Manasollasa
Also called: Abhilashitartha Chintamani · Topic: Southern Dynasties: Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 4 "Turning Tides: The 11th and 12th Centuries"
Meaning
The Manasollasa, also called Abhilashitartha Chintamani, is a Sanskrit encyclopaedia, a book that covers many subjects. It was written in c. 1129 CE by Someshvara III, a 12th-century king of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani. It explains how a king should rule and live. It covers polity (how a state is run), astronomy, architecture, music, medicine, cooking, games and entertainment. It matters because it gives a rare inside picture of royal life in medieval India.
Example
Someshvara III wrote the Manasollasa at Kalyani (modern Basavakalyan, Karnataka) in c. 1129 CE. Its sections on music and on food are still used as sources for medieval Indian music and cooking.
Don't confuse with
- Mitakshara: a commentary on Hindu law by Vijnaneshwara at the court of Vikramaditya VI, another Western Chalukya king. It is not an encyclopaedia of royal life.
Related concepts
- Chalukyas of Badami
- Pulakeshin II
- Western Chalukyas of Kalyani
- Vikramaditya VI
- Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi
- Kavitrayam
- Three gems of Kannada literature