Four Minor Royal Dynasties

The article examines four minor royal dynasties of ancient and early medieval Karnataka: the Sendrakas, Kellas, Senavaras, and Sindas. The author argues that these families, despite their subordinate political status, were significant regional powers and devout Jaina patrons who served major empires like the Kadambas, Calukyas, Rastrakutas, and Gangas. The Sendrakas, an early Jaina family of the Naga race, established themselves as feudatories by the fourth century CE and maintained loyal service to the Calukyas, notably through a matrimonial alliance that produced Emperor Polekesin II. Their history is documented through inscriptions such as the Gokak and Halmidi plates, which detail their territorial holdings in regions like Shimoga and Banavasi, and their generous land grants to Jaina temples. The Kellas, another Jaina warrior family, originated from Puttige and spread across North and South Kanara, Tumkur, and Shimoga. They are recorded in the Halmidi inscription and later hero-stones, serving the Alupas, Kadambas, and Calukyas, and are noted for their valor and their association with the Kaikeya (Kekaya) lineage. The Senavaras, an indigenous Jaina family, rose to prominence in the sixth century, serving as Mahamandalasvaras under the Calukyas and later the Rastrakutas. They ruled over parts of Western Ghats, including Shimoga and Chitradurga, and their lineage includes figures like Marakke Arasa, who was appointed governor of Banavasi by Akalavarsa Krishna I. The Sindas, also of the Naga race, held administrative posts from the sixth century, ruling areas like Hanagal and Adir. Inscriptions link them to the Jaina monastery at Adir, and the author suggests they may share a common dynastic origin with the Sendrakas. The Sindas served the Calukyas and Gangas, with later branches worshipping Siva, and their history is documented through inscriptions from the sixth to the twelfth centuries.

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