The Western Gangas and the Calukya-Pallava Feuds
By A. R. Baji
Summary
Investigating the Western Ganga dynasty’s role in South India, this article situates them within the long‑standing Calukya–Pallava conflict of the sixth to eighth centuries. Drawing on inscriptions, royal genealogies and contemporary chronicles, the author recounts how the Gangas initially owed allegiance to the Calukyas but shifted alliances as opportunities arose. The paper details campaigns during the reigns of Ganga kings like Śripurusha and notes how they assisted either the Calukyas or Pallavas in return for territorial concessions and titles. It also analyses the epigraphic record to correct earlier chronological errors, placing key battles and successions in a more consistent timeline. By emphasising the Gangas’ strategic flexibility, the author argues that smaller regional powers were not passive pawns but active agents influencing the outcome of broader conflicts. The article further discusses how victories and defeats were commemorated in inscriptions, reflecting the use of political rhetoric. Through these examples, the study illuminates the dynamics of alliance politics and the ways in which the Western Gangas navigated between two rival empires while consolidating their own base in the Western Deccan.
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Conclusion
The article portrays the Western Gangas as astute political actors who exploited the Calukya–Pallava rivalry to strengthen their own position. Their shifting alliances demonstrate the complexity of early medieval diplomacy, reminding historians to consider regional powers’ agency when reconstructing larger geopolitical narratives.