Hoysala

Hoysala, dynasty of S India, c.1110–1326. It had its origins in the last half of the 11th cent., when Vinayaditya (1047–98) ruled an an area centered on Dorasamudra (modern Halebid), which became the dynasty's capital. His grandson Bittiga (later called Vishnuvardhana; reigned c.1110–42) made extensive conquests, including the Mysore plateau, and built magnificent temples at Dorasamudra that were noted for their intricate and elaborate sculpture. Bittiga's grandson, Vira Ballala II (reigned 1173–1220) extended Hoysala control N of Mysore and made the dynasty the most powerful in S India. The Hoysalas later came into conflict with the empire of Vijayanagar and the Muslim sultans of Delhi, and the last Hoysala rule was overthrown in 1346. At its height the dynasty ruled over parts of the modern states of Mysore, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Bibliography

See J. M. Derrett, The Hoysalas (1957).

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Hoysala 

the name of a dynasty in southern India and the state ruled by it from the 11th to 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysala state was Dorasamudra, or Dwarasamudra (present-day Halebid). The feudal despotism of the Hoysala dynasty was based on a ramified state apparatus and a detailed system of taxation. During this period the culture of the Kanarese people developed. Architecture was of particular importance, for example, the distinctive Hoysala style of temple architecture.