Hoysala Empire

Hoysala Empire ruled the southern India during the 10th to 14th centuries. It had its first capital at Belur, which was later shifted to Halebidu or Dwarasa mudra. In this article, you will learn about Hoysala dynasty, meaning, hoysala symbol, history, administration, language, economy, religion, society, art and architecture providing key insights for GS Paper- I Indian History and Art and Architecture of UPSC IAS Exam.

Table of Content

• Who were the Hoysala?
• How was Hoysala empire founded?         
• Where were Hoysala’s mentioned?          
• Important rulers for Hoysala empire
• Administration of the Hoysala Empire     
• Language in the Hoysala empire
• Economy of the Hoysala Empire
• Religion in the Hoysala Empire   
• Society in the Hoysala Empire    
• Art and architecture under the Hoysala Empire
• Decline of the Hoysala Empire
• Conclusion         
• Frequently Asked Questions       

Who were the Hoysala?

• The Hoysala was an empire that ruled the southern India during the 10th to 14th centuries.
• It had its first capital at Belur, which was later shifted to Halebidu or Dwarasamudra.
• The Hoysalas had originated from the Western Ghats.
• The Hoysalas were originally known as Maleparolganda meaning “Lord of the hills“.
  • The Hoysalas were named because they hailed from Malenadu of Karnataka.
•  Emblem or Lanchana: ‘Sala fighting the tiger or Cholas’. 

How was Hoysala empire founded?

• The had initially served as borderland chiefs during the conflict between the Western Chalukya Empire and the Cholas.
• They had acted as provincial governors by supporting the Chalukyas.
• Over time, the Chalukyas’ influence had waned, allowing the Hoysalas to gain independence.
• King Sala is regarded as the founder of the Hoysala dynasty.
• Under Vishnuvardhana’s leadership, Hoysala had evolved into a proper kingdom.

Where were Hoysala’s mentioned?

• Many inscriptions have called them the Maleparolganda or “Lord of the Male (hills) chiefs” (Malepas).
• Jatakatilaka in Kannada and Gadyakarnamrita in Sanskrit has written about them.
• Marco Polo claimed that horse trading was monopoly by the Arabs and merchants of South India. 

Important rulers for Hoysala empire:

Nripa Kama II (1026 – 1047):

• Nripa Kama II had held titles such as Permanadi.
• He was earlier an ally with the Western Ganga dynasty.

Vishnuvardhana:

• In 1116, Vishnuvardhana had successfully invaded Gangavadi and parts of Nolambavadi from the Cholas.
• He has moved the capital of the empire from Belur to Dorasamudra (modern Halebidu).

King Vishnuvardhana:

Veera Ballala II:

• Veera Ballala IIwas Vishnuvardhana’s successor.
• He had freed the Hoysalas from Chalukya domination during the first 20 years of his reign.
• He had defeated the Yadavas and Kadambas anddeclared independence in 1193.
• During the establishment of empire, the Deccan region has witnessed a power struggle among the Hoysalas, Pandyans, Kakatiyas, and Seunas.
• In 1217, Veera Ballala II has defeated the Pandyans when they invaded the Chola kingdom.
  • He helped to restore the Chola king to his throne.
• The Hoysalas’ dominance had expanded to Tamil Nadu around 1225.
• From 1220 to 1245, their influence had extended southwards to include both the Chola and Pandya kingdoms.
• He had assumed the title such as:
  • Cholarajyapratishtacharya– Establisher of the Chola Kingdom
  • Dakshina Chakravarthi– Emperor of the south
  • Hoysala Chakravarthi– Hoysala emperor

Veera Ballala III:

• Veera Ballala III towards the end of the 13th century had recaptured territories of the Tamil Nadu.
• He helped uniting the northern and southern portions of the kingdom.

Ruler	Reign
Nripa Kama II	1026-1047
Vinayaditya	1047-1098
Ereyanga	1098-1102
Veera Ballala I	1102-1108
Vishnuvardhana	1108-1152
Narasimha I	1152-1173
Veera Ballala II	1173-1220
Vira Narasimha II	1220-1235
Vira Someshwara	1235-1263
Narasimha III	1263-1292
Veera Ballala III	1292-1343

Administration of the Hoysala Empire

• The Hoysala Empire’s administrative practices encompassed cabinet organization, command structure, local governing bodies, and territorial division.
• The king had several high-ranking positions who reported directly to him.
• The high-ranking positions included Pancha Pradhanas or senior ministers, Sandhivigrahi or foreign affairs ministers, Mahabhandari or Hiranyabhandari or the chief treasurer.
• The armies were led by Dandanayakas, and the Chief Justice of the Hoysala court was known as Dharmadhikari.
• The kingdom was divided into provinces such as Nadu, Vishaya, Kampana, and Desha,
• Each province had its own local governing body consisting Mahapradhana, a minister and Bhandari, a treasurer reporting to the Dandanayaka or province’s ruler.
• Heggaddes and Gavundas were officials who supported local rulers and supervised the local farmers and laborers recruited for agricultural activities.
• Subordinate ruling clans, like the Alupas, governed their territories in alignment with the empire’s policies.
• Garudas were highly skilled elite force of bodyguards who provided constant protection to the royal family.
  • The government commemorated them by erecting Garuda pillars or Hero stones (virgal) in their memory.
  • Example: Garuda pillar at the Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu was dedicated to Kuvara Lakshma, a minister and bodyguard of King Veera Ballala II.

Coins:

• King Vishnuvardhana’s coins had featured legends in the Kannada script such as:
  • Nolambavadigonda: Victor at Nolambavadi
  • Talakadugonda: victor at Talakad
  • Maleparolganda: chief of the Malepas
  • Malapavira: Brave of Malepa
• Honnu or Gadyana was their gold coin with higher denominations.
• Smaller denominations included Pana or Hana.
• Other coins such as Haga, Pana, Vis, Bele and Kani had existed in the kingdom.
• Some terms, like Hana and Bele, are still used in the Kannada language to refer to “money” and “cost,” respectively.

Language in the Hoysala empire:

• During the Hoysala empire, both Kannada and Sanskrit languages were extensively used.
• Temples had served as local schools where learned Brahmins taught in Sanskrit, while Jain and Buddhist monasteries educated novice monks.
• Higher learning schools were known as Ghatikas.
• The increasing devotional movements had expressed their experiences of closeness to the deity using the local Kannada language in vachanas and devaranamas.
• In earlier centuries, Jain works had dominated Kannada literature, but during the Hoysala reign, Shaiva and early Brahminical works gained popularity.
• Sanskrit writings covered wide range of topics, including poetry, grammar, lexicon, manuals, rhetoric, commentaries on older works, prose fiction, and drama.
• Engravers carved inscriptions on stone or Shilashasana and copper plates or Tamarashasana in Kannada, Sanskrit, or both.
• In bilingual inscriptions, authors wrote sections in Sanskrit, stating the king’s title, genealogy, origin myths, and benedictions.
• The Kannada parts of the inscriptions contained information on grants, including details about the land, its boundaries, involvement of local authorities, rights and obligations of the grantee, taxes, dues, and witnesses.
• However, by the 14^th century, bilingual inscriptions fell out of favor, and officials began writing inscriptions primarily in the local language.

Economy of the Hoysala Empire

• The Hoysala Empire’s economy mainly relied on revenues from an agrarian system.
• Two types of gavunda (landlords) existed-
  • Praja gavunda or Gavunda of people– lower in status
  • Prabhu gavunda or lord of gavundas– wealthy lord
• Staple crops of the tropical plains (Bailnad)- Paddy and corn.
• Taxes on commodities and produce such as gold, spices, paddy, perfumes, sandalwood, ropes, yarn shops, cattle pans, sugarcane and coconuts had contributed to the state’s revenues.
• The Hoysalas have encouraged settlement in newly-built villages through land grants and tax concessions.
• The village assembly assumed responsibility for collecting government land taxes.
  • The village assembly can also levy a tax for a specific purpose such as construction of a water tank.
• The government included Siddhaya or land revenue and various cesses in the original assessment (Kula).
• The Hoysala’s used to invest in armaments, elephants, horses, and precious goods.
• The Hoysalas had harvested the forests for rich woods such as teak.
• Tanks and irrigation systems were developed and maintained with the help of local villagers.
  • This further generated revenue for the empire.
  • The irrigation tanks included Vishnusagara, Shantisagara, and Ballalarayasagara.

Religion in the Hoysala Empire

• The Jainism in the Hoysala territory had declined after the Cholas defeated the Jain Western Ganga Dynasty in the early 11^th century.
• Vaishnava Hinduism and Virashaivism became popular in the twelfth century.
• Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli were significant for Jain worship during the Hoysala rule.
• Buddhism experienced a decline in South India starting from the eighth century, due to the propagation of Adi Shankara’s Advaita philosophy.
• In the 16^th century, Lama Taranatha’s Buddhist work had mentioned similarities between Shankaracharya and Buddhist philosophy.
• Dambal and Balligavi were the only places of Buddhist worship during the Hoysala period.
• King Vishnuvardhana after converting from Jainism to Vaishnavism built many temples.
• Queen Shantala Devi of Vishnuvardhana was Jain but she sponsored the construction of the Hindu Kappe Chennigaraya temple in Belur.
• Three philosophers led to the religious developments-Basavanna, Madhvacharya, and Ramanujacharya.
  • The Virashaiva gained momentum through Basavanna’s influence in the twelfth century.
• Earlier saints like Renuka, Daruka, Ekorama, Panditharadhya, and Vishwaradhya had laid the foundation for Virashaivism, emphasizing devotion to Lord Shiva without a caste system.

Basavanna:

• Basavanna in his Vachanas had appealed to the masses in Kannada, promoting the idea of “work is worship” (Kayakave Kailasa).

Madhvacharya:

• Madhvacharya had analyzed Shankaracharya’s teachings and advocated for the reality of the world rather than an illusion.
• He had propounded Dvaita philosophy (dualism) by emphasizing the virtues of Lord Vishnu while opposing Shankaracharya.
• He had distinguished between Paramathma or supreme being and the dependent principle of life.
• He established eight Mathas (monasteries) in Udupi and gained popularity for his philosophy.

Ramanujacharya:

• Ramanujacharya had led the Vaishnava monastery in Srirangam.
• He had promoted the path of devotion (bhakti marga)
• He wrote Sribhashya, a critique of Adi Shankara’s Advaita philosophy.

Religion of Hoysala influencing other dynasties:

• The Vijayanagar Empire’s Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu dynasties had embraced Vaishnavism, with a Vaishnava temple dedicated to Ramanujacharya in the Vitthalapura of Vijayanagara.
• Scholars in the later Mysore Kingdom wrote Vaishnavite works on the basis of Ramanujacharya’s teachings.
• The later saints of Madhvacharya’s order, such as Jayatirtha, Vyasatirtha, Sripadaraya, Vadirajatirtha, and devotees like Vijaya Dasa and Gopaladasa from Karnataka spread Ramanujacharya’s teachings across India.
  • This has inspired later philosophers like Vallabhacharya in Gujarat and Chaitanya in Bengal.

Temples in the Hoysala period:

• Temple building in the Hoysala period served both religious and commercial purposes and welcomed pilgrims from all Hindu sects.
• The Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu was financed by Shaiva merchants.
  • They competed with the Chennakesava temple in Belur and made Halebidu an essential city.
• While most Hoysala temples were secular and open to all sects, the Kesava temple at Somanathapura was meant exclusively for Vaishnava sculptural depictions.
• Temples built by affluent landlords in rural areas had fulfilled fiscal, political, cultural, and religious needs of agrarian communities.
  • This provided employment to numerous guilds and professions, contributing to the sustenance of local communities.

Society in the Hoysala Empire

• The status of women in Hoysala society varied, with some royal women involved in administration, like Queen Umadevi, who had managed Halebidu in the absence of Veera Ballala II during his military campaigns.
• The participation of women in fine arts was exemplified including-
  • Queen Shantala Devi’s proficiency in dance and music
  • The devotion of Akka Mahadevi, a twelfth-century Vachana poet and Virashaiva mystic.
• Temple dancers or Devadasis were well–educated and accomplished in the arts had more freedom compared to other urban and rural women who were confined to mundane tasks.
• The Indian caste system also prevailed in Hoysala society, similar to the rest of India.

Relations with other Empires:

• Trade along the west coast attracted foreigners such as Arabs, Jews, Persians, Chinese, and the Malay Peninsula to India.
• Royal patronage of education, arts, architecture, and religion, along with the establishment of forts and military outposts, caused significant population movements.

Towns and Trade Centers:

• Cities in South India, known as Pattana or Pattanam were the centers of trade and commerce, while Nagara or Nagaram or the marketplace were the nucleus of a city.
• Towns like Shravanabelagola was transformed from religious settlements to trading centers with the influx of wealthy traders.
• The patronage of King Vishnuvardhana elevated towns like Belur into regal cities which was further exemplified by the construction of the Chennakesava Temple.

Art and architecture under the Hoysala Empire

Literature:

• Literary works were written on palm leaves tied together.
• While Sanskrit literature remianed popular, there was an increase in royal support for local Kannada scholars.
• In the 12^th century, some scholars started writing in the Champu mixed prose-verse style, but distinctive Kannada meters gained wider acceptance.
• Poetic forms like Sangatya, Shatpadi, Tripadi, and Ragale became popular.
• Jain literature also thrived, praising the virtues of Jain ascetics.
• Hoysalas provided patronage to scholars like Janna, Rudrabhatta, Harihara, and Raghavanka, whose works are timeless gems in Kannada.
• In 1209, Janna wrote the Yashodharacharite for which he was honoured with the title “Emperor among poets” by King Veera Ballala II.
• Harihara was a Lingayati writer and patronized by King Narasimha I.
  • He hadpenned the Girijakalyana in the old Jain Champu style.
  • He was one of the earliest Virashaiva writers outside the Vachana literary tradition.
• Raghavanka had introduced the Shatpadi metre in Kannada literature through his work ‘Harishchandra kavya,’ which occasionally had deviated from strict Kannada grammar.
• Rudrabhatta was a Smartha Brahmin who was supported by the minister Chandramouli of King Veera BallalaII.
  • Rudrabhatta wrote the Jagannatha Vijaya in the Champu style, narrating the life of Lord Krishna up to his battle with the demon Banasura.
• Madhvacharya wrote the Rigbhshya in Sanskrit, explaining the Vedas, and various doctrines of other Vedas schools.
  • He relied more on Puranic literature for logical proofs of his philosophy.
• Vidyatirtha’s Rudraprshnabhashya is another notable work.

Architecture:

• Their architectural style of monuments was Karnata Dravida, which had unique Dravidian influences with minimal Indo-Aryan influences.
• The important feature found in the temples of Hoysala is open mantapa, a plain covered entrance porch . 
• The temple sculptures focussed on skillful artistry.
• Remarkabletemples include the:
  • Chennakesava Temple at Belur, Karnataka
  • Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, Karnataka
  • Chennakesava Temple at Somanathapura, Karnataka
• Hoysalas built temples at Arasikere, Amruthapura, Belavadi, Nuggehalli, Hosaholalu, Aralaguppe, Korvangla, Haranhalli, Mosale, and Basaralu.
• The temple towers (vimanas) were intricately carved, emphasizing ornate and designs rather than towering height.
• The base of the shrine had a stellate design with rhythmic projections and recesses, continuing in an orderly succession of decorated tiers up to the tower.
• The sculptures in Hoysala temples focused on depicting feminine beauty, grace, and physique, using Soapstone as the primary building and sculptural material.
• The smaller and lesser-known temples such as those at Somanathapura, Javagal, and Nuggehalli exemplifies the essence of Hoysala architecture.
  • These temples feature stone sculptures and friezes of Hindu epics.
  • The sculptures can be viewed in the traditional clockwise direction of circumambulation (pradakshina).
• The Halebidu temple is notable for its outstanding Hindu architecture.

Chennakesava Temple at Belur:

Decline of the Hoysala Empire:

• During the early 14th century, Alauddin Khalji has sent Malik Kafur on an expedition to plunder Devagiri, the capital city of the Seuna kingdom.
• The Halebidu was besieged and sacked twice in 1311 and 1327by Malik Kafur.
• Veera Ballala III was eventually killed at the Battle of Madurai in 1343.
  • The Hoysala empire’s territories were then merged with those administered by Harihara I of Vijayanagara Empire in the Tungabhadra River region.
• The Vijayanagara Empire was able to resist northern invasions and prospered.

Conclusion

The Hoysala empire was a significant period in South Indian history, marked by its flourishing patronage of art, architecture, and literature. The sacred ensembles of the Hoysalas were far beyond temples for worship as they were also meant to include commercial purpose and centre of education. The empire’s bilingual inscriptions, primarily in Sanskrit and Kannada, served to communicate grants and local matters effectively.

Ref: Source-1

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