<P> During the rule of Krishna II, the empire faced a revolt from the Eastern Chalukyas and its size decreased to the area including most of the Western Deccan and Gujarat . Krishna II ended the independent status of the Gujarat branch and brought it under direct control from Manyakheta . Indra III recovered the dynasty's fortunes in central India by defeating the Paramara and then invaded the doab region of the Ganges and Jamuna rivers . He also defeated the dynasty's traditional enemies, the Pratiharas and the Palas, while maintaining his influence over Vengi . The effect of his victories in Kannauj lasted several years according to the 930 copper plate inscription of Emperor Govinda IV . After a succession of weak kings during whose reigns the empire lost control of territories in the north and east, Krishna III the last great ruler consolidated the empire so that it stretched from the Narmada River to Kaveri River and included the northern Tamil country (Tondaimandalam) while levying tribute on the king of Ceylon . </P> <P> In 972 A.D., during the rule of Khottiga Amoghavarsha, the Paramara King Siyaka Harsha attacked the empire and plundered Manyakheta, the capital of the Rashtrakutas . This seriously undermined the reputation of the Rastrakuta Empire and consequently led to its downfall . The final decline was sudden as Tailapa II, a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta ruling from Tardavadi province in modern Bijapur district, declared himself independent by taking advantage of this defeat . Indra IV, the last emperor, committed Sallekhana (fasting unto death practised by Jain monks) at Shravanabelagola . With the fall of the Rashtrakutas, their feudatories and related clans in the Deccan and northern India declared independence . The Western Chalukyas annexed Manyakheta and made it their capital until 1015 and built an impressive empire in the Rashtrakuta heartland during the 11th century . The focus of dominance shifted to the Krishna River--Godavari River doab called Vengi . The former feudatories of the Rashtrakutas in western Deccan were brought under control of the Chalukyas, and the hitherto - suppressed Cholas of Tanjore became their arch enemies in the south . </P> <P> In conclusion, the rise of Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta had a great impact on India, even on India's north . Sulaiman (851), Al Masudi (944) and Ibn Khurdadba (912) wrote that their empire was the largest in contemporary India and Sulaiman further called it one among the four great contemporary empires of the world . According to the travelogues of the Arabs Al Masudi and Ibn Khordidbih of the 10th century, "most of the kings of Hindustan turned their faces towards the Rashtrakuta king while they were praying, and they prostrated themselves before his ambassadors . The Rashtrakuta king was known as the "King of kings" (Rajadhiraja) who possessed the mightiest of armies and whose domains extended from Konkan to Sind ." Some historians have called these times an "Age of Imperial Kannauj". Since the Rashtrakutas successfully captured Kannauj, levied tribute on its rulers and presented themselves as masters of North India, the era could also be called the "Age of Imperial Karnataka". During their political expansion into central and northern India in the 8th to the 10th centuries, the Rashtrakutas or their relatives created several kingdoms that either ruled during the reign of the parent empire or continued to rule for centuries after its fall or came to power much later . Well - known among these were the Rashtrakutas of Gujarat (757--888), the Rattas of Saundatti (875--1230) in modern Karnataka, the Gahadavalas of Kannauj (1068--1223), the Rashtrakutas of Rajasthan (known as Rajputana) and ruling from Hastikundi or Hathundi (893--996), Dahal (near Jabalpur), Mandore (near Jodhpur), the Rathores of Dhanop, Rashtraudha dynasty of Mayuragiri in modern Maharashtra and Rashtrakutas of Kannauj . Rajadhiraja Chola's conquest of the island of Ceylon in the early 11th century CE led to the fall of four kings there . According to historian K. Pillay, one of them, King Madavarajah of the Jaffna kingdom, was an usurper from the Rashtrakuta Dynasty . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> Part of a series on the </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> History of Karnataka </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Political history of medieval Karnataka </Li> <Li> Origin of Karnataka's name </Li> <Li> Kadambas and Gangas </Li> <Li> Chalukya Empire </Li> <Li> Rashtrakuta Empire </Li> <Li> Western Chalukya Empire </Li> <Li> Southern Kalachuri </Li> <Li> Hoysala Empire </Li> <Li> Vijayanagara Empire </Li> <Li> Bahmani Sultanate </Li> <Li> Bijapur Sultanate </Li> <Li> Kingdom of Mysore </Li> <Li> Nayakas of Keladi </Li> <Li> Nayakas of Chitradurga </Li> <Li> Haleri Kingdom </Li> <Li> Unification of Karnataka </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Categories </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Architecture </Li> <Li> Forts </Li> </Ul> <Ul> <Li> Economies </Li> <Li> Societies </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who was the founder of rashtrakuta dynasty how did he became a kshatriya