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History
of South India:The Ancient Period
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The
ancient history of peninsular (south) India
revolves around the fortunes of three outstanding
and extensive kingdoms: that of the Pandyas,
south of Kaveri river with its capital at
Madurai; the Cheras centred around Kerala,
and the Cholas on the Coromandel (western)
coast. However there were several other dynasties
that co-existed with these prominent ones,
though they were unable to reach the same
acme of power and glory.
Pandyas |
South Map |
Were
a prominent dynasty in Southern India. Their
kingdom, founded in the 6th century
BC was spread over the modern districts of
Madurai and Tinnevelly. Their original capital
was at Kolkoi (on the Thambraparny
river in Tinnevelly) and later at Madurai.
The Ashokan edicts
of 3rd century BC mention this dynasty. The Kongu
Ratta inscription of early 5th century
AD bear description of the conflict between
the Pandyas and the Kongu
Rattas. Very little is known about Pandyas before
the 7thcentury AD.Around 940 AD, K ing Rajaraja
of the Chola dynasty
reduced the Pandyas to the condition of tributary
dependence. This situation continued for the
next two centuries There is historical evidence
that the Pandyas had trade as
well as maritime relations with countries like
Egypt, Rome, China
and Malaysia.
Satavahanas |
The Meenakshi Temple,specimen of Pandyan Art
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Variously
known as the Andhras, Andhrabhrityas and Satakarnis,
this dynasty ruled large portions of Central
and South India spanning
modern day Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh
and Andhra Pradesh. The Satavahanas started
out as feudatories to the Mauryan Empire
of northern India, and declared independence
soon after the death of Ashoka (232
BC). They were the first native Indian rulers
to issue their
own coins with portraits of their rulers,
a practice probably borrowed from the Indo-Greek
kings who occupied the northwestern parts
of the country. The Satavahana kings
also made significant contributions to Buddhist
art and architecture. The great stupas in
the Krishna river valley were built by them,
the most famous among them being the stupa
at Amaravati in Andhra
Pradesh.
The Satavahana rulers used Prakrit as
their official language. The glory of the
Satavahanas began to decline
by the 3rd century AD and they were supplanted
by a number of not so well-known dynasties.
Cheras |
Amaravati Stupa |
The
earliest reference to the modern state of
Kerala is to be found on a rock inscription
ascribed to Ashoka the Great. It was then
an independent kingdom ruled by various
kings belonging to the powerful Chera dynasty
(a.k.a Keralaputras) approximately between
900 BC and 198 AD. Infact theirs was
the first known powerful dynasty in the
region. The Cheras ruled
over the area extending from Alleppy to
Calicut, in the
present day Kerala state with their capital
at Vanchi (identified
with either Karur or Kochi of modern times).During
the reign
of the Cheras,
trade continued to bring prosperity to
Kerala, as spices, ivory, timber and
gems were exported to the countries of
the Middle East and to southern Europe.
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A gold coin of the Chera period |
Chalukyas
This dynasty rose to power in the Deccan from
the 5th to the 8th century AD and again from
the 10th to the 12th century AD. They ruled
over the area between the Vindhyachal mountains
and
the river Krishna. The Chalukyas were
the arch enemies of the Pallavas,
another famous dynasty of the south. A prominent
ruler of the Chalukya
dynasty was Pulakesin I. He
founded the city of Vatapi (modern Badami in
Bijapur district of Karnataka) and made it his
capital. He is
said to have performed Ashwamedha Yagna (horse
sacrifice) to attain supremacy as a ruler. The
kingdom was further extended by his sons Kirtivarman and Mangalesa who
waged many wars against the Mauryan rulers of
the neighbouring Konkan region.
The best known specimens of Chalukyan art
are the Virupaksha temple, (built by Queen
Lokamahadevi in 740 AD to commemorate her
husband's victory over the Pallavas), and
the Mallikarjuna temple both at Pattadakal, Karnataka.
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The Virupaksha
temple, Pattadakal |
Pulakesin
II, son of Kirtivarman was
the greatest ruler of the Chalukya dynasty,
who ruled for almost 34 years. During his long
reign, he consolidated his powers in Maharashtra
and conquered parts of the Deccan stretching
from the banks of the Narmada to the region
beyond the Kaveri. His greatest achievement
was his victory in the defensive war against Harshavardhan (A
north Indian emperor with his capital at Kannauj)
in the year 620 AD. In 641 AD, the Chinese
pilgrim Hiuen Tsang, visited
the kingdom and paid glowing tributes to the
king for his efficient and just rule.
Pulakesin II was defeated
and killed by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman in
642 AD. His capital Vatapi was completely destroyed. Pulakesin was
succeeded by his son Vikramaditya who
was also a noble and just ruler. He renewed
the struggle against his enemies and managed
to restore the former glory of his dynasty
to a certain extent. The Chalukyas were
ousted by a chieftain Dantidurga,
who laid the foundation of Rashtrakuta dynasty.
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statue of Narasimhavarman |
Chalukyas of Kalyani
This empire was founded by descendants of the
Badami Chalukya clan. With
its centre at Kalyani, Karnataka it flourished
between 973-1195 AD.
The domains of the Kalyani Chalukyas extended
from the Kaveri basin in the south to Gujarat
in the north. The empire reached its peak under
Vikramaditya VI. The Kalyani
Chalukyas promoted
the Gadag style of architecture,
the magnificent ruins of which still stand
in the Dharwad and
Haveri districts of Karnataka.
Pallavas
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The Pallavas with
their capital at Kanchipuram (in
the modern state of Tamil Nadu) were a hereditary Hindu dynasty. They ruled
between the 4th-9th century AD. Under the Pallavas,
their vast kingdom (comprising major parts
of modern Tamilnadu) was exposed to increased
influence
of Sanskrit and the culture associated with it. During this period the cults
of Shavaism and Vaishnavism became deeply
embedded in the Tamilian culture. Mahendravarman was the most
prominent Pallava king
who is remembered as the main source of inspiration behind the immortal, exquisite
sculpture of the shore temples (shaped like chariots or rathas) at Mahabalipuram,
which was once a major, flourishing port. The gorgeous temples at Kanchipuram also
testify to the architectural excellence prevalent at that time. Hieun Tsang,
who had visited the city of Kanchipuram and stayed there for
a while, recorded that it was also a flourishing centre of higher education.
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Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram
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Narasimhavarman,
the son of Mahendravarman,
ascended the throne in 630 AD. He defeated
his arch rival king Pulakesin II in the year
632 AD and burned down the Chalukyan capital Vatapi.
Kadambas
The earliest rulers of Karnataka, the Kadambas (325-540 AD)
ruled over a major part of the state in addition to parts of Goa and Maharashtra.The Talagunda
inscription of 450 AD states that Mayursharma, the
founder of the dynasty, was given the name because of the profusion of sacred Kadamba trees
which grew around his dwellings
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The town of Vatapi |
Mayursharma had
been born a Brahmin, who after completion of
Vedic studies went to Ghatikasthana in Kanchipuram for
higher studies. Driven by circumstances, he became Mayuravarma,
a Kshatriya, having mastered warfare tactics
and the use of weaponry. He built up an army
and trained them in guerilla warfare. He defeated
several chieftains and even compelled the Pallavas to
acknowledge his supremacy. His kingdom comprised
the hilly region, western coast and Chitradurga
district of Karnataka, with its capital at Banavasi
(north Kanara district).
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Kanchipuram Temple |
The Kadamba kingdom reached its
zenith under Kakustha (405-430
AD), who was a great builder. His prominence can
be gauged from the fact that Skandagupta (scion
of the famous Gupta dyansty) married
one of his daughters. King Madhava of
the Ganga dynasty married another
of his daughters. Such matrimonial alliances helped
to foster strong diplomatic ties and friendship
with other kingdoms in the vicinity. Subsequently
the rule of Ravivarman (485-519
AD) of the same dynasty, proved to be fairly long-lasting.
He extended his kingdom up to the river Godavari
in the north, Pennar river to south and Kolar in
the east. The other kings of this dynasty proved
to be weak; hence their rule had no great significance.
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Hiuen
Tsang, the Chinese traveler-monk who
also visited Banavasi (a.k.a Konkanapura)
recorded that the place was dotted with numerous
monasteries, pertaining to both Hinayana and
Mahayana sects of Buddhism, where thousands
of monks and priests resided. Evidently Buddhism
was greatly patronized or was the official
religion.
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Gangas
This dynasty ruled what are now the present
districts of Kolar, Bangalore, Mysore, Mandya
and Tumkur in Karnataka, between the 3rd-10th
century A.D. They were Jains by faith. The
world famous monolithic statue of Gommateshwara (a.ka. Bahubali) located in Shravanabelagola was erected during the Ganga rule by their
commander in chief Chavundaraya. Historical
evidence indicates that the Ganga kingdom
extended northwards upto Orissa. Interestingly,
the building of the famous Jagannath
temple at Puri (modern Orissa) is ascribed to Chodaganga
Deva, a Ganga ruler.
Rashtrakutas
The origin of the Rashtrakutas is
mired in ambiguity. Some records trace
its descent to the lineage of Yadu (the
clan to which Lord Krishna apparently
belonged). A few epigraphs claim that
their early ancestor was Satyaki of
the Yadava clan.
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Jagannath temple,Puri
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Acclaimed by some historians
as the largest Indian Empire, the Rashtrakuta clan
ruled from Manyaketha in the Gulbarga region
of modern Karnataka from 735-982 AD and reached
its peak under Amoghavarsha I,
often hailed as "Ashoka of South India".
The Rashtrakutas came to power
after the decline of the Badami Chalukyas and
were involved in a three-cornered tussle with
the Prathiharas of Gujarat
and Palas of Bengal for political
control over the Indo-Gangetic plains. The Rashtrakutas have
found immortality in the pages of Indian history,
through their marvellous rock cut temples of Ellora,
in modern day Maharashtra. To them also goes
the credit for the promotion and development
of the Kannada language and literature.
Cholas
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Ellora Caves,Maharashtra
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The
Tamil kingdom that enjoyed the most uninterrupted
prosperity was that of the Cholas. As in case
of all other polities in ancient India, the
wealth
of the Cholas was based upon a thriving agriculture, with
two monsoons annually facilitating large scale cultivation of rice, barley
and millet. Moreover, excavations at Arikamedu, (near
modern Pondicherry) reveal that the Cholas had
a flourishing trade with the Roman Empire from the1st century, to the beginning
of the 2nd century BC.
By the middle of the 4th century
AD, the Chola kingdom was
largely eclipsed by the Pallavas who
shot into limelight and reigned supreme in
the southern part of India for a considerable
period of time. However, in the 9th century
the Cholas re-emerged as a
major political power. The Chola kingdom
reached its zenith during the10th and the 11th
centuries AD.
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A coin of the Chola period
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The Chola kingdom
with its capital at Chidambaram was
one of the most impressive and well-administered
political entities in the region. There was
high level of prosperity as indicated by the
surviving bronze figurines and statuettes,
which rank among the finest specimens of Indian
art and sculpture. The exquisitely beautiful
temples, centred around Tanjore (Thanjavur)
are also the crowning glory of the Chola art
and architecture.
The most famous rulers of
the Chola dynasty were Rajaraja
I (985-1014) who extended the boundaries
of his territory to include virtually the entire
southern India, Sri Lanka, Lakshadweep and
Maldives; and his son Rajendra (1014-42)
who defeated the Pala rulers
of Bengal and dispatched a naval expedition
against the Srivijaya empire
that flourished in Sumatra and
the Malaya peninsula, which
had caused some hindrance to the Chola kingdom’s
trade activities with China, that were carried
out through the straits of Malacca. |
Rajaraja
I |
During
the 12th century the powers of the Cholas steadily
declined, and although a series of protracted
wars with the Chalukyas ended in victory for
the Cholas, their strength was sapped in the
long struggle. Part of the Chola kingdom
passed into the hands of the Hoysalas,
who had formerly been the vassals of the Chalukyas.
In 1257, the Pandyas invaded the Chola territories
and the next two decades witnessed the death
and destruction of theChola dynasty,
Hoysalas
The members of this clan established their own empire in what is now the state
of Karnataka and ruled between 1040-1342. The most famous Hoysala rulers were
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Chidambaram |
Vishnuvardhana, Ballala
II and Ballala III.
Jainism as a major religious faith flourished
during the Hoysala period.
However, Ramanuja the founder
of Vaishnavism, came to the Hoysala kingdom
to propagate his religion. The Hoysalas greatly
patronised both Kannada and Sanskrit literature.
They were also great builders and won great
esteem as builders of numerous magnificent
temples, the ruins of which are still to be
found at Belur (the erstwhile
capital of the Hoysalas),Halebidu and Somanathapura in
present-day Karnataka.
Kakatiyas
The Kakatiyas rose to prominence during the 12th and the 13th
centuries. As the Chalukyas declined in power, the Kakatiya clan
who were their feudatories began to wield considerable power. Early in the 12th
century, the Kakatiyas declared independence and began expanding
their kingdom. By the end of the century, their kingdom stretched between the
Godavari and the Krishna rivers. The empire reached its zenith under Ganapati who
was its most outstanding ruler. At the peak of its glory the empire included
most of the territory of modern day Andhra Pradesh and parts of Orissa, Maharashtra,
Chattisgarh and Karnataka. Ganapati was succeeded by his daughter Rudramamba who
was thefirst queen known to have ever ruled in southern India. The Kakatiya dynasty
was probably the longest lived Telugu kingdom in history. By the early 14th century,
the Kakatiya empire attracted the attention of the Delhi
Sultanate under Allauddin Khilji. It paid tribute to
Delhi for a few years, but was eventually conquered by the forces of Muhammad
bin Tughlaq in 1323. |
A Nataraja sculpture of
the Chola period
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The Kakatiya period
is termed as the brightest period of Andhra history.
The entire area was under the kings who spoke
Telugu and encouraged development of the language.
Telugu. They established law and order throughout
their territory and the numerous forts built
by them played a dominant role in the defence
of the realm.
Though Saivism continued to
be the religion of the masses, the intellectuals
favoured revival of Vedic rituals. They sought
to reconcile the Vaishnavites and the Saivites
through the worship of Harihara.
(Hari=Vishnu, Har =shiva). The Kakatiya rulers
greatly patronized the arts and literature.
This dynasty was at its best in religious art.
The Kakatiya temples, dedicated
mostly to Siva, depict a fine blending of both
north Indian and south Indian styles. The most
important of these temples are those at Palampeta, Hanamkonda and
the incomplete one within the Warangal
fort. |
Temple inside Warangal Fort
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::Ancient
India:: |
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::Medival
India:: |
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::Modern
India:: |
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