A brief study on the Pallava (Pallavar) period of rule in Tamil Nadu

(1) The Andhra-Pallavas captures Kanchipuram of Tamil Nadu

With the fall of the Sathavaahana empire of Maharashtra encompassing the

present Maharashtra and whole of Andhra Pradesh in the year A.D.250,

the Andhra-Pallava dynasty who ruled their own kingdom in the present

Bellary region of Andhra Pradesh became independent. During the period

of the king Sivaskandhavarman (A.D.340-355) of the Andhra-Pallava

dynasty their territorial region extended up to Kanchipuram in north

Tamil Nadu. He and his son Vishnugopa (A.D.345-355) during their rule

have issued copper-plate grants on the gifts they have made to Vedic

Priests during their visits to Kanchipuram from their capital city at

Bellary region.

The decline of Sathavaahana empire gradually paved way to the rise of

the Gupta empire in North India. During this period the king

Samudragupta (A.D.335-380) captured many regions of North India and also

sent forces to capture the regions of the present Andhra Pradesh. These

forces defeated the king Vishnu Gopa the last Andhra-Pallava of the

present Bellary region, and the Kanchipuram of Tamil Nadu under their

fold, in the year A.D.355.

"...........the Mahĕrĕjĕdhirĕja, the glorious

Samudragupta..........Whose great good fortune was mixed with, so as to

be increased by (his) glory produced by the favour shewn in capturing

and then liberating Mahendra of Kosala, Vyĕghraraja of

Mahĕkantĕra, Mantarĕja of Kurūḷa, Mahendra of

Pishtapura, Svĕmidatta of Kottura on the hill, Damana of

Erandapalla, Vishnugopa of Kĕnchi, Nīlarĕja of Avamukta,

Hastivarman of Vengĕ, Ugrasena of Palakka, Kubera of

Devarĕshtra, Dhananjaya of Kusthalapura, and all the other kings of

the region of the south......"

Allahabad Stone Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta

Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum: Inscriptions of the Early Guptas. John

F. Fleet Vol. III. Calcutta - 1888, 10-17

This could be the possible reason as to why only the Pallava kings -

Sivaskandavarman and Vishnugopa have specifically mentioned in their

copper-plate grants as "issued from Kanchipuram", while all other

successive Pallava kings ruling from the Bellary region of Andhra

Pradesh have not mentioned in their copper-plate grants as issued from

Kanchipuram.

It appears with the defeat of Vishnu Gopa the region of Kanchipuram was

given to it's traditional rulers the Tamil Thiraiyar kings (of Naga

Vamsam) of Thondai Mandalam in north Tamil Nadu probably under a treaty.

The chronology of the Andhra-Pallava kings of Bellary region of Andhra

Pradesh is as follows:

(1) Skandavarman

(2) Vijaya Viravarman

(3) Vijaya Skandavarman - {Sivaskandavarman} - (A.D.340-355) - king of

the Pallava kingdom at Bellary region in Andhra, and viceroy of

Samudragupta at Kanchipuram.

(4) Vijaya Simhavarman

(5) Vishnu Gopa - 1 {Yuvamaharaja Vishnu Gopa} - (A.D.345-355) - king of

the Pallava kingdom at Bellary region in Andhra, and viceroy of

Samudragupta at Kanchipuram.

(6) Simhavarman

(7) Asokavarman

(8) Kaalaparththaa Pallava

(9) Simhavarman {Suutha Pallava}

Evidence for above:

The names of the Pallava kings and their sequence are as per

Ongodu Copper Plates, Vilavetti Copper Plates - No 19, Pallankoil

Copper Plates & Velurppalayam Copper Plates - No 11, Thirty Pallava

Copper Plates - Published by The Tamil Varalatru Kalakam, Chennai.

(2) Tamil Nadu-Pallava kings who ruled from Kanchipuram

With the weakening of the Gupta Empire over a period of time the Pallava

kings of Bellary region extended their kingdom in the Andhra Pradesh

and turned their attention also towards the south. A much later Pallava

king of Bellary region named Vira Koorchchan waged war with the Tamil

Thiraiyar kings (Naga Vamsam) of Thondai Mandalam captured part of his

kingdom with all regalia, and also married the Naga Princess the

daughter of Thiraiyan. They were blessed with the son Skanda Shishayan.
He possibly with his mother having the Tamil blood was the first Pallava

king who issued copper-plate grants both in Sanskrit and Tamil.

Evidence for above:

Velurppalayam Copper Plates - No 11, & Royakottai Copper Plates No 5 -

Thirty Pallava Copper Plates - Published by The Tamil Varalatru

Kalakam, Chennai.

Note:

Thondaimandalam region north of Chola country with the Kanchipuram as

their captal long before the Tamil Nadu Pallava kings made it as the

capital of their Pallava kingdom. The Sangam period Tamil Literary work

the Perumpaanaattruppadai bears testimony to same, which was composed on

the glory of the king Thondaimaan Ilan-Thiraiyan who ruled from

Kanchipuram of Thondaimandalam.

Skanda Shishayan was blesssed with the son named Buddhavarman who too

tried to capture the remaining regions of the Thondaimandalam still

under the rule of the Thiraiyar kings (including Kanchipuram).

Buddhavarman was blessed with a son named Kumara Vishnu. He was the

first Pallava king who waged war with the king of Thondaimandalam and

captured the region of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. He made Kanchipuram

as the "new capital city" of Pallavas, with their permanent shift from

the Bellary region in Andhra Pradesh.

Note:

There are no referencess in any Inscriptions or Historical Records that

Thondaimandalam and it's capital Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu of the

Thiraiyar Dynasty came under the sway of Kalabhras when they invaded

Tamil Nadu much earlier before the Pallavas, possibly these two

dynasties had very good relationship among themselves, which prevented

the Kalabhras bringing Thondaimandalam and Kanchipuram under their

control and continued to be ruled by the traditional kings of this

region the Thiraiyar dynasty. Earlier the Kalabhras (Kalappirar) also

known as the 'Vadukak Karunaader' (Vaduka=Andhra) were a dynasty tracing

their origin from Andhra country and ruling from the Kolar region of

Karnataka around Nandhi hills also known as the Kalabhra hills,.

The next Pallava king who succeeded at Kanchipuram was Buddhavarman,

remained a threat to the ocean like forces of Kalabhras (Kalappirar) of

the Chola country in the south of their reigion the Kanchipuram. They

were followed by the Pallava kings Vishnugopa -2, Nanthivarman and

Simhavarman at Kanchipuram.

After Simhavarman his son Simha Vishnu accended the Pallava throne, and

was the first Pallava king who waged war with Kalabhras some time after

the year A.D.550, and brought the Chola country which was under the

sway of the Kalabhras during this period into the Pallava fold. This

war paved way to the growing strength of the Pallavas in the north and

central Tamil Nadu of that period, and gradual weakening of the

Kalabhras in this region.

The Pallava king Simha Vishnu's authority being up to the northern

borders of Pandiya Nadu, apparently heard about "Jain Achariya Vajira

Nandi" who formed the Nandi Sangam at a centre called "Sri

Varthamaanesvara Dharma Theerththam" in Paandiya Nadu. He granted a

village named "Srana-achramam" possibly on the borderline of south Chola

region to the Nandi Sangam.

Evidence for above:

Pallankoil Copper Plates - No 11, Thirty Pallava Copper Plates -

Published by The Tamil Varalatru Kalakam, Chennai.

(1) Vira Koorchchan - who captured the northern region of Thondai

Mandalam complete with the royal regalia, and married the Tamil Naga

Princess of the Thirayar dynasty of Thondaimandalam of Tamil Nadu.

(2) Skandashishayan {Vijaya Skandavarman} (A.D.----506) - Son of (1)

(3) Kumara Vishnu {Vijaya Simhavarman} - 2 (A.D.506-516) - Son of (2)

who captured the southern region of Thondai Mandalam from the Thiraiyar

Kumara Vishnu the captured Kanchipuram became the 'permanent capital

city of Pallavas' for many years.

(4) Buddhavarman (A.D.516-520) - Son of (3) - who became a continuos

threat from north to the Cholas.

(5) Vishnugopa - 2 {Kumara Vishnu} (A.D.520-530)

(6) Nanthivarman - 1 (A.D.530-537) - who stamped the revolts of the

Thiraiyar king under captive.

(7) Simhavarman - (A.D.537-550)

(8) Simha Vishnu - {Avani Simhan} (A.D.550-580) - Son of (7) - who

captured the Chola country and brought it under the control of the

Pallava dynasty.

Evidence for above:

The names of the Pallava kings and their sequence are as per

Velurppalayam Copper Plates - No 11 & Sendalur Copper Plates - No 20

Thirty Pallava Copper Plates - Published by The Tamil Varalatru Kalakam,

Chennai.

(9) Mahendravarman - 1 (A.D.580-629) - Son of (8)

(10) Narasimhavarman - I {Maamallan} (A.D.629–668) - Son of (9) -

During his period the Pallava Seaport city was named as Maamallapuram

(present Mahabalipuram).

(11) Mahendravarman - 2 (A.D.668-670) - Son of (10)

(12) Paramesvaravarman - I (A.D.670-690) - Son of (11)

(13) Narasimhavarman II {Rajasimhan} - Kalarsigha Naayanaar(A.D.690-705)

- Son of (11) - He Built the famous Kailasanathar temple at Kanchipuram.

(14) Paramesvaravarman II (A.D.705-710) - Son of (12)

Evidence for above:

The names of the Pallava kings and their sequence are as per

Kuram Copper Plates - No 2, Thirty Pallava Copper Plates - Published by

The Tamil Varalatru Kalakam, Chennai.

(8A) Name not known - Brother of Simha Vishnu (8)

(9A) Name not known - Son of the Brother of Simha Vishnu (8) - Name not

known and never ruled any part of Pallava kingdom.

(10A) Bhimavarman - Grand Son of the Brother of Simha Vishnu (8) - Never

ruled any part of Pallava kingdom.

(11A) Buddhavarman

(12A) Athithiyavarman

(13A) Govindavarman

(14A) Hiraniyavarman

(15) Nanthivarman - II {Pallavamallan} (A.D.710-775) - Son of (14A)

(16) Thantivarman - (A.D.775-800) - Son of (15)

(17) Nanthivarman - III (A.D.800-816) - Son of (16) - who was referred

to as "Thamil Nanthi", Thamilaakaran Nanthi", and "Painth Thamilai

aaikintra Ko Nanthi"

(18) Nirupathungavarman - (A.D.816-840) - Son of (17)

(19) Kampavarman - (A.D.816-848) - Step brother of (18) Met his death

in the war with Vijayalaya Chola, waged with the assistance of

Muththaraiyar king Saathan Paliyili, in which Thanjavur fell into hands

of the Cholas.(Thiruinthalur Chepedukal)

(20) Aparajithavarman - (A.D.848-866) - Son of (19)

Evidence for above:

The names of the Pallava kings and their sequence are as per

Kasaakkudi Copper Plates - No 7 and Bahur Copper Plates No: 12, Thirty

Pallava Copper Plates - Published by The Tamil Varalatru Kalakam,

Chennai.
Note: The foregoing will be reviewed frequently corrected where

necessary, and added with additional informations with eviidence as and

when they surface.