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The Pallava Confederacy
Pallava literally means a Branch. The Pallavas were a prominent power in India for more than 4 centuries but there are no records about them in the vernacular legends. They were forgotten until discovery of a copper plate grant in 1840. The name "Pallava" appears to be identical to Pahalva, the foreign clan which is frequently mentioned in the Inscriptions and Sanskrit literature. This led to development of a theory that the Pallavas who became a ruling dynasty of the South India might have come from the North Western Frontier of India. This theory has been supported on the basisIn a futures market, basis is defined as the cash price (or spot price) of whatever is being traded minus its futures price for the ..... of the fact that the Pahalavas were prominent in the 2nd century AD and were classified with the Sakas and Yavanas by the local historians.
The other theories say that Pallavas were earlier Feudatories of the Saatvahana. Some other historians say that they are offspring of Cholas in one side and Naga Rulers of Ilam (Sri Lanka) on the other. The Allahabad Pillar inscription mentions the name of a king Vishnugopa whose realm was in Kanchi. Several members of the Pallavas bearA pessimist market operator who expects the market price of shares to decline. The term also refers to the one who has sold shares which ..... the same name.
The terms Tondaiyar and Tondaman (i.e. people of Tondamandalam) have also been used for the Pallavas.
Political Summary of Pallavas
Sivaskanda Varman
The first Pallava about whom we hear is Sivaskanda Varman of second century AD. He was lord of many subordinate chiefs and was able to perform Ashwamedha, which was permissible to only the paramount sovereigns. Then, we know about Hastivarman, who was defeated by SamudraguptaSamudragupta (reign 335-380 AD) was son of Chandragupta –I and Kumaradevi. He ascended the throne in 335 AD. Before his death, probably 4 or 5 ...... The territories of the Pallavas initially were not very extensive and it was more or less taken as a predatory tribe like the Kalabhras.
Simhavishnu
The picture about the Pallava dynasty starts getting cleared from Simhavarman, who ascended the throne in sometimes around 570 AD. He was a great military man and is known to have defeated the Tamil Countries and kings of Ceylon. His son Simhavishnu was the first Pallava monarch whose domain is believed to have extended beyond Kanchipuram.
Simhavishnu was patron of Bharavi, the great poet who wrote the famous Kiratrjuniya, the dialogue between Arjuna and Shiva and in which Shiva blessed Arjuna with the Pasupata Shastra. In the early 7th century, the Pallavas succeeded in imposing their rule for a few years upon the whole of the Western Chalukya Kingdom and at an unspecified date, they levied tribute even from the Kalinga territories.
Mahendravarman-I
We know about a Pallava Monarch Mahendravarman-I , son of Simhavishnu who encountered with the ambitious Chalukya Monarch Pulkesin IIPulkesin II (610–642 CE) is the most celebrated ruler of the Chalukyas of Badami. His birth name was Ereya and he was born ...... He was a great patron of art and architecture and 5 celled cave temples at Pallavaram were built during his reign. Mahendravarman-I wrote Mattavilasa Prahasana or 'The Farce of Drunken Sport' . Its a one act play. The celebrated rock cut temples at Mahabalipuram which are commonly called "Seven Pagodas" was excavated by the Pallavas most probably under Mahendravarman I.
Narsimhmvarman-I
Mahendravarman I was succeeded by Narsimhmvarman-I in 630 AD, who was equally brave and able prince.
He defeated is Chalukyan counterpart Pulkesin II in 642 AD and thus took the revenge of his father's defeat. Pulkesin II was killed fighting him. He assumed the title "Vatapikonda" after defeating the Chalukyan Monarch and sacking the capital Vatapi (Badami). Nayanmar saints like Appar and Tirugnanasambandar lived during his reign. Huen TsangHuen Tsang or Xuanzang was a Chinese Buddhist Traveler who belongs to early Tang period of China. He was born in Henan province. He was ..... visited the Pallava kingdom during the reign of Narsimhavarman-I. Among the successors the important ones were Nripatunga who defeated a Pandya King Shrimara.
