Simhana
Simhana dynasty of the Deccan region of India. He expanded his kingdom to the south at the expense of the Hoysalas, and fought the Chaulukyas and the Vaghelas for the control of the Lata region in the north. He also defeated the Paramaras of Malwa, the Shilaharas of Kolhapur and the Rattas of Belgaum. His generals subjugated several insubordinate feudatory chiefs, and the Yadava territory reached its greatest extent during his reign.
Early life
Simhana, whose name is also transliterated as Singhana, was the son of his predecessor Jaitugi. His birth was believed to have been the result of the blessings of the goddess Narasimhi of Parnakheta. Therefore, he was named after this goddess.It is not clear when Simhana ascended the throne. Jaitgui's last known inscription is dated 1196, and Simhana's earliest known inscription is dated 1197. However, other inscriptions variously suggest that Simhana ascended the throne in 1200, 1207 or 1210. Two Kandagal inscriptions, dated 1208 and 1220, are stated to have been issued in the 8th and 20th year of his reign respectively, thus suggesting that he ascended the throne in 1200. A third inscription from the same place suggests that he ascended the throne in 1210. The Kallaru stone inscription suggests that he ascended the throne in 1208–09. The Elavata, Kadkal and Kuppataru inscriptions suggest another date for his ascension. Simhana had definitely not ascended the throne in 1197, because Jaitugi is known to have appointed the Kakatiya ruler Ganapati as his vassal in 1198.
Historian A. S. Altekar theorizes that Simhana was formally associated with his father's administration as the heir apparent after 1200, which may explain why some inscriptions date his ascension as early as 1200. According to Altekar, Jaitugi most probably continued to rule until 1210, when Simhana succeeded him as the king.
On the other hand, T. V. Mahalingam theorizes that Simhana was crowned as his father's successor in 1200, and had a second coronation in 1210 to mark his conquest of the Hoysala territories. According to Mahalingam, the inscriptions that suggest an earlier date for Simhana's coronation were found in the northern part of his kingdom. On the other hand, the inscriptions that place his coronation in 1210 were found in the southern part of his kingdom. A 1226-27 inscription discovered at Doni in the southern region states that sixteen years had passed since Simhana's entry in the area. This suggests that Simhana conquered this southern region in c. 1210, and therefore, the inscriptions found in this region count his reign from that year.
Military career
Kakatiyas
Some later inscriptions, such as those discovered at Chikka Sakuna and Munoli, state that Simhana beheaded the king of Telanga, and placed another person on the empty throne. This suggests that he participated in his father's campaign against the Kakatiyas. As a result of these campaigns, the Kakatiya king Mahadeva was killed, and Mahadeva's son Ganapati was installed on the throne as a Yadava vassal.Ganapati maintained cordial relations with Simhana. During the first half of his reign, Ganapati only assumed the titles of a feudatory chief. A 1228 inscription of Ganapati claims that he defeated the Latas. This suggests that he accompanied the Simhana's forces during their expedition in the Lata region of present-day southern Gujarat. During the second half of his reign, Ganapati seems to have assumed an independent status. However, Simhana was an old man by this time, and remained busy with his expeditions in Gujarat. Ganapati also avoided adopting an aggressive attitude towards the Yadavas, having spent the early part of his life in their captivity. Therefore, no major conflict happened between these two kings.
Hoysalas
Simhana's grandfather Bhillama V had suffered a humiliating defeat against the Hoysala king Ballala II at Soratur. The Yadavas decided to avenge this defeat by invading the Hoysala-controlled territory. Simhana's inscriptions discovered in the region to the south of the Malaprabha River are dated as early as 1202, which suggests that the Yadavas had made inroads into this area by this time. A 1206 inscription shows that by that year, the Yadavas had conquered a part of the present-day Bijapur district, and placed it under their general Keshavadeva. By 1212, they had penetrated into the present-day Anantapur, Bellary, Chitradurga, and Shimoga districts, as attested by their inscriptions discovered in these areas. By 1213, they had annexed most of the present-day Dharwad district, as shown by an inscription discovered at Gadag. The Gadag, Paithan, and Tiluvalli inscriptions state that Simhana defeated Ballala.The Rattas of Saundatti, who formerly acknowledged the Hoysala suzerainty, switched their allegiance to Simhana, and helped him in expanding the Yadava power southwards. Sometime before 1215, the Yadavas captured Banavasi, and Simhana's confidant Sarvadhikarin Mayideva was appointed as its governor. In 1222, he was succeeded by Vanka Ravata, an officer from Karad. By 1220, Simhana had completed his conquest of the area to the north of the Tungabhadra River. The Hoysalas were busy at their southern frontier with the Pandyas, which worked in Simhana's favour.
Shilaharas of Kolhapur
In 1216, Simhana launched an expedition against the Kohalpur Shilahara king Bhoja II. Taking advantage of the conflict between the Chalukyas, the Kalachuris, the Yadavas, and the Hoysalas, Bhoja had assumed imperial titles. By 1187, he called himself the Vikrama of the Kaliyuga. By 1205, even his protégé Somadeva had assumed imperial titles such as Paramabhattaraka, Rajadhiraja, and Paschima-chakravarti. While the Yadavas were engaged in their campaign against the Hoysalas during 1210–1215, Bhoja seems to have attacked their kingdom. As a result, Simhana invaded the Shilahara territory, and defeated Bhoja, who fled to Panhala.A Yadava inscription states that Simhana was "an eagle who caused the serpent in the form of the mighty ruler Bhoja, hiding in the fort of Panhala, to take a flight." This suggests that Bhoja, who was already an old man by this time, had to flee from Panhala. Nothing is known about the ultimate fate of Bhoja or his son Gandaraditya.
Epigraphic evidence suggests that the Shilahara kingdom, including the capital Kolhapur, was annexed to the Yadava kingdom. This annexation seems to have taken place before 1217, as a 1217 inscription found in the Shimoga district describes Simhana as a vajra to the Panhala fort. A 1218 inscription found at Kolhapur records the construction of a gate before the Ambabai temple by Simhana's officer Tailana.
Paramaras
s, the northern neighbours of the Yadavas, ruled the Malwa region. In the past, Simhana's grandfather Bhillama had raided their territories. Simhana's contemporary Paramara king Arjunavarman married the Hoysala princess Sarvakala, who was probably a daughter of granddaughter of the Hoysala king Ballala. Simhana's invasion of the Hoysala territory appears to have led to a fresh conflict between the Paramaras and the Yadavas.Simhana invaded the Paramara kingdom in 1215, and according to the later Yadava court poet Hemadri, this invasion resulted in the defeat and death of Arjunavarman. The veracity of Hemadri's claim is doubtful, as the 1222 Bahal inscription mentions Arjunavarman's defeat, but not his death. The Tiluvalli inscription also states that Simhana humbled the lord of Malwa.
Lata, Chaulukyas and Vaghelas
The Chaulukya king Bhima II ruled the present-day Gujarat, located to the north-west of the Yadava territory. Simha, the Chahamana ruler of the Lata region in southern Gujarat, was originally a Chaulukya feudatory, but had later shifted his allegiance to the Paramaras. After Simhana's victory over the Paramaras, he found himself in a tough situation, and re-accepted the Chaulukya suzerainty. The Chaulukya chronicle Kirti-Kaumudi states that the Chaulukya general Lavanaprasada forced Simhana to retreat.In 1220, Simhana sent a stronger army to Lata. This army was led by his general Kholeshvara, who held the fief of the neighbouring Khandesh and Vidarbha regions. At this time, the Chaulukya throne had been seized by an usurper named Jayantasimha, and therefore, the Chaulukyas were unable to help Simha. According to Hammira-mada-mardana, Simha and his brother Sindhuraja died fighting the Yadavas. The 1228 Ambe inscription of Kholeshvara describes his victory, and also mentions that Simha was killed in the battle. Sindhuraja's son Shankha was taken prisoner by the Yadavas. Simhana later released Shankha, and allowed him to rule Lata as a Yadava feudatory.
Shankha remained loyal to Simhana in the later years. Meanwhile, the Chaulukya general Lavanaprasada invaded Lata, and captured the important port city of Khambhat. The Chaulukya minister Vastupala was appointed as its governor in 1219. Sometime later, while the Chaulukya forces were busy suppressing a revolt in the Marwar region, Shankha attacked Bharuch, but was forced to retreat by Vastupala. Subsequently, he launched another invasion of the Chaulukya kingdom with Simhana's assistance. The Kirti-Kaumudi attests that this invasion caused a massive panic in Gujarat. The exact details of this invasion have been obscured by the various poetic legends, none of which give a date for it. According to these legends, Shankha convinced Simhana and the Paramara king Devapala to send a joint expedition to Gujarat. Simhana's force was led by Kholeshvara, and Shankha himself led one of the invading armies. Lavanaprasada resolved the threat by creating a rift between the invading allies. One of his spies stole Devapala's favourite horse, and another spy gave it to Shankha claiming that it was a gift from Devapala. Meanwhile, a forged letter was made to fall in Simhana's hands: in this letter, Devapala had purportedly assured Shankha that he would attack Simhana's army in Gujarat, and had also urged him to kill Simhana to avenge his father's death. This letter convinced Simhana that Shankha and Devapala were conspiring against him.
It appears that Simhana withdrew from the planned invasion, and the Chaulukya-Yadava conflict came to end in c. 1232 with a peace treaty. Historian A. S. Altekar speculates that Simhana must have received considerable wealth for agreeing to this peace treaty, in addition to the confirmation of his protectorate over the Lata region. The 13th century text Lekhapaddhati, which provides specimens for different types of letters, includes a text of the peace treaty between Lavanaprasada and Simhana. However, this appears to be a specimen rather than a true historical document.
In the 1240s, Lavanaprasada's grandson Visaladeva usurped the power in Gujarat, and became a monarch. During his reign, Simhana's forces invaded Gujarat unsuccessfully. Simhana's general Rama was killed in this campaign.
The Yadavas' conflict with Gujarat ultimately weakened both the kingdoms, and paved way for the Muslim conquest of these kingdoms half a century after Simhana's death.