The Pallava dynasty was an Indian dynasty that ruled a large portion of southern India, also known as Tondaimandalam, from 275 CE to 897 CE. Some historians trace their origins to the Pahlvas or Parthians, a major political power in ancient Iran, while others believe they were indigenous and not foreign; that they were an indigenous tribe, clan, or possibly a caste. It's been suggested that they were related to the Vakataka clan. The Pallavas were unable to withstand military pressure from the Western Chalukya dynasty, which was eventually overthrown by the Cholas. Around 880, the Pallava dominions passed to the Chola kings. In this article, we will discuss the Decline of Pallavas which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

The Pallava Dynasty - Background

• They rose to prominence following the demise of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had previously served as feudatories.
• During the reigns of Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) and Narasimhavarman I (630–668 CE), the Pallavas rose to prominence and dominated the southern Telugu region and northern parts of the Tamil region for nearly 600 years, until the end of the 9th century.
• Throughout their reign, they were at odds with both the Chalukyas of Badami in the north and the Tamil kingdoms of Chola and Pandya in the south. The Pallavas were finally defeated in the 9th century CE by Chola ruler Aditya I.
• The Pallavas are best known for their architectural patronage, with the Shore Temple in Mamallapuram being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kancheepuram was the Pallava kingdom's capital.
• The dynasty left magnificent sculptures and temples and is credited with laying the groundwork for mediaeval South Indian architecture.
• They created the Pallava script, from which Grantha eventually arose. This script gave rise to several other Southeast Asian scripts, including Khmer.

Decline of Pallavas - Features

• Pallava's fortunes declined after Narasimhavarman. The Chalukyan army invaded the Pallava kingdom and threatened Kanchipuram, its capital.
• During the first half of the eighth century, Pallava king Narasimhavarman Pallavamalla had to fight three wars at the same time against the Chalukyas, Pandyas, and Rashtrakutas.
• The attack and temporary occupation of Kanchi by Vikramaditya II may be regarded as the beginning of the end of Pallava supremacy over South India.
• The Pallava kingdom was attacked by the Pandyas, the western Gangas, and the Rashtrakutas.
• Dantidurga, the founder of the Rashtrakuta Kingdom, defeated Nandivarman, but the latter offered his daughter Reva in marriage to the former, preventing the Pallava Kingdom from collapsing.
• The Pallava dynasty ruled until the end of the ninth century CE. The other rulers were Dantivarman (795–846 CE), Nandivarman III (846–869 CE), and Nripatunga (869–899 CE).
• The last Pallava king was Aparajitavarman (903 CE).
• Aditya I, the Chola king, defeated Aparjitavarman and took control of the Kanchi region. The Pallava hegemony over South India came to an end with this.

End of Pallavas

• The actual decline of the Pallavas began during Dantivarman's long reign, with a belligerent Pandyan encroaching from the south.
• In the midst of this chaos, Vijayalaya, a feudatory of the Pallavas of the erstwhile Chola lineage, defeated Muthurayars, a Pandyan feudatory based in the Thanjavur area, and occupied their territories around 850 AD.
• The final showdown occurred during the reign of his successor Nandivarman III, when the Pandyan king Srimara Srivallabha, who advanced north, was defeated at Tellaru in 862 and pursued all the way to Madurai.
• In this campaign, Nandivarman was allied with the Rashtrakutas and the Gangas, and the victory was complete. The Pandyan king, however, fought back and defeated the Pallavas at Kumbakonam.
• Nandivarman was succeeded by his son Nripatunga, who was a boy when he ascended the throne as his father's choice, may be due to the fact that his mother is a Rashtrakuta Princess, bypassing the elder Kampavarman in 862.
• It is assumed that Kampavarman defeated his brother early in his reign but left him on the throne, leaving his son, Aparajita, as Nripatunga's successor.
• In 879, Aparajita, allied with the Gangas, defeated Nripatunga, allied with the Pandyans and Banas, at Sri Purambiyam in Thanjavur district.
• The campaign claimed the lives of Ganga ruler Prithvipati and Pandyan king Varagunavarman.
• After the defeat and death of the Pandyan king Varagunavarman II, Aparajita gave the Thanjavur area as a reward to Aditya Chola, the son of Vijayalaya, as a token of appreciation for his contribution in the battle.
• Perhaps in order to put him in his place after defeating him at Chirrarrur, Aditya Chola turned against his master in 891 and killed him in a battle, possibly marrying his wife, effectively ending the Pallava line.
• Kampavarman was still alive, and some of his charters can be found after 891.
• However, there is a counter-argument that Nripatunga is another name for Aparajita.
• Later, we see a Nolamba line claiming descent from Trilochana Pallava, who ruled until the 1300s, and Kadava Pallavas claiming descent from Bhimavarman, whose reign was extinguished along with the Cholas while fighting with Pandyans on one side and Kakatiyas on the other.

Conclusion

The Pallava Dynasty declined after Narasimhavarman. The Chalukyan army invaded the Pallava kingdom and threatened its capital, Kanchipuram. Aparajitavarman was the last king of the Pallava dynasty, and his defeat by the Chola king brought the Pallava dynasty to an end around the end of the 9th century.