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Somesvara I – Chalukya King – Brief History

Somesvara I (1043 – 68 CE), son and successor of Jayasimha II, was a descendant of Chalukya kings of Kalyana in Karnataka region of South India. He went into protracted wars with neighboring Cholas, which Cholas won, though Somesvara did not suffer any territorial loss. He also  fought battles the Ailahara king, Mummuni of northern Konkana, whom he overthrew.

As a Chalukya King, Somesvara I had been reasonably successful in his battles against eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, Chalukya Bhima and Chalukya Vatsaraja, Trilocanapala in Gujarat, and Paramara Bhoja of Malwa.

Somesvara invaded Kerala. Though a Saivite, he followed a liberal religious policy and lavished patronage on Jainism. He acquired titles such as Ahavamalla, Trailokya Malla, Rajanarayana and Viramartanda.