Pallava was the name of a dynasty (series of rulers who belong to the same family) that ruled over much of the part of south India that is now northern Tamil Nadu. The Pallavas became powerful in the 300’s and ruled northern Tamil Nadu from 550 to 869. They were the first major Tamil dynasty. They were also great builders and adventurers. Mamallapuram (now Mahabalipuram) became an important port and naval base in the 600’s. Kanchi (now Kanchipuram) was the Pallava capital.
The Pallavas were probably a group of feudal chiefs from north India who migrated to the far south and founded their own dynasty. It is unclear exactly when they arrived. The period of Pallava rule was a time of expansion of trade, as well as a time of frequent conflict with neighboring kingdoms—primarily the Chalukyas and Pandyas, but also the Cheras, Cholas, and Gangas.
The Pallavas’ rise to power began in the reign of Simhavishnu, who ruled in the middle to late 500’s. The first great Pallava king was Mahendravarman, who ruled from about 600 to about 630. He began his reign as a Jain but later converted to worship Shiva, a Hindu god. He patronized the arts and the building of temples and also wrote a Sanskrit play, Mattavilasa-prahasana. During Mahendravarman’s reign, the Pallavas lost some of their northern provinces, including Vengi, to the Chalukyas, who were led by Pulakeshin II. The Chalukyas were a dynasty that ruled much of the Deccan Plateau.
The next great Pallava king was Narasimhavarman I, who ruled from about 630 to about 668. Under him, the Pallavas again fought the Chalukyas, recapturing Vengi and killing Pulakeshin II. Their campaign reached the Chalukya capital at Vatapi (now Badami, Karnataka). During Narasimhavarman’s reign, the Pallavas also conducted campaigns in Sri Lanka to aid a Sinhalese prince.
The Pallavas were mainly Shivaites (followers of Shiva), and during the 700’s, they built the Mamallapuram (now Mahabalipuram) Shore Temple, which is a complex of three shrines. King Narasinhavarman II also built the great Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) from modern Chennai. Although most Pallava rulers were Hindus, other religions were usually tolerated. Jainism, in particular, was strong under Pallava rule. Most of the Pallavas’ early temples were carved in one piece from rock outcroppings. However, the Shore Temple and the Kailasanatha Temple were built from brick and stone. The Shore Temple was the first temple in south India built in this manner. For 150 years, Kanchipuram was not only the administrative center but also the literary and artistic capital where scholars studied Sanskrit and the Vedas. Much of what scholars know about Narasimhavarman and the Pallava civilization comes from the writings of Hsuan Tsang, a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who visited the region during the reign of Narasimhavarman I.
Over the next two centuries, Pallava power steadily declined. The Pallavas lost battles with the Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas, both of whom invaded from the north. The Rashtrakutas captured Kanchipuram. The Pallavas were finally supplanted by the Chola Empire around 850.
