigad and jaso States.
This elder branch of the Vakataka
family came to an end about AD 490. The territory round Nagpur was
thereafter included in the dominion of the other or Vatsagulma branch.
The Vatsagulma branch was founded by
Sarvasena, an younger son of Pravarasena I. It is also known to have
produced some brave and learned princes. Sarvasena. The fonder of this
branch, is well-known as the author Prakrit kavya called Harivijaya,
which has received unstinted praise from several eminent
theoreticians. The last known king of this branch extending from the
Arabian Sea to the bay of Bengal and from Malva to the Tungabhadra.
The Vakatakas were patrons of art and
literature. In their age the Vaidarbhi riti came to be regarded as the
best style of poetry as several excellent works were then produced in
Vidarbha. Three of the caves at Ajantha, viz., the two Vihara caves
XVI and XVII and the Caitya Cave XIX were excavated and decorated with
paintings in the time of Harisena. Several temples of Hindu gods and
goddesses were also built. The ruins of one of them have come to light
at Pavnar. Others are known from references in copper-plate grants.
The Vakataka disappear from the stage
of history about AD 550. When their place is taken by the Kalacuris of
Mahismati, modern Mahesvar in Central India. They also had a large
empire extending from Konkan in the west to Vidarbha in the east and
from Malava in the north to the Krishna in the south. The founder of
the dynasty was Karsnaraja, whose coins have been found in the
Amravati and Betul districts. He was a devout worshipper of Mahesvara
(Siva). That Vidarbha was included in Svamiraja dated in the Kalacuri
year 322 (AD 573). These plates were issued from Nandivardhana which
seems to have maintained its importance even after the downfall of the
Vakatakas. Svamiraja probably belonged to the Rastrakuta family.
About AD 620 the Kalacuri king
Buddharaja the grandson of Krishnaraja was defeated by Pulakesin II of
the Early Chalukya dynasty, who thereafter became the lord of three
Maharashtras comprising 99,000 villages. One of these Maharashtras was
undoubtedly Vidarbha. The Rastrakutas, who were previously feudatories
of the Kalacuris, transferred their allegiance to the Chalukyas and,
like the latter, began to date their records in the Saka era. Two
grants of this feudatory Rastrakuta family have been discovered in
Vidarbha-one dated Saka 615 was found at Akola and the other dated
Saka 631 was discovered at Multai. They give the following genealogy:-
Durgaraja
||
Govindaraja
||
Svamikaraja
||
Nannaraja alias Ayuddhsura
(known dates A.D. 693 and 713)