BASAVA

flourished 12th century, , South India Hindu religious reformer, teacher, theologian, and administrator of the royal treasury of the Calukya king Bijjala I (reigned 115667). Basava is the subject of the Basava-Purana, one of the sacred texts of the Hindu Lingayat sect (see Lingayat). According to South Indian oral tradition, he was the actual founder of the Lingayats, but study of Calukya inscriptions indicates that rather than found a new sect he in fact revived an existing one. His life and doctrines were recorded in the Basava-Purana, written by Bhima Kavi (14th century) in the Kannada language and based on an earlier Telugu version by Palkuriki Somanatha. Basava helped to spread the Lingayat sect by teaching and by dispersing funds to Lingayat guilds. It was his uncle, a prime minister, who first used his influence at court to secure an appointment for his erudite relative. Basava was appointed chief of the treasury, and for several years he and his faction enjoyed a great deal of popularity. Buddhists and Jainas were apparently resentful of his power, and his enemies pointed out that he had depleted the treasury by excessive patronage of Lingayat mendicants. As a result of these accusations, he fled the kingdom.