The Western Chalukya Empire rules most of the western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries.
This Kannadiga dynasty is sometimes called the Kalyani Chalukya after its regal capital at Kalyani, today's Basavakalyan in Karnataka and alternatively the Later Chalukya from its theoretical relationship to the 6th-century Chalukya dynasty of Badami.
The dynasty is called Western Chalukyas to differentiate from the contemporaneous Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, a separate dynasty.
Prior to the rise of these Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta empire of Manyakheta controlled most of Deccan and central India for over two centuries.
In 973, seeing confusion in the Rashtrakuta empire after a successful invasion of their capital by the ruler of the Paramara Dynasty of Malwa, Tailapa II, a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty ruling from Bijapur region, defeats his overlords and makes Manyakheta his capital.
The dynasty quickly rises to power and grows into an empire under Somesvara I, who moves the capital to Kalyani, preent Basavakalyan.For over a century, the two empires of southern India, the Western Chalukyas and the Chola dynasty of Tanjore, fight many fierce wars to control the fertile region of Vengi.
During these conflicts, the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, distant cousins of the Western Chalukyas but related to the Cholas by marriage, take sides with the Cholas further complicating the situation.
During the rule of Vikramaditya VI, in the late 11th to early 12th centuries, the Western Chalukyas convincingly contend with the Cholas and reach a peak ruling territories that spread over most of the Deccan.Vast areas between the Narmada River in the north and Kaveri River in the south come under Chalukya control.
During this period, the other major ruling families of the Deccan, the Hoysalas, the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri, the Kakatiya dynasty and the Southern Kalachuri, are subordinates of the Western Chalukyas and gain their independence only when the power of the Chalukya wanes during the later half of the 12th century.The Western Chalukyas develop an architectural style known today as a transitional style, an architectural link between the style of the early Chalukya dynasty and that of the later Hoysala empire.
Most of its monuments are in the districts bordering the Tungabhadra River in central Karnataka.
Well known examples are the Kasivisvesvara Temple at Lakkundi, the Mallikarjuna Temple at Kuruvatti, the Kallesvara Temple at Bagali and the Mahadeva Temple at Itagi.
This is an important period in the development of fine arts in Southern India, especially in literature as the Western Chalukya kings encourage writers in the native language of Kannada, and Sanskrit.
