KINGDOMS OF SOUTHERN INDIA

8TH CENTURY (SANGAM LITERATURE)

In the 8th century ,southern India was
divided into various small states

Chalukyas of
Pallavas Rashtrakutas
Badami

Cholas Cheras Pandyas

 Pallavas

• Three lines of Kings

• 250-350 AD
• 350-550 AD- Vishnugupta – Defeated by
Samudragupta
• 575 AD
• Pallavas rose in southern region of river
Krishna.
Map
• Founder – Simhavishnu
• Capital – kanchi
• Kings - Mahendravarman, Narsinghvarman I
and Narsinghvarman II.
• Mahendravarman I (600-630 AD) :
• Wrote Mattavilasprahasan
• He defeated by Pulakeshin II (chalukya of
Badami)
 Narsinghvarman I
• Defeated Pulakeshin II to avenge his father’s
defeat
• Captured the capital of Vatapi and assumed
the title of Vatapikond.
• He also assumed the title of Mamalla .
• He made mammallapuram
 Narsinghvarman II
• Mid 7th century
• He was a great builder , patron of art and
culture.
• He built famous Shore temple.
• Chola king ADITYA II , defeated the last Pallava
king Aparajita.
Glipmses
Shore temple , pallava inscription
 Chalukyas of Vatapi (6th century –
middle 8th century )
• Founder – Pulakeshin I (543-765 AD)
• Capital – Vatapi
• Pulakeshin II (608 AD – 642 AD )

• Prominent chalukyan king

• He defeated king Harshwardhan and
Mahendravarman but he was defeated by
Narsinghvarman I
MAP
• Pulakeshin II – discription in Aihole inscription
• By his poet Ravikirti
• Last ruler – Kirtivarman

• Defeated by Dantidurga (Rashtrakuta king)

• Vishnuvardhan brother of Pulakeshin I

founded Chalukyas of Vengi.
 Rashtrakuta (775 AD – 975 AD )
• Ist ruler Nanraj
• 2nd ruler – Dantidurg (actual founder)
• Prominent Rulers :
• Krishna II , He defeated Ganga rulers and
eastern Chalukyas of Vengi
• Govind II , He led successful expediton in north
India.
• Amoghvarsha I is an important ruler of this
dynasty.
• He wrote a book “kavirajmarg”

• Caital – Mankhet, manyakheda (MH)

KAILASHNATH TEMPLE
 CHOLAS
• Most important and ancient dynasty in
southern India.
• Capital – Thanjavur , later changed to
Kanchipuram and then changed to
cholapuram
• Mightiest naval fleet
RAJENDRA RAJA CHOLA
 Important kings
• Kariakal and Parantaka I
• The two best remembered chola king are Raj
raja chola and rajendra raj chola
• Raja raj territories included entire southern
India to the Tungabhadra river.
• He was a brilliant general and campaigned in
many directions.
• He took naval expedition and attacked both
Ceylon and Maldive islands.
• Rajaraj chola’s son Rajendra raja was even
more ambitious
• He had a long reign ruling untill 1044.
• He continued his fathers policy and fought
many campaigns in Peninsula.
• And expanded his kingdom to its zenith.
GLIMPSES
 Chola Administration
• King was supreme but the administration was
done by council of minister (purohits)
• Kingdom was divided into Mandalams.
• Each mandalam was divided into a member of
Valanadus.
• Each Valnadus has a certain number of
villages.
• UR->URAR->BARGAM->VARIYAM
• Kingdoms was divided into Gram sabha
,Brahims ,nagaram
• Council was divided into number of
committees
• Chief source of income was land revenue and
tax on trade.

• ……..
Brihadeshawar temple
 Cheras
• Cheras ruled over parts of Modern Kerala
• Advantages of coastal region

• Imp kings :
• Perum sorru Udhiyam Cheralatham
• Imayavarambau Dedum
• Cheran Sengultuvam
• It is believed that cheras lead a successsful
expedition to Himalayas.
Glimpses
 Pandyas
• Soutthern Tamil nadu region
• Capital – Madurai
• They later gained control over all parts of Tamil
Nadu.
• Korkai – important port used by Pandyas.
• Important ruler – Veer Pandya

• Rule began to decline due to the invasion of

kalabhras.