i ▁river ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁to ▁the ▁N arm ada ▁in ▁the ▁north . ▁ ▁At ▁their ▁peak ▁they ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁south ▁Indian ▁emp ire ▁that ▁conquer ed ▁regions ▁in ▁far ▁northern ▁India ▁( K ann au j ) ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁extreme ▁south ▁( T amil ak am ). ▁The ▁L ata ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁( in ▁present - day ▁Gu jar at ) ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁dynast y ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁Many akh eta ▁family ▁line ▁which ▁later ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Many akh eta ▁kingdom ▁during ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Research ▁ ▁S ources ▁The ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁Ras ht rak ut as ▁and ▁the ▁Ras ht rak ut as ▁of ▁Many akh eta ▁has ▁been ▁made ▁possible ▁by ▁the ▁avail ability ▁of ▁numerous ▁ins cri ptions ▁spread ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁De cc an , ▁ancient ▁literature ▁in ▁P ali , ▁contempor aneous ▁K ann ada ▁literature ▁such ▁as ▁K av ira j am arga ▁( 8 5 0 ) ▁and ▁Vik ram ar j una ▁V ij aya ▁( 9 4 1 ), ▁S ansk rit ▁writ ings ▁by ▁Som ade va , ▁Raj as he k ara , ▁Gun ab had ra , ▁J inas ena ▁and ▁others ▁and ▁the ▁notes ▁of ▁Arab ▁trav ellers ▁of ▁those ▁times ▁such ▁as ▁S ule iman , ▁I bn ▁H au kal , ▁Al ▁Mas udi , ▁Al ▁Ist akh ri ▁and ▁others . ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁left ▁no ▁topic