Simhana's Southern Expansion

Simhana, determined to expand his empire and avenge his grandfather's defeat by the Hoysalas, began a campaign in 1211 A.D. against Veera Ballala II. He targeted the Hoysala feudatories south of the Krishna-Malaprabha line and achieved significant territorial gains, including Belvola, Gadaga, Annigari, and parts of Raichur and Shimoga districts. His advances extended into Anantapur and Ballary, leading to conflicts with the Kakatiya kingdom of Ganapati, where Simhana's inscriptions suggest he crossed the Tungabhadra River, contradicting previous claims that he did not.

Simhana's Southern Expansion
Map of the Yadava, circa 1200-1300 CE
Date 1211-1215 Location Maharashtra,Karanataka,Telengana Result Yadava victory Territorial changes Simhana annexed all the areas to the north of the Tungabhadra River including regions of Kolhapur Chitradurga Ballari Shimoga and Banavasi
Belligerents
Seuna (Yadava) dynasty	Hoysala Kingdom Kakatiya dynasty Shilahara
Commanders and leaders
Simhana Kholeshvara	Veera Ballala II Ganpati  Bhoja II (POW)

Simhana's second major conquest was Kolhapur. After defeating the Silahara ruler Bhoja II, who had challenged both the Kalachuris and Cholas, Simhana captured Kolhapur and secured control over the region by 1214 A.D., with Bhoja fleeing to Panhala and later being imprisoned.

Background

Simhana's grandfather, Bhillama V, had experienced a significant defeat at the hands of the Hoysala king,Veera Ballala II in Soratur. In response, the Yadavas sought to retaliate by invading territories controlled by the Hoysala. Inscriptions from Simhana, found in the area south of the Malaprabha River and dating back to 1202, indicate that the Yadavas had begun making advances into this region by that period. Simhana began his Southern Campaign in early 1211.

Expansion

Expedition against Hoysala

Simhana undertook extensive preparations to expand his empire, starting with the goal of avenging the defeat his grandfather had suffered at the hands of the Hoyasalas. Determined to push beyond the Krishna-Malaprabha line, which he no longer accepted as the southern boundary of his realm, Simhana launched an expedition against Veera Ballala II in 1211 A.D. With his capable general Bicana, he began subduing the Hoysala feudatories ruling south of Krishna.

From 1211 to 1217 A.D., Veera Ballala II experienced a period of retreat. During this time, the Kadambas of Hanugal, led by Kamadeva, began invading the northern districts of Ballala. Simghana exploited this opportunity to capture Belvola, thereby extending his control over a significant area around Gadaga and Annigari in the Dharwar district . He likely also captured Kusukad and Masavadi, further extending his territory in the Raichur district. Hanugala and Guttala also fell to him . After conquering large areas in these districts, Simghana advanced into the Banavase and Satalinge provinces in the Shimoga district. As early as 1212 A.D., inscriptions record Simghana's raids in the Sorab taluka of this district . Simhana personally led the campaign, evidenced by an inscription noting that his horse was stabbed by a Hoyasala hero at Hurali (App.Insc.no.53). Eight inscriptions found in the Shimoga district confirm his conquest of Banavase, Satalinge, and surrounding territories, which were subsequently assigned to his trusted lieutenant, Sarvadhikarin Mayideva .

Simhana's southern expansion did not end here. Inscriptions in the Anantapur district of Andhra indicate that he extended his control into Ballary and Anantapur. The Hoysala feudatories in these regions appear to have shifted their allegiance to Simhana.

Clashes with Kakatiyas

Simhana's conquests, which included Ballary and Anantapur, brought his frontiers into direct contact with the Kakatiya kingdom ruled by Ganapati. During this period, Simhana and Ganapati engaged in conflict, with both sides claiming victory in their historical records. Despite these conflicting claims, the available evidence suggests that Simhana succeeded in advancing into Kakatiya territory.

This assertion is supported by inscriptional evidence. For example, a Telugu inscription attributed to Simhana has been discovered in the Nalgonda district, while another Kannada inscription has been found in the Kurnool district. These inscriptions, which are geographically located outside of Simhana's traditionally recognized domain, indicate that his influence extended beyond the Tungabhadra River.

Given this inscriptional evidence, it becomes clear that Simhana's empire did indeed cross the Tungabhadra, contrary to Derret's claim that Simhana had not ventured beyond this river. The evidence thus challenges Derret's statement and confirms that Simghana's territorial ambitions and achievements were more extensive than previously acknowledged.

Conquest of Kolhapur

Simhana's second major achievement, following his Karnatak campaign, was the annexation of Kolhapur. The Kolhapur principality, ruled by the Silahara dynasty since the early 11th century, was led by the ambitious Bhoja II (1175-1215 A.D.). Bhoja's defiance against the Kalachuris and his challenge to the Cholas made him a significant threat to the Yadavas. Consequently, [[Simhana decided to fully annex Kolhapur rather than merely enforcing suzerainty, especially while he was engaged in the Karnatak campaign.

Bhoja was initially defeated at Kolhapurand took refuge in the fort of Parnala or Panhala, where he was ultimately overthrown. The Tilivalli inscription describes how Simhana caused Bhoja to flee from Panhala. Other records, indicate that Bhoja was imprisoned by Simhana. Hemadri also celebrates this victory in glowing terms.

The earliest inscriptional reference to this conquest dates to 1217 A.D. but the Khidrapur inscription from the Kolhapur district suggests that Yadava control over the region began as early as 1214 A.D. This implies that the Khidrapur area was under Simhana's control even before Bhoja's final defeat around 1215 A.D.