bodyclass	geography
above	Pallava Dynasty
label1	Official languages
data1	Tamil
label2	Capital
data2	Kanchipuram
label3	Government
data3	Monarchy
label4	Preceding state
data4	Satavahana, Kalabhras
label5	Succeeding states
data5	Cholas, Eastern Chalukyas }}

The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty of South India which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram, the largest capital of the sovereign nation Tondai Nadu of Tamilakkam. They had established themselves as a notable rising power in the region between 275 CE - 350 CE. The word Pallava in Sanskrit means branch, alluding to their formation from an ancient Chola-Nāka alliance. Sangam literature and epigraphical inscriptions describe the liaison of Princess Pilli Valai of Nāka Nadu with King Killivalavan of Chola Nadu at Nainativu; out of this union was born Prince Tondai Ilanthiraiyan, who historians note as an early progenitor of the Pallava Dynasty. Between 105-150 CE, the ancient capital of the Cholas, Kaveripoompuharpatinnam was submerged in a tsunami during Killivalavan's reign; he moved the capital to Urayur as noted by Ptolemy. The Chola king annexed a part of his territory as Tondaimandalam and presented it to his son who ruled the kingdom between 150-175 CE. He was a contemporary of Athiyamān Nedumān Añci and Avvaiyar I. The Pallavas readily took the titles Thondaiyar and Tondaiman alluding to their heritage and historic region.

Pallavas gained prominence after the eclipse of their arch rivals, the Satavahanas of Andhra and the decline of Cholas in Tamil Nadu, taking their terriitory to the north of Andhra, to a region still called Pal Nadu. The Pallavas patronized Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit. Some of the most illustrious Tamil bhakti poets like the Nayanmars Sambandhar and Tirunavukkarasar, Sanskrit poets Bharavi and Dandin, as well as the seashore rock-cut temples of Mahabalipuram belong to the Pallavan era. Bodhidarma, the founder of Zen Buddhism was a Pallava prince born in Kanchipuram.

Pallavas rose in power during the reign of Mahendravarman I (571 – 630 CE) and Narasimhavarman I (630 – 668 CE) and dominated the Telugu and northern parts of the Tamil region for about six hundred years until the end of the 9th century.

Throughout their reign they were in constant conflict with both Chalukyas of Badami in the north and the Tamil kingdoms of Chola and Pandyas in the south and were finally defeated by the Chola kings in the 8th century CE.

Pallavas are most noted for their patronage of architecture, still seen today in Mahabalipuram. The Pallavas, who left behind magnificent sculptures and temples, established the foundations of medieval south Indian architecture. They developed the Pallava Grantha script , known as Grantha Tamil to write Sanskrit and Manipravalam, an alphabet that would give rise to several other southeast Asian scripts. Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Kanchipuram during Pallava rule and extolled their benign rule.

Etymology

The word Pallava means "branch" in Sanskrit, in contrast with Chola meaning "new country", Pandiya meaning "old country" and Chera meaning "hill country" in Sangam Tamil lexicon. The Pallavas are considered to be later offshoot of Cholas, who made Kanchipuram their capital and ruled Northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh (till Northern Circars). They have also conquered Southern Karnataka.

Their name alludes to their formation from an ancient Chola-Nāka alliance, between royals of Chola Nadu and Nāka Nadu (Jaffna Peninsula). The Sangam literature epic Manimekhalai and epigraphical inscriptions describe the liaison of Princess Pilli Valai and King Killivalavan at Nainativu islet; out of this union was born Prince Tondai Eelam Thiraiyar, who historians note as an early progenitor of the Pallava Dynasty. He ruled Kanchipuram as the capital of Tondai Nadu, and his descendants of the Pallava dynasty readily took the titles Tondaiyar and Tondaiman alluding to their heritage and region. Nainativu islet was given the title Manipallavam. The Nākas of Jaffna are considered by historians to be an offshoot of the Chera Nayars of Tamilakkam, a Malayala Kshatriya (Malayali royal warrior) community. Kakustavarman's Talagunda inscription of the 5th century CE describes the Pallava Thiraiyar tribe's formation owing to a Nāka alliance, and details the quarrel between Mayuragarman and a Pallava horseman at Kanchipuram's frontiers, detailing the Pallavas' Kshatriya (warrior) livelihood.

The accounts in several ancient works in tamil and sanskrit relate that during the satyugam or the first of epochs, the region had come to be ruled by a king of solar dynasty who went by the name thandakan or tundakan. He was an insufferably notorious king and an ally of asuras or anti gods. There upon the gods and sages pronounced a curse by which instantly the king and his subjects perished and the country was turned into a thick uninhabitable forest called tundaka aranya. In the next epoch of treta yugam as lord vishnu came as Rama, he took to the task of burning down the tundaka forest and restoring back its status as a province of southern dramila or tamil country. The province was restored its ancient name called tundaka vishaya. The tamil name thondai is eponymous with the word tundaka and is a form of the same. Later during the sangam age karikala chola renovated and enhanced the status of the province by performing several yagams.

Origins

The Pallavas traced their origin to sage Aswatthaman , the son of gallant drona who was a seer in the line of sage Bharadwaja who is credited with documenting one compendium of the Rig Veda. Almost all available Pallavan and Cholan literature introduce Pallavas, as having stemmed from the warrior sage, Aswatthaman who once while penancing at a hermitage was wed to the celestial nymph, Menaka. The Pallava epigraphs credit them with being virtuous, pious, devoted and of being excellent warriors. The inscriptions of pallavas also mention this tale by referring to them as samkirana jati or mixed castes of brahma kshatras.

Pallava Chronology

The rule of the Pallavas apparently starts as early as 275 CE, but their greatest epoch corresponds to the 7th and 8th century.

Early Pallavas

The history of the early Pallavas has not yet been satisfactorily settled. The earliest documentation on the Pallavas is the three copper-plate grants, belonging to Skandavarman I and written in Prakrit. Skandavarman appears to have been the first great ruler of the early Pallavas, though there are references to other early Pallavas who were probably predecessors of Skandavarman.

Skandavarman extended his dominions from the Krishna in the north to the Pennar in the south and to the Bellary district in the West. He performed the Aswamedha and other Vedic sacrifices and bore the title of 'Supreme King of Kings devoted to dharma'.

In the reign of Simhavarman IV, who ascended the throne in 436 CE, the fallen prestige of the Pallavas was restored. He recovered the territories lost to the Vishnukundins in the north up to the mouth of the Krishna. The early Pallava history from this period onwards is furnished by a dozen or so copper-plate grants in Sanskrit. They are all dated in the regnal years of the kings.

With the accession of Nandivarman I (480–500 CE), the decline of the early Pallava family was seen. The Kadambas had their aggressions and attacked even the headquarters of the Pallavas with the Pallavas taking retaliatory measures by expelling and invading Kadamba territories in Karnataka. In coastal Andhra the Vishnukundins established their ascendency. The Pallava authority was confined to Tondaimandalam.

With the accession of Simhavishnu, father of Mahendravarman I, c. 575 CE, the Pallava revival began in the south.

Later Pallavas

The incursion of the Kalabhras and the confusion in the Tamil country was broken by the Pandya Kadungon and the Pallava Simhavishnu. The Pallava kingdom began to gain both in territory and influence over the South Indian peninsula and were a regional power by the end of the 6th century, defeating kings of Ceylon and mainland Tamilakkam. The Pallavas exercised control over their southern neighbours of Cholas and Pandyas. But their history is marked by the continuous conflict with the Badami Chalukyas.

Narasimhavarma I and Paramesvaravarma I were the kings who stand out with glorious achievements in both military and architectural spheres. Nandivarma II built the Shore Temple.

Simhavishnu 555 - 590 CE

Mahendravarman I 590 - 630 CE

Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla) 630 - 668 CE

Mahendravarma II 668 - 672 CE

Paramesvaravarma I 672 - 700 CE

Narasimhavarma II (Raja Simha) 700 - 728 CE

Paramesvaravarma II 705 – 710 CE

Nandivarma II (Pallavamalla) 732 – 796 CE

Thandivarma 775 – 825 CE

Nandivarma III 825 – 869 CE

Aparajitha Varma 882 – 901 CE

Kadava kingdom

During the thirteenth and the fourteenth centuries CE, a small principality of the Kadava dynasty came into brief prominence. These rulers claimed descent from the Pallavas. The notable rulers of this dynasty are Kopperunchinga I (reigned c.1216–1242 CE), and his son and successor Kopperunchinga II (c.1243–1279 CE). Together they extended the influence of their kingdom and played a major part in the ultimate demise of the Chola dynasty.

Religion

Pallavas were followers of Hinduism and made gifts of land to gods and Brahmins. In line with the prevalent customs, some of the rulers performed the Aswamedha and other Vedic sacrifices. They were, however, tolerant of other faiths. The Chinese monk Xuanzang who visited Kanchipuram during the reign of Narasimhavarman I reported that there were 100 Buddhist monasteries, and 80 temples in Kanchipuram.

Mahendravarman I was initially a patron of the Jain faith. He later re-converted to Hinduism under the influence of the Saiva saint Appar with the revival of Hinduism during the Bhakti movement in South India.

Pallava architecture

The Pallavas were instrumental in the transition from rock-cut architecture to stone temples. The earliest examples of Pallava constructions are rock-cut temples dating from 610–690 CE and structural temples between 690–900 CE. A number of rock-cut cave temples bear the inscription of the Pallava king, Mahendravarman I and his successors.

The greatest accomplishments of the Pallava architecture are the rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram. There are excavated pillared halls and monolithic shrines known as rathas in Mahabalipuram. Early temples were mostly dedicated to Shiva. The Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram and the Shore Temple built by Narasimhavarman II, rock cut temple in Mahendravadi by Mahendravarman are fine examples of the Pallava style temples. The temple of Nalanda Gedige in Kandy, Sri Lanka is another. The famous Tondeswaram temple of Tenavarai and the ancient Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee were patronized and structurally developed by the Pallavas in the 7th century.

See also

History of India

Notes

References

External links

Category:Dynasties of India Category:Empires and kingdoms of India Category:History of Tamil Nadu Category:Tamil monarchs Category:Tamil Kings

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