Jayasimha II (r.1015 – 1043 CE) (also known as Jagadekhamalla II and Mallikamoda) succeeded his brother
Vikramaditya V on the
Western Chalukya throne. He had to fight on many fronts, against the Cholas of Tanjore in the south and the
Paramara dynasty in the north, to protect his kingdom. His rule however was an important period of development of
Kannada literature. The Brahmin Kannada writers
Durgasimha (who was also his minister and wrote the
Panchatantra, "The five stratagems", 1031), Chavundaraya II (encyclopaedia,
Lokopakara, c. 1025) and Kavitavilasa were in his patronage. Chandraraja, a Brahmin writer on erotics (
Madanatilaka, "Forehead ornament of passion", the earliest Kannada work in the genre of erotica, c. 1025) was in the court of Machiraja, a vassal of Jayasimha II. The
Jain Sanskrit scholar Vadiraja was in Jayasimha II's court and wrote two epics, on logic, and a commentary on an earlier Jain text. His queen Suggaladevi was a disciple of the Kannada saint-poet Devara Dasimayya (one of the earliest
Veerashaiva poets).