South Indian Dynasties
South Indian Dynasties
After the Sangam age, peninsular India was shaped by three great powers - the Vakatakas in the Deccan, the Chalukyas of Badami and the Pallavas of Kanchipuram. Their long rivalry produced the first stone temples of south India and carried Indian culture to South-East Asia.
Vakatakas
The Vakatakas ruled the Deccan roughly from the third to the fifth century CE, contemporary with the Guptas, with whom they had a marriage alliance - Chandragupta II's daughter Prabhavatigupta married Rudrasena II and later acted as regent. Their most enduring contribution is patronage of the later Ajanta caves, especially caves 16, 17 and 19, under Harishena.
Chalukyas of Badami
| Ruler | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Pulakeshin I | Founded the dynasty and fortified Vatapi (Badami) |
| Pulakeshin II | Defeated Harsha on the Narmada; received a Persian embassy from Khusrau II; defeated and killed by the Pallava Narasimhavarman I |
| Vikramaditya I | Recovered Badami from the Pallavas |
| Vikramaditya II | Captured Kanchipuram three times; his queen Lokamahadevi built the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal |
Chalukya architecture matters as much as their politics. Aihole is called the cradle of Indian temple architecture, Badami has rock-cut cave temples, and Pattadakal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has both Nagara and Dravida temples side by side - the clearest single site for comparing the two styles.
चालुक्य वास्तुकला याद रखने का सूत्र - ऐहोल प्रयोग की जगह, बादामी गुफा मंदिर, और पट्टदकल वह स्थल जहाँ नागर तथा द्रविड़ दोनों शैलियाँ एक साथ हैं | पट्टदकल UNESCO सूची में है |
Pallavas of Kanchipuram
| Ruler | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Mahendravarman I | Began rock-cut cave temples; wrote the Sanskrit farce Mattavilasa Prahasana; a Jain who turned Shaiva under Appar |
| Narasimhavarman I Mamalla | Defeated and killed Pulakeshin II, captured Badami; built the rathas at Mahabalipuram; sent naval help to Sri Lanka |
| Narasimhavarman II Rajasimha | Built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram and the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram |
| Nandivarman II | Built the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram |
Pallava temple architecture is usually taught in four stages: Mahendra style (rock-cut cave temples), Mamalla style (monolithic rathas at Mahabalipuram), Rajasimha style (structural temples in stone) and Nandivarman style (smaller structural temples). Mahabalipuram is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pallava stages: Mahendra → Mamalla → Rajasimha → Nandivarman (cave to monolith to structural)
✗ The Shore Temple was built by Narasimhavarman I | ✓ The Shore Temple belongs to Narasimhavarman II Rajasimha; the rathas belong to Narasimhavarman I
Society, religion and overseas contact
- Kanchipuram was a great centre of learning; Dignaga and Bharavi are associated with the Pallava court
- The Bhakti movement of the Alvars (Vaishnava) and Nayanars (Shaiva) begins in Tamil country in this period
- Brahmadeya and devadana land grants create powerful temple and Brahmana settlements
- Pallava naval and trade contacts spread Indian art forms to Cambodia, Java and Sumatra
- The Pallava-Grantha script influenced several South-East Asian writing systems
The Chalukya-Pallava wars ended only when both were replaced - the Chalukyas by the Rashtrakutas in 753 CE under Dantidurga, and the Pallavas by the resurgent Cholas under Aditya I at the end of the ninth century. The temple building tradition they created, however, passed straight to their successors.
Linkage: Pallava and Chalukya temples are the foundation of the Dravida and Nagara styles studied in Art and Culture; the Alvar and Nayanar Bhakti movement links forward to the Bhakti and Sufi chapter; and Pallava maritime contact connects to the cultural diplomacy and Indian Ocean themes in current affairs and geography.
Exam pointer: temple architecture is now asked far more often than dynastic wars. Learn which ruler built what and which site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Traps: swapping Narasimhavarman I and II, treating Aihole and Pattadakal as the same kind of site, and assuming the Vakatakas were subordinate to the Guptas - they were an allied and independent power. A recurring statement question asks which site has both Nagara and Dravida temples; the answer is Pattadakal.
FAQ
Who defeated Pulakeshin II?
The Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman I Mamalla defeated and killed Pulakeshin II around 642 CE and occupied the Chalukya capital Badami, taking the title Vatapikonda. This reversed Pulakeshin's earlier victory over the Pallavas and over Harsha.
Why is Aihole called the cradle of Indian temple architecture?
Because it contains a large cluster of early experimental temples in which builders tried different plans and roof forms before the Nagara and Dravida styles settled into fixed grammar. The Durga temple with its apsidal plan and the Lad Khan temple are the standard examples.
What is the difference between the rathas and the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram?
The rathas, or Pancha Pandava rathas, are monolithic temples carved out of single rock outcrops under Narasimhavarman I. The Shore Temple is a structural temple built from cut and dressed stone under Narasimhavarman II, and represents the next stage of Pallava architecture.
60-second recap
- Vakatakas were Gupta allies; Prabhavatigupta was regent; later Ajanta caves under Harishena.
- Pulakeshin II stopped Harsha but was killed by Narasimhavarman I.
- Aihole is experimental, Badami is rock-cut, Pattadakal has both Nagara and Dravida temples.
- Pallava stages: Mahendra, Mamalla, Rajasimha, Nandivarman.
- Shore Temple and Kanchipuram Kailasanatha belong to Narasimhavarman II.
- Alvars and Nayanars begin the Bhakti movement in the Tamil country.