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Language: Kannada
capital(s) Somanathapura (Somnathpur)
emblem Warrior Sa'la attacking a Tiger
major monuments Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam; Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura; Kedareshwara Temple, Halebid; Chennakesava Temple, Belur
masterpieces: Hoysala architecture and sculpture, especially ornate and intricate, are best seen at Halebid, Belur, and Somnathpur

The Hoysala Empire was a predominantly Kannadiga Dynasty which ruled over most of Karnataka and parts of northern Tamil Nadu. Before they rose to prominence, the Hoyasalas were a feudatory of the more powerful Western Chalukya Empire.

Legends tell the story of a young man Sa'la who once saved his guru, a Jain monk called Sudatta, by striking a tiger dead with his bare hands. The word "strike" translates as "Hoy" in old Kannada and the Empire that Sa'la founded received the name "Hoysala". However, outside of the legend, there is little historical proof to suggest that this story is accurate and it is more likely to a be a retelling of how King Vishnuvardhana defeated the Cholas in battle.

Hoysala rulers were patrons of literature (in both Kannada and Sanskrit), art and architecture. There are over a hundred temples, each a symbol of the Hoysala architectural prowess, scattered across modern Karnataka.

The fall of the Hoysala Empire coincided with a period of sustained pressure on the Deccan empires by invaders from North India, specifically the Delhi Sultanate. This pressure culminated in the creation of a combined southern Dynasty - the Vijayanagara Empire.

Inscriptions on the Ulòka Gopuram

Hoysala Trade

The Hoysala Empire ruled over parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka between the 10th and 14th centuries. They had extensive influence on the Pandya and Chola kingdoms of the time and had also maintained a provincial capital at Srirangam in order to exert control on South Indian politics.

Trade was a strong force in the Hoysala economy. They exported spices, precious stones, pottery, ivory, ebony, Rhino horn, etc. to parts of China, Africa and parts of the Western world.

Western Chalukya

Vijayanagara

Inscriptions on the Ulòka Gopuram

Hoysala Trade

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