Pallava Dynasty [275 CE–897 CE] | Notes for UPSC State PSC

Pallava Dynasty at a Glance

Time Period	275 CE–897 CE
Region	Southern India, primarily in modern-day Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh
Capital	Kanchipuram
Languages	Tamil (Official) Sanskrit
Religion	Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism
Founder	Simhavarman I (275–300 AD)
Last Ruler	Aparajitavarman (885–897 AD)
Major Battles Fought	Battle of Vatapi (642 AD) between Narasimhavarman I and Pulakesin II of Chalukya Dynasty

Origin of the Pallava Dynasty

• Overview of the Pallava Dynasty: The Pallava Dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that ruled the southern part of Modern-day Andhra Pradesh and the northern parts of Tamil Nadu from 275 CE to 897 CE.
• Historians’ Perspective about their Origin:
  • According to historians S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar and K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, Pallavas were originally feudatories of the Satavahanas in the southeastern part of their empire who became independent when the Satavahana power declined.
  • Pallavas were former subsidiaries of Satavahanas in the Andhradesa (north of the Penna River in modern Andhra Pradesh).
• Patronage of Language and Literature: The Pallava kings were patrons of the Sanskrit language. Most of their inscriptions are in Sanskrit. Even in Tamil inscriptions, the Sanskrit language is used in the “Prashasti” section.

Pallava Dynasty Map

Pallava Dynasty Rulers

Simhavishnu (575–600)

• Simhavishnu also known as Avanisimha was responsible for the revival of the Pallava dynasty.
• He conquered the region up to the Kaveri River and came into conflict with the Pandyas.
• During his reign, the struggle between the Pallavas and the Chalukyas began.
• He was portrayed as a great conqueror in Mattavilasa Prahasana, a drama written by his son Mahendravarman I.
• Simhavishnu patronized Sanskrit poet Bharavi who wrote Kirata Arjuniya.
• He was probably a worshiper of Vishnu.

Mahendravarman I (600–630)

• The Chalukya king Pulakeshi II attacked the Pallava kingdom during his reign.
• Tamil literature flourished under his rule. Tevaram was written by Appar (7th-century Saiva poet-saint) Sundarar, and Sambandhar (a Shaiva poet of Tamil Nadu in the 7th century CE).
• He wrote Mattavilasa Prahasana (a satirical Sanskrit play).
• He converted to the Saiva (from Jainism) faith under the influence of the famous saint Appar. As a result of Appar’s preaching, Saivism flourished in the Pallava kingdom.

Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla) (630–668)

• He was known as Mamalla or Mahamalla (great wrestler), and Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) was named after him.
• Pancha Rathas Temple complex was constructed during his rule which is Rock Cut Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• According to historians Nagaswamy the monuments in Mahabalipuram was built during the reign of Narasimhavarman II (c. 690–725 CE) after the discovery of new inscriptions.
• In 640 CE, the famous Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visited Kanchipuram (the Pallava capital at that time) during his reign.

• He defeated the Chalukya king, Pulakeshin II in 642 CE in the battle of Vatapi and occupied the Chalukyan capital Vatapi. He assumed the title Vatapikonda.
• Narasimhavarman I constructed a Mallikarjuna Temple at Vatapi to commemorate his victory.

Narasimhavarman II (695–722)

• He was popularly known as Rajasimha.
• He is credited with constructing the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, Panamalai Temple in South Arcot, and the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram.
• He made a military alliance with the Tang dynasty of China to defend the expanding Tibetan Empire.
• Narasimhavarman was a skilled dramatist and poet who wrote many works in Sanskrit.
• The Sanskrit litterateur Dandin spent several years in his court and was patronized by the king.

Nandivarman II

• He was born in the country of Champa (modern-day Vietnam).
• Vaikunta Perumal Temple at Kanchipuram is believed to have been built by the Pallava king Nandivarman II.
• The famous Alwar saint and scholar Thirumangai was a contemporary of Nandivarman II.

Dantivarman

• He was defeated by the Rashtrakuta king Govinda III in 803 CE.
• During his reign, the Pallava kingdom started to decline.

• A copper plate inscription of Nriputunga Varman (869–880 CE) was found in Bahour(Puducherry) in 1879. The inscription is written in both Sanskrit and Tamil and describes a grant of income from three villages.
• The last Pallava ruler Aparajita Pallava (AD 879-897) was defeated by Aditya Chola in 897 CE.

Art and Architecture

Main Article: Pallava Art & Architecture

• The history of South Indian art and architecture began under the Pallavas in the latter part of the 6th century.
• Here too, like in other places, religion had a deep influence on the development of fine arts.
• Mahendravarman I adopted the custom of building temples by carving hills. The Kailash temple of Ellora (Maharashtra) is a notable example among this category of temples. It was modeled after the Kailasanath temple in Kanchi.
• Narasimhavarman established the city of Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram on the seashore to the south of the present-day city of Chennai. He also built the “Seven Pagoda” here. Each of them is built by cutting a huge block of stone. These are temple-shaped ‘chariots‘. It was named after the five Pandavas, Draupadi and Ganesha. Mahabalipuram’s temple complex is adorned with beautiful carvings.
• Temples built by the Pallava kings can be seen at Dalavanur (Viluppuram district), Pallavaram (Suburb of Chennai), Vallam (Chengalpattu), Purukottai (Trichinopoly District) and Kanchi.
• The Pallava kings used the Granth script in their inscriptions.

Architecture	Builder	Important Points
Descent of the Ganges	Narasimhavarman I	Also known as Arjuna’s Penance The relief was created to celebrate the victory of Narasimhavarman I over Chalukya king Pulakesin II. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites designated in the year 1984.
Shore Temple	Narasimhavarman II	Also called Seven Pagodas It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites designated in the year 1984.
Five Rathas of Mahabalipuram	Narasimhavarman I
Kailasanath Temple	Narasimhavarman II Additions by Mahendra III at a later stage
Mandagapattu Trimurti Temple	Mahendravarman I	It is dedicated to the trinity Brahma-Shiva-Vishnu. The temple is notable for the earliest known Sanskrit inscription written in Grantha script (a South Indian script, found particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala).

Main Article: Pallava Art & Architecture

Religion

• Religion Of the Kings: Almost all the Pallava kings were Brahminical Hindus. The first notable ruler of this dynasty, Simha Vishnu, was probably a worshiper of Vishnu. Mahendravarman I was a Jain initially, but in the middle of his reign he started worshiping Shiva under the influence of the famous saint Appar. As a result of Appar’s preaching, the condition of Shaivism improved in the Pallava kingdom. Mahendravardhan also revered other gods and goddesses. He built temples of Brahma and Vishnu. But towards the end of his life he became extremely hostile to Jainism and destroyed a large Jain monastery in South Arcot.
• Hiuen Tsang’s Account:
  • Hiuen Tsang mentioned that Buddhism did not completely disappear in the Pallava kingdom.
  • At Kanchi he saw hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and ten thousand Buddhist monks. All of them were followers of the Mahayana Buddhism.
  • He also mentions many ‘Nirgranthas‘.
• Alwars: With the efforts of the Alwars Vaishnavism flourished. Their songs in Tamil language are rich with deep feelings and religion.

Literature

• The Pallava kings were patrons of the Sanskrit language. Most of their inscriptions are in Sanskrit; Even in Tamil inscriptions Sanskrit language is used in the “prashasti” section.
• Kanchi has been a prominent center of Sanskrit since ancient times.
• The author of the poem “Kirataryunyam” was a court poet of Simhavishnu.
• Dandin, the author of a canonical treatise on rhetoric, probably lived during the reign of Narasimhavarman II.
• The first Mahendravarman himself was a famous writer. He probably composed a comedy called “Mattavilas Prahasana”.
• Nandivarman was a well-educated scholar. The famous Alwar saint and scholar Thirumangai were present during his reign.

Decline of the Pallava Dynasty

• The Pallava dynasty’s decline in the 9th century was marked by intense rivalries and conflicts.
• The rivalry between the Chalukyas and the Pallavas in the 7th and 8th centuries is a common feature of South Indian history.
• The Chalukyas, their primary rival, claimed numerous victories in their inscriptions, with Vikramaditya I likely defeating Parameshvaravarman I and capturing Kanchi around 670-695 AD.
• The Pallavas were weakened by disputes over throne in the latter half of the 8th century.
• During Nandivarman’s reign (730-795 AD), Vikramaditya II of the Chalukyas occupied Kanchi again, although the Pallavas managed to regained their power for a short period.
• The dynasty also faced threats from the Cholas, Pandyas, and Gangas. In the early 9th century, Rashtrakuta king Govinda III invaded the Pallava kingdom and defeated Dantivarman (795-845 AD), further destabilizing the Pallavas. Dantivarman and his successors had to struggle against the sinners.
• Finally the Chola king Aditya I defeated the Pallava king Aparajitavarman (c. 879-897 AD) and captured Tondamandalam and completely destroyed the Pallava power.

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