Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about The Chalukyas of Badami and the Pallavas of Kanchi from Class 8 Social_Science. After studying this chapter, you will learn about the beginning of the Chalukyas of Badami and the expansion of their empire under their foremost king, Pulakeshi II. You will also understand their religious, social, military, and judicial systems, and trace the extent of their empire with the help of a map. Furthermore, we will explore the contributions of the Pallavas of Kanchi to literature, religion, art, architecture, and education. Let us begin our journey into this fascinating period of South Indian history.
The Chalukyas of Badami ruled from 540 to 753. Many powerful kings ruled Karnataka in the 6th century C.E., and they were the Chalukyas of Badami. They established their supremacy in Karnataka for over 2 centuries continuously and ruled with immense glory. The Chalukya dynasty occupies an important position in the history of South India and is one of the powerful dynasties of India. Their rule began in the 6th century and ended in the middle part of the 8th century. Raja Jayasimha is the founder of this dynasty. The most powerful and noteworthy emperor of this dynasty is Pulakeshi II. Overpowering the Gangas, Kadambas, and Alupas, he extended his empire. The Pallavas were at the peak of glory in the South Deccan. Since Mahendravarma did not accept the sovereignty of Pulakeshi, Pulakeshi defeated him. When Harshavardhana, who was ruling in North India, advanced up to the banks of the river Narmada, Pulakeshi stopped him and earned the titles of Dakshinapatheshwara and Lord of the Peninsula for his daring act.
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Pulakeshi II could not rule the whole of his kingdom from one centre. He appointed his younger brother, Kubja Vishnuvardhana, as the provincial head of Vengi and Jayasimha as the head of Gujarat province. Later on, Chalukyas ruled the kingdom for around 5 centuries under the name Chalukyas of Vengi. Hiuen Tsang visited the Chalukya capital. He has given a detailed description of Pulakeshi II and the Chalukya kingdom. He said that the king was just and kind. The army was disciplined and the soldiers were courageous warriors who were not afraid of death. The subjects were lovers of truth, contented, self-respecting, prosperous, and loyal to the king. They respected the king very much, and the king loved his subjects. Pulakeshi II was an optimistic emperor. He had friendly relations with foreign kings too. Arab historians report that he had diplomatic relations with the Persian king, Khusru II. After some years, the Pallava king, Narasimhavarma I, took revenge on the Chalukyas for the defeat of his father Mahendravarma. He occupied the Chalukyan kingdom and captured Vatapi. During the time of the last Chalukya king, Kirtivarma, the Rashtrakutas captured this kingdom.
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Now let us look at the contributions of the Chalukyas. They developed the Kannada land, language, and culture, and protected its religion, literature, art, and architecture. Their army was famous as Karanatabala. The reign of the Badami Chalukyas is a great and glorious period in the history of Karnataka. This age is noteworthy not only for its military exploits but also for its art and literature. They ruled around 200 years. The king was actively involved in administration. The kingdom was divided into districts called vishaya, and the vishayadhipati used to look after it. The village was the smallest unit of the administration. The village leaders looked after the village accounts and administration. The Chalukyas encouraged all traditions and sects like that of the Shaivas, Vaishnavas, and the Jains. They supported the construction of Jain temples and Buddhist viharas too. The Chalukyas of Badami patronized literature. Kannada and Sanskrit developed very well. Kannada was their state language. During this period, the tripadi form of poetry came into existence. Though there are no literary works produced in Kannada at this time, there are many inscriptions written in Kannada. One of the poems in the inscription of Kappe Arabhatta of Badami is in tripadi form.
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The Sanskrit scholars of this time are Ravikirti, Vijjika, and Akalanka. Kaumudi Mahotsava was written by Pulakeshi II's daughter-in-law, poet Vijjika, and Hara Parvatiya by Shivabhattaraka are important Sanskrit dramas. The Chalukyas of Badami were great builders as well as art lovers. They built beautiful temples at Badami, Aihole, and Pattadakallu. They developed a special style or Vesara style of sculpture called The Chalukya Style in Indian architecture. They built cave temples in the rocks of Badami. They encouraged many artists and sculptors. The best temples in the Chalukya style are in Aihole and Pattadakallu. Aihole was one of the cradles of temple architecture. Evolution of the series of temple architecture was first experimented here. This style found its full expression at Pattadakallu. Thus we see the famous temples of Lokeshwara, also known as Virupaksha, and Trilokeshwara, also known as Mallikarjuna, here. We get conclusive proof of the Chalukyas artistic achievement in the towering sculptures of Vishnu, Varaha, Harihara, and Ardhanarishwara in the caves of Badami. Even painting received encouragement.
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Let us now move on to the Pallavas of Kanchi, who ruled from 350 to 895. The Pallavas are the first kings of Tamilnadu. They enjoyed a special place among the dynasties which ruled South India. They ruled from the 4th century to the 9th century. In the beginning, they were the officials of the Shatavahanas. When the Shatavahana dynasty declined, the Pallavas declared themselves as kings of the territory. Shivaskandavarma was the first king of this dynasty. The Pallavas and the Kadambas harboured perpetual enmity towards each other. Subsequently, Pulakeshi II of the Chalukya dynasty defeated Mahendravarma of the Pallava dynasty. Narasimhavarma I, who came later, was the most famous of the Pallava kings. He took revenge on the Chalukyas by defeating Pulakeshi II and capturing Vatapi. These daring acts won him the titles of Mahamalla and Vatapikonda. Hiuen Tsang had visited Kanchi during his reign. Narasimhavarma built a city on the sea coast near Kanchi and named it Mahabalipuram. Many monolithic temples were built by him. During the reign of Aparajita Pallava, Aditya of the Chola dynasty put an end to the Pallava rule.
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Now let us examine the contributions of the Pallavas. They introduced systematic administration in Tamil Nadu. Their contributions are significant in literature, religion, art, architecture, and education. When the Chalukyas reigned in Vatapi and the Pallavas in Kanchi, it was a heroic age in the South. Their kingdom was strong and organized. There were ministers and provincial officers. The kingdom had been divided into mandala, nadu, and grama. The gramasabha dealt with the problems of the village. The gramabhojaka looked after the village administration. The Pallavas encouraged both Sanskrit and Tamil. Kanchi was the centre of Sanskrit literature. Bharavi, the author of Kiratarjuniya, and Dandi, the author of Dashakumar Charita, were the poets in the Pallava court. King Mahendravarma himself wrote a social drama, Matta Vilasa Prahasana, and a book Bhagavadajjukam. The Pallavas encouraged all religions. The early Pallava kings were Buddhists. The great scholar of Nalanda University, Dharmapala, was born in Kanchi. Since Mahendravarma was a follower of Jainism, there were many Jains in the kingdom.
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Shaiva and Vaishnava religious sects became popular during the 7th century. 63 great saints called Nayannars propagated the Shaiva faith. 12 Alwars saints propagated the Vaishnava faith. This age witnessed the rise of the Bhakti movement. It also supported the revival of the Vedic religion. Shlokas were written in Tamil. These have become the treasure of Tamil literature. The Pallavas were lovers of art and architecture. They built many temples in their kingdom, which are noteworthy for their artistic skill. The Pallava architecture can be classified into temples that have been carved out of stone, and temples with structural pattern. Many temples carved in rocks can be seen in Mahabalipuram. Wonderful monolithic sculptures have been carved in these temples. They tell the stories from Mahabharata and Bhagavata. The Pancharathas are the famous monolithic temples. The carving of Arjuna's Meditation has emerged as an excellent work of art. The temples of Kailasanath, Ekambarnath, and Vaikunta Perumal at Kanchi, and the coastal temple at Mahabalipuram are excellent examples of ancient Indian architecture.
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The temples became centres of religious and artistic activities. The rural folk assembled in the courtyard of the temples in the evenings and discussed many issues. The people came here during their leisurely hours and listened to the Puranas or sang devotional songs. In this manner, the temples became cultural and educational centres. The Pallavas had a good naval force. Merchants had trade relations with South Asian countries like Malaya, Indonesia, and others. We can see the influence of Indian language, faiths, traditions, and culture in those countries.
Now let us move to the exercises to test your understanding. First, we will fill in the blanks with suitable words. Number one: The Pallava king who was defeated by Pulakeshi is Mahendravarma. Number two: The army of Chalukyas of Badami was called as Karanatabala. Number three: The writer of the Sanskrit drama Hara Parvatiya is Shivabhattaraka. Number four: The Pallava king who earned the title Vatapikonda is Narasimhavarma I. Number five: The painting The Meditation of Arjuna is at Mahabalipuram.
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Now let us answer the following questions in brief. Question six: How did Pulakeshi II extend his empire? Answer: He extended his empire by overpowering the Gangas, Kadambas, and Alupas. He defeated Mahendravarma of the Pallavas who refused to accept his sovereignty. He also stopped Harshavardhana at the banks of the river Narmada, earning the titles Dakshinapatheshwara and Lord of the Peninsula. Question seven: Describe the administrative system of the Badami Chalukyas. Answer: The king was actively involved in administration. The kingdom was divided into districts called vishaya, which were managed by a vishayadhipati. The village was the smallest administrative unit, where village leaders handled accounts and local administration. Question eight: The Chalukyas were lovers of literature. Explain with examples. Answer: They patronized both Kannada and Sanskrit, with Kannada as their state language. The tripadi form of poetry emerged during this period, seen in the Kappe Arabhatta inscription. Sanskrit scholars like Ravikirti, Vijjika, and Akalanka flourished. Vijjika wrote Kaumudi Mahotsava, and Shivabhattaraka wrote the drama Hara Parvatiya. Question nine: How did the Pallavas encourage Sanskrit and Tamil? Answer: They made Kanchi a major centre for Sanskrit literature, hosting poets like Bharavi and Dandi. King Mahendravarma wrote Matta Vilasa Prahasana and Bhagavadajjukam. They also promoted Tamil by encouraging the writing of devotional shlokas, which became a treasure of Tamil literature, and supported the Bhakti movement led by Nayannars and Alwars. Question ten: Explain the contributions of Pallavas to art and architecture. Answer: They built rock-cut and structural temples. Mahabalipuram features monolithic temples and sculptures depicting Mahabharata and Bhagavata stories. The Pancharathas and the carving of Arjuna's Meditation are masterpieces. They also constructed the Kailasanath, Ekambarnath, and Vaikunta Perumal temples at Kanchi, and the coastal temple at Mahabalipuram. These temples served as cultural and educational hubs where people gathered to discuss issues, listen to Puranas, and sing devotional songs.
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Now for the activities. Activity one asks you to discuss in groups the contributions of the Badami Chalukyas to the Kannada language. Activity two asks you to learn about tripadis from your Kannada teachers and by reading Kannada books. Activity three asks you to pay a visit to Kanchipura and Mahabalipuram. Finally, the projects. Project one asks you to pay a visit to a place of historical importance and collect information about it. Project two asks you to draw pictures and make an album of important temples of Badami, Aihole, and Pattadakallu. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]