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Vikramaditya II (733 – 744) ascended the Chalukya throne following the death of his father, Vijayaditya.

In the early years of Vikramaditya's reign Arab invaders who had established themselves in the Sindh made a push into the Deccan. Avanijanashraya Pulakesi, a son of Vikramaditya I's brother Jayasimhavarman, fought valiantly and stopped them in 739 CE Vikramaditya II so appreciated his valour, he conferred the title of Avanijanasraya (refuge of the people of the earth) on Pulakesi. The Rashtrakuta king Dandivarman or Dantidurga also fought along the Chalukyas against the Arabs.

Vikramaditya II fought many battles with the Pallavas. He attacked and invaded Kanchipuram three times. Around 730, as the Chalukya crown prince Vikramaditya, assisted by the Ganga prince Ereyappa, attacked the Pallava Paramesvaravarman II. The Pallava king had to sue for peace at a great financial loss to his kingdom. The Pallava subsequently tried to mount a counter-attack at the Ganga ally of Vikramaditya (731 ), but was killed in the battle of Vilande.

Vikramaditya again invaded the Pallava kingdom in 735. The Ganga feudatory Sripurusha joined the Chalukyas in this expedition. Vikramaditya occupied Kanchipuram and drove the Pallava king Pallavamalla into exile. Unlike many conquering kings, Vikramaditya behaved in a very honorable way and showed consideration towards both the inhabitants and the city, according to Prof. K.A.N. Sastri. He made sure that none of the many architectural wonders of the city were damaged by his troops. He pleased the people by his lavish gifts to the temples and returned the confiscated treasures to them. He then recorded this information on a pillar at the Kailasanatha Temple in a Kannada inscription.

Vikramaditya thus wiped out the disgrace that had fallen on the Chalukya empire by the occupation of Vatapi by the Pallava Narasimhavarman I. The Chalukyan empire now reached its proportions during the rule of Pulakeshi II.

His two queens Lokamahadevi and Trilokamahadevi of the Kalachuri family built the famous Virupaksha and Mallikarjuna temples at Pattadakal to celebrate the Chalukya victory over the Pallavas. Vikramaditya was succeeded by his son Kirtivarman II in 744.

• Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
• Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002).
• South Indian Inscriptions - http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/
• History of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje