After the decline of the
Chalukya Dynasty in 1190, the regions comprising the present day
Maharashtra came under the rule of the Yadava Dynasty. Also referred by the name Jadhav, this dynasty was established by a ruler named Bhillama. Devgiri Fort, later renamed as
Daulatabad, was the headquarters of the Yadavas.
The Yadavas established their dominion over the Deccan Plateau during the reign of Singhana, the grandson of Bhillama. This illustrious ruler was a great patron of literature and learning. He donated generously for the establishment of learning centers, notable among which was a college of astronomy featuring the work of the legendary astronomer Bhaskara Acharya. He was also known for his grants and donations towards temples. The famed Mahalakshmi Temple at Kolhapur contains the inscriptions supporting this claim. The rule of the Yadava dynasty witnessed the births of great scholars like Jnaneshwar, Bopadeva and Hemadri.
The reign of the Yadava dynasty declined after the conquest of the Daulatabad Fort by Alauddin Khilji in 1294. Further conquest by Malik Kafur, Alauddin’s general, in 1312 resulted in the killing of the members of the Yadava clan, thus ending the illustrious rule of the dynasty. The Muslim rule over Maharashtra region continued until the emergence of the Marathas.
