Eastern and southern kingdoms

While north India suffered the Ghaznavid raids, eastern India in the 11th century was very different. After the Pālas declined, the Sena dynasty became the main power in Bengal, with its capital at Nādīya.

The Pālas had supported Buddhist institutions; the Senas promoted Hindu thought and literature. Their court hosted poets like Jayadeva, who wrote the famous Gītagovindam, the story of Kṛiṣhṇa and Rādhā.

Further south along the coast, in Kalinga, ruled the Eastern Gangas. They married into the Chola family but also fought them a few times. By the end of the 12th century they were one of the most stable powers of eastern India, their inscriptions claiming a kingdom 'from the Gangā to the Godāvarī'. They began building the Jagannātha temple at Puri and, in the mid-13th century, the grand Sun temple at Konark.

In the Deccan, the Western Chālukyas were a major power, at one point reaching the Narmada. As the Eastern Chālukyas were drawn into the Chola circle through marriages, their capital Vengi and its fertile land became the prize in fierce wars between the Cholas and the Western Chālukyas. The Western Chālukyas wore themselves out and faded, while the Kākatīyas and Hoysalas grew stronger and replaced them.

The Kākatīyas built strong local government based on village self-rule, an efficient tax system, and irrigation that made farming prosperous. The great toraṇa (gateway) of the Warangal fort survives from their time.

The Hoysalas came from southern Karnataka, and their name has a story. Their founder Sāla went to a Jain temple and found a monk meditating. A tiger appeared, and the monk said 'Poy, Sāla' — old Kannada for 'strike, Sāla'. Sāla struck, saved the monk's life, and the monk blessed him with kingship.

Their capitals were Velāpura (today's Belur) and Dvārasamudra (today's Halebidu). Under King Viṣhṇuvardhana they broke free of the Chālukyas, challenged the Cholas, and came to rule most of today's Karnataka.

Under the Hoysalas Kannada literature grew, but their most visible gift is a unique temple style, with finely carved stone pillars, sculptures and panels. The temples at Belur and Halebidu are among three Hoysala temples listed by UNESCO as World Heritage monuments.