Give a brief introduction of Rashtrakuta dynasty.

Rashtrakuta was a royal dynasty which ruled the Indian subcontinent between the 6^th and 10^th centuries. The sources for Rashtrakuta history include medieval inscriptions, ancient literature in the Pali language. The major features of Rashtrakuta dynasty are:

1) The Rashtrakuta economy was based on its natural and agricultural production, revenues and money gained from territory conquests.

2) The kingdom was divided into Mandala or Rashtras (provinces). A Rashtra was ruled by a Rashtrapathi (emperor)

3) The Rashtrakuta army consisted of large groups of infantry, horsemen, and elephants.

4) The king determined the tax levels based on need and circumstances in the kingdom.

5) The Rashtrakuta kings maintained the popular religions and the traditional spirit of religious tolerance.

6) The society consisted of four basic castes of Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudras.

7) Kannada became more prominent as a literary language with its script and literature and the Kannada language made remarkable growth, dignity, and productivity.

8) The Rashtrakutas also contributed to the architectural heritage of the Deccan.

9) The Rashtrakuta reign was from 753 to 982

10) Dantidurga (735-982) was the first king. Indra IV(973 – 982) followed by Tailapa II(Western Chalukyas) (973-997) ended the period.