DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW

UNIVERSITY

VISAKHAPATNAM

PROJECT ON

MICRO HISTORIES AND THEIR VALUES

SUBJECT: PALLAVAS ART AND ARCHITECTURE AND THEIR

RELATIONS

BY

M. Eswar
Roll.no. 2017050
1st Semester
D.S.N.L.U

_______________________________________________
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University Nayaprastha, Sabbavaram,
Visakhapatnam - 531035

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Firstly, I would like to thank Mr. Viswachandranath Madasu and staff of DSNLU, for supporting
me all through the process.
Secondly, Thanks to all my fellow students who have helped in the research, during this project.

M. Eswar, 2017050

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTERISATION

CHAPTER-1: What is Micro History? & What are its values? -----------------------------4
CHAPTER-2: Pallava Dynasty. -----------------------------------------------------------------6
CHAPTER-3: The Rule --------------------------------------------------------------------------9
CHAPTER-4: Relationship ---------------------------------------------------------------------14
CHAPTER-5: Kinds of Art & its Promotion--------------------------------------------------16
CHAPTER-6: Dynastys View on Architecture----------------------------------------------17
CHAPTER-7: Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------26

BIBLIOGRAPHY & E-Sources----------------------------------------------------------------27

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 CHAPTER-1
WHAT IS MICRO HISTORY? & WHAT ARE ITS VALUES?

INTRODUCTION:
Historians have yet to develop a comprehensive and conclusive definition for the term micro
history, largely because it remains on the fringe of current historical study. The evolution of
micro historical study in different regions across Europe and North America and in a variety of
languages has further compounded the problem, leading, in some cases, to further ambiguity. Its
origin, however, is clear. The movement of historians, particularly those educated in Europe,
towards a micro historical approach to studying history developed from a political and cultural
debate occurring in the social sciences in the 1970s and 1980s. As historians began to focus on
social rather than economic factors, it became clear that certain political events and social
realities could not be explained adequately by existing macro historical models. In essence,
historical histories did not account for the experiences of all members of the event, society, or
culture being studied. As a result, micro historians have made a point of viewing people not as a
group, but rather as individuals who must not be lost either within the historical processes or in
anonymous crowds1.
Focusing on the individual rather than the group also has led micro historians to focus on the
margins of power rather than the Centre. For micro historians, this has included examining the
lives and experiences of the disadvantaged and exploited, individuals who are often neglected by
macro historical studies and who rarely fit the existing or resulting model. This examination,
however, is not limited to people. It also emphasizes the intensive study of single, tough, often
isolated places, and extraordinary though often historically insignificant events". By doing
so, micro historians have attempted to formulate a history of everyday life. The methodology
used in examining the lives of marginalized people is often referred to as thick description, a
technique often used by cultural anthropologists like Clifford Geertz. Rather than attempting to
fit the individuals experiences into preconceived social histories, Geertz advocates the use of
microscopic analysis as a means of generating conclusions that are applicable to a greater
percentage of the general population. The primary challenge faced by micro historians when

1
http://web.uvic.ca/vv/student/vicbrewery/content/microhistory.html, last visited on 25-08-2017.

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developing these histories of everyday life is a lack of reference material. The marginalized
subjects of their studies have left few traces or documents regarding their lives and experiences
and those who have may not be representative of the sector of the population under
consideration. Even the protagonist in Ginzburgs celebrated work The Cheese and the
Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller left behind an unusually abundant
collection of personal information, leading some to question whether this literate miller was
typical of the marginalized class.
IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
Perhaps the most common and identifiable characteristic of micro history is its reduction of
scale, as suggested by the prefix micro. Rather than describing and analyzing broad topics,
such as the American Civil War, micro historians focus on specific events, such as Picketts
Charge, which occurred within the context of broader fields of study. According to historian
Ronald Hoffman, it is much like the poet William Blake's injunction to see a world in a grain of
sand". It is important, however, not to confuse micro history with local history or
biography. Both use a similar research methodology but fail to connect specific events with
broader social contexts, another important but less obvious characteristic of micro
history. Hoffman states: Micro history scrutinizes isolated topics to come to grips with the
larger universe of historical circumstances and transformations". Unless Stewart analyzes
Picketts Charge within the context of the American Civil War, his work, although well
researched and intriguing, would fail to meet the requirements of micro history and could be
described only as anecdotal antiquarianism.
IN INDIA:
The most common and identifiable kingdoms that were present in the era of Pallava Dynasty
in the southern part of India is The Pandyan Dynasty: 6th century BCE16th century
which is the popular and one of the most powerful kingdom. Most of the historians describe
more about it only they dont describe about other minor kingdoms that were present in that era
of time. Here the chance where some of the micro historians provide us valuable information
regarding the other minor kingdoms and about their socio-political relations and their economic,
art, architecture, military power etc., since it is difficult to explain each and every information in
the project. So, I with the prior permission of our kind History Sir, would like to take up the
Art and Architecture part of the Pallava Dynasty which their famous for.

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 CHAPTER-2
PALLAVA DYNASTY
THE PALLAVAS POLITICAL HISTORY:
The period of Pailava rule2 is an important chapter in the history of Tamil Nadu. After defeating
the Kalabhras, Pailavas established their rule in the Tamil country. Their rule had extended from
Sixth century A.D. to Ninth century A.D. The core of the Pallava kingdom was known as
Thondai Mandalam. It extended from the river Krishna in the North to the river Palar in the
South.
The Paliava rule was significant in many respects. There was religious revival as well as literary
growth. An excellent administrative structure had existed under the Pallava rule. The Pallavas
had also effected important changes in the sphere of art and architecture.
Origin of the Pallavas:
Pallava dynasty, early 4th-century to late 9th-century line of rulers in southern India whose
members originated as indigenous subordinates of the Satavahanas in the Deccan, moved into
Andhra, and then to Kanci (Kanchipuram in modern Tamil Nadu state, India), where they
became rulers. Their genealogy and chronology are highly disputed. The first group of Pallavas
was mentioned in Prakrit (a simple and popular form of Sanskrit) records, which tell of
King Vishnugopa, who was defeated and then liberated by Samudra Gupta, the emperor
of Magadha, about the middle of the 4th century. A later Pallava king, Simhavarman, is
mentioned in the Sanskrit Lokavibhaga as reigning from 436 Century.
The Pallavas were the emperors of the Dravidian country and rapidly adopted Tamil ways. Their
rule was marked by commercial enterprise and a limited amount of colonization in Southeast
Asia, but they inherited rather than initiated Tamil interference with Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
The Pallavas supported Buddhism, Jainism, and the Brahminical faith and were patrons of music,
painting, and literature. Their greatest monuments are architectural, in particular the Shore
Temple, the various other temples carved from granite monoliths, and the Varaha cave (7th
century; these collectively were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984)
at Mamallapuram,3 once a flourishing port. Mahendravarmans I (600-630C.E.) contri once a

2
http://www.tamilnadu.ind.in/tamilnadu_history/pallava/pallava.php , last visited on 25/08/17, 4:30 pm
3
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chalukya-dynasty, last visited on 11/10/2017, 3.30pm

6
flourishing port. Mahendravarmans I (reigned c. 600630) contributed to the greatness of the
Pallava dynasty.
Mahendravarman I (reigned c. 600630) contributed to the greatness of the Pallava dynasty
Some of the most ornate monuments at Mamallapuram, especially those dedicated to the Hindu
god Shiva, were constructed under his rule (though born a Jain, Mahendravarmans converted to
Shaivism). He was a great patron of art and architecture and is known for introducing a new style
to Dravidian architecture, which the noted art historian Jouveau Derail referred to as Mahendra
style. Mahendravarmans also wrote plays, including (c. 620) Mattavilasa-prahasana (The
Delight of the Drunkards), a farce in Sanskrit, which denigrates Buddhism.
Society and Culture:
Some of the Pallava kings took an interest in the Alvars and Nayanars the religious teachers who
preached a new form of Vaishnavism and Shaivism based on the bhakti (devotional) cults.
Among the Shaivas were Appar (who is said to have converted Mahendravarman from Jainism)
and Manikkavacakar. Among the Vaishnavas were Nammalvar and a woman teacher, Andal.
The movement aimed at preaching a popular Hinduism, in which Tamil was preferred to
Sanskrit, and emphasized the role of the peripatetic teacher. Women were encouraged to
participate in the congregations. The Tamil devotional cult and similar movements elsewhere
were in a sense competitive with Buddhism and Jainism, both of which suffered a gradual
decline in most areas. Jainism found a foothold in Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Buddhism
flourished in eastern India, with major monastic centers at Nalanda, Vikramashila, and Paharpur
that attracted vast numbers of students from India and abroad. Tibetan and eastern Indian cults,
particularly the Tantric cults, influenced the development of Vajrayana (Thunderbolt Vehicle)
Buddhism. The widespread Shakti cult associated with Hindu practice was based on the notion
that the male can be activated only by union with the female. Thus, the gods were given consorts
Lakshmi (or Shri) for Vishnu; Parvati, Kali, and Durga for Shiva and ritual was directed toward
the worship of the mother goddess. Much of the ritual was derived from the earlier fertility cults
and local rites and beliefs that were assimilated into Hinduism.
During the same period, orthodox Brahmanism received encouragement, especially from the
royal families. Learned Brahmans were given endowments of land. The performance of Vedic
sacrifices for purposes of royal legitimacy gave way to the keeping of genealogies, which the
Brahmans now controlled. The new Brahmanism acquired a locality and an institution in the

7
form of the temple. The earliest remains of a Hindu Temple4, discovered at Sanchi, date to the
Gupta period. These extremely simple structures consisted of a shrine room, called
a garbhagruha (womb house, or sanctum sanctorum), which contained an image of the deity
and opened onto a porch. Over the centuries, additional structures were added until the temple
complexes covered many acres. In the peninsula, the early rock-cut temples5 imitated Buddhist
models. Although the Calukya did introduce freestanding temples, most of their patronage
extended to rock-cut monuments. The Pallavas also began with rock-cut temples, as at
Mahabalipur, but, when they took to freestanding temples, they produced the most-impressive
examples of their time.
As temples and monasteries became larger and more complex, the decorative arts
of mural painting and sculpture flourished. Early examples of mural painting occur at Bagh and
Sittanvasal (now in Tamil Nadu), and the tradition reached its apogee in the murals at the Ajanta
Caves (Maharashtra) during the Vakataka and Calukya periods. The fashion for murals in
Buddhist monasteries spread from India to Afghanistan and Central Asia and ultimately
to China. Equally impressive was the Buddhist sculpture at Sarnath, in Uttar Pradesh. It is
possible that the proliferation of Buddhist images led to the depiction of Hindu deities
in iconic form.
Temples were richly endowed with wealth and land, and the larger institutions could
accommodate colleges of higher learning (ghatikas and mathas), primarily for priests. These
colleges became responsible for much of the formal education, and inevitably the use of Sanskrit
became widespread. There was an appreciable development of Hindu philosophy, which now
recognized six major systems (darshans): Nyaya, Vaishesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and
Vedanta. Indicative of the growing domination of Brahmanic intellectual life, the
ancient Puranas were now written substantially in their present form under Brahmanic
influence.
The flowering of classical Sanskrit literature is indicated by the plays and poems of Kalidasas
(Abhijnanashakuntala, Malavikagnimitra, Vikramorvashiya, Raghuvamsha, Meghaduta),
although Kalidasas precise date is uncertain. In the south, the propagation of Sanskrit resulted in
the Kiratarjuniya, an epic written by Bharavi (7th century).

4
https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Stupa-Buddhist-monument-Sanchi-India, last visited on 11-09-17
5
https://www.britannica.com/topic/rock-cut-temple, last visited on 12-09-17

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 CHAPTER-3
THE RULE:
The Pallava dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a
portion of what is today southern India. They gained prominence after the eclipse of the
Satavahana dynasty, whom the Pallavas served as feudatories. It deals with:
1. The Political Conditions
1.1 Military Power
2. Economic Sources.
2.1 Agriculture
2.2 Crafts
2.3 Internal Trade
2.4 Foreign Trade
2.5 Weights & Measures
3. The Religic Realm.

1. The Political Conditions:

1.1 Military Power:
The Pallava inscriptions give many references to battles--military confrontations with
far-off hostile dynasties as well as nearby encounters with chieftains who resisted control.
Since the inscriptions themselves give us few details of the make-up and organization of
Pallava armies, we must look to the war poems of the Sangam authors. Here we find that in
south India there was no kin system like the Rajput warrior clans and lineages in north India.
North Indian military organization was based on this extended clan and lineage form of social
organization. In the Tamil Country, the generals were usually Velala men, coming from the
highest ranking agricultural caste. Many of the warriors, however, came from castes and tribes
which were primarily warriors, like the maravar and the kallar. The Sangam poems have many
references to the ferocity and valor of these warriors, many of whom apparently earned their
reputation in bands of robbers and plunderers. They were known as dwellers of the hills and
the forests. The poems suggest sustained and deep tension and hostility between these
passionate hill folks and the settled agricultural groups. The armies of the early kings attempted
to undermine the threat of the hill people by integrating and acculturating the hill groups and

9
 by using their military skills in cooperative enterprises. The developing political systems in
south India, then, played a powerful role in providing opportunities and structures for
cooperative alliances among different social groups. We have seen how the Varna system
developed as a cooperative and integrative social structure during the Vedic period.

2. ECONOMIC SOURCES6:

2.1 Agriculture:
The Pallava rule had witnessed a drastic change in the social and economic life of the people.
The emergence of the Bhakti Movement had significantly changed their way of life. It was
further stimulated by the temple-building activity of the Pallava kings. There was also a
remarkable growth of economy during this period. In general, there was a tremendous change in
the society and culture during the Pallava rule.

The creation of the Brahmadeya villages had started during the Pallava period. The Brahmins
began to settle in these villages and they were exempted from paying taxes. The lands denoted to
the temples were called as Devadhan. The number of villages had increased during the Pallava
rule. Arid lands were reclaimed and cultivated. The Pallava kings had cut several irrigation
tanks. For example, Mahendravarman I cut the Mamandur tank. It was called Chithra Mega
Tadakam. A number of such tanks were constructed during the Pallava period and they
facilitated to the growth of agriculture. In turn, the economy flourished.

2.2 Crafts:
The crafts of the Pallava period include weaving, stone cutting, pottery, carpentry, ivory works,
etc. Cotton clothes were exported to China, Babylonia and Egypt. Kanchipuram had remained an
important center for silk weaving.

2.3 Internal Trade:

The increase in production and the expanding economy under the Pallavas led to the growth of
trade and commerce. Both internal and external trade flourished during this period.

6
Tamilnadu.ind.in, pdf

10
There was a remarkable growth in the internal trade. The regular markets had gradually become
urban centers. Various commodities were brought from villages to these markets for sale. There
were excellent highways to transport goods from one place to another. The capital city,
Kanchipuram had remained an important trading Centre.
The merchants of the Pallava period had to obtain license to keep shops and they were also asked
to pay taxes. The barter system of trade was generally prevalent. Later, the Pallavas had issued
gold and silver coins, which had resulted in the expansion of commerce. The merchants had also
formed their own organizations called Manigramam.

2.4 Foreign Trade7:

We have already studied about the overseas commerce between South India and the West during
the Sangam period. It had declined after the Sangam Age. During the Pallava rule trade with
foreign countries had been revived. Spices, cotton textiles, precious stones and medicinal plants
were exported to the countries like Java, Sumatra, Kadaram, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China and
Burma. The foreign merchants were known as Nanadesi. Mamallapuram, Vasavasamudram and
Mylapore were the important seaports of the Pallavas.

2.5 Weights and Measures:

Lands were measured with the units called Uzhavu, Nivarthanam or Pattiga. The term Hala also
refers to a unit of land. Plough was used for measuring the land.
Paddy and rice were measured by Chudunazhhi. The other units such as Videl, Vidugu and
Uzhakku were also used for measurement. Pidi was the smallest unit. The units such as
Aazhakku, Uzhakku, Uri and Nazhi were used to measure items like milk, ghee and oil. Gold
was measured by the units called Kazhanju and Manjaadi.

7
Tamilnadu.ind.in, pdf

11
3.Religic Realm:

Initially in the Pallava ideology, the sovereign authority of a king stemmed from his performance
of royal sacrifices based on Vedic models. In the later Pallava period the sacrifice became less
important and the royal house and its priests produced genealogies which gave Pallava kings a
divine ancestry, as a base for the sovereignty of the royal family. Royal gifting had always been
important, but now it became a designated 5 forums for proclaiming and expressing royal
authority. These ideological shifts correlated with changes in the political structure of south
Indian kingdoms, in their scope of organization, their capacity for the incorporation of new
elites, and their support of particular families with special geneaologies. The royal sacrifice was
important in south Indian history from the beginning of the period under consideration, the 2nd
century B.C.to the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. The performance of these royal sacrifices was the
most important arena of kingly symbolism for ambitious chiefs. Through a royal sacrifice, the
sacrifice is regarding the person who ordered and paid for the sacrifice, the patron--attempted to
transform both his own political identity and that of his domain. He attempted to emerge from
the status chief or princeling to a high-status king who could make stronger claims on the men
and resources of his domain. It was through the royal sacrifices that a king became identified
with the gods. The codes of Manu, perhaps the most famous Brahminic legal text, expresses the
divine identity of a king thus: "A king is an incarnation of the eight guardian deities of the world,
the Moon, the Fire, the Sun, the Wind, Indra, the Lords of wealth and water (Kubera and Varuna)
and Yama, the god of death."
Most importantly the king is Indra, the god who archetypically represents kingship in the Vedic
period. Indra is a god of growth, vitality, rainfall, vegetation, fertility, in short, of energetic
action in nature. Moreover, Indra is associated with war, and is best known for his brave battles
against the evil powers and enemies of the gods and of mankind. A king was expected to secure
the prosperity of his people in an Indra-like manner, by regulating the powers of fertility and of
nature, and by vanquishing the enemies of the people. A number of ancient Indian festivals
centering around Indra express the god's relation to fertility and prosperity. In the figure of Indra,
we find the best expression of the nature of sacrificial kingship.
However, the king is not the only political focus in the ritual: chiefs and the major supporters of
the king also have a special role in the ritual. Through special rituals twelve of these figures are

12
symbolically bound to the king. They are supposed to augment the power of the king. The king,
therefore, is not simply a king in his own right, but he is godly because he also incorporates the
godly nature of his main supporters-- including his chief general, the chief priest, the royal
prince, the chief queen, the chamberlain, the treasurer and the tax collector. The king in his
person, 8 therefore, represents the totality of the political system. The formulation of the king as
representing the eight guardian deities and the formulation of him as incorporating the chief
supporters both suggest a localized, territorial set of relations. The ritual expresses in religious
terms the constituents of the authority of a king in early South Asian society and polity. The
Ashvamedha horse sacrifice expressed territoriality, but also strongly identified the king with the
prosperity of his realm: a king was supposed to generate prosperity for his kingdom by
generating it for himself. He was the symbol of fertility and plenty who should be fertile and
wealthy himself. The early history of kingship in south India can be seen as a sacrificial system
in which the role of kings was to act as ritual performers with the goal of generating prosperity.
In inscriptions, moreover, sacrifices were usually mentioned in ways which portrayed them as
generating prosperity, manifested in the wealth and lavish gifts of the king. For instance, mention
of the sacrifices of the Iksvaku king in 3rd century inscriptions were immediately followed by
phrases such as whose gold was great in quantity, the giver of hundred thousand of ploughs
(referring to farm land) and cows and the giver of many thousands of pieces of gold. We find
these same themes of royalty as a symbol of plenty and as lavish in its generosity in Sangam
poems from this period. Obviously the Pallava royal house played upon popular values in the
population.

DECLINATION:
Mahendravarmans reign involved constant battles with the Western Chalukya8 kingdom of
Badami under Pulakeshin II. Mahendravarmans successor, Narasimhavarman I, conquered some
of the territory that was lost during numerous Pallava-Chalukya battles. Although he was able to
recapture some of the Pallava land, the Pallavas were ineffective in withstanding military
pressure from the Western Chalukya dynasty, who were eventually ousted by the Cholas. The
Pallava dominions passed to the Chola kings about 880C.E.

8
Incredibleindia.org, pdf

13
 CHAPTER-4
RELATIONSHIP
The set of relations established during the late seventh and eighth centuries continued to exist
through to the end of Pallava rule. In a late plate dated around 867 A.D, the earlier pattern was
replicated. The vijnapti in this grant was a man named Martantan who was described thus: a
descendant of the family of Kuru /a Vedic lineage/ and intent on affording refuge to his subjects.
An ornament to the world like the moon and resembling the ocean in profundity, ... this ruler of
men became the resort of the people by protecting the people as if he were the sun. Therefore the
18 surname Nilaitangi (the support of the world) was as suitable to this ruler as a god. The chief
had many of the attributes of the Pallava kings themselves and was even likened to a god. He had
petitioned for the right to give the grant, albeit in the king's name. The inclusion of both a new
level in the political system and a new type of relationship between the chiefs and the king
represents the expansion of a regional system to a trans-regional system. This new system
included chiefs who were themselves ritual actors with their own following of supporters. The
new system of sovereignty, associated as it was with the universalism of Vishnu and the divine
basis of the royal family's privileges and honor, was well-suited to accommodate the larger
political system. As more and more networks of chieftains and their subjects became tied to the
Pallava king, new ruling institutions spread, adding to the depth and scale of the central polity.
Temples were becoming increasingly important politically as institutions with constituencies--
dependents and worshippers-- and with organizing capacities. They were also important as
symbolic centers in which the growth of worship was responsible for transmitting new cultural
and mythological concepts and symbols to larger and larger groups of people. Temple worship
was overshadowing Vedic practices and replacing them with news codifications of rules for
worship. The recognition and new identities which participants gained by their participation in
temple ritual was becoming more important perhaps than the benefits from sacrificial
performances. Furthermore, as we shall see later, temples came to play an increasingly important
role in the attempts of warrior families to achieve royal status and then, to keep it. Temple
worship, by becoming linked to kingly ambitions, became as well a way to incorporate groups of
more 19 ordinary people into the royal cults of south India. The claim of divine origin for the
king made it possible for him to be worshipped as the other Puranic deities were being
worshipped in temples. As the Sanskritist Gonda has remarked, "the honor shown to a sovereign

14
is, [in this period] in many respects similar to the marks of veneration [adoration and worship]
conferred on the images of the gods." In fact, as we shall see later, in Tamil the word for temple
means the place of the king, koyil. It is important to mention also the importance of
brahmadeyas, settlements of Brahmins. In later Pallava times, brahmadeya settlements began to
develop the social characteristics in terms of both internal organization and cultural influence
which would make them important in the further development of caste society and religious
learning in the Chola period which began in the l0th century. Brahmans acted as the ritual
specialists of temple worship in addition to carrying on their role as domestic ritualists, carrying
out ceremonies in the homes of high status non-Brahman castes. Brahmans developed a series of
alliances with dominant agrarian groups during this period and participated in the governing
assemblies in localities. The gift of a brahmadeya was the highest status gift of the kingdom.
Whether gifted by the king himself or by a chieftain, the brahmadeya had a very special
importance. The right to earn merit from its gifting was a highly valued resource in the kingdom.
The usual procedure for endowing a brahmadeya consisted of the allocation of a plot of land and
the redirection of royal ceases (a certain portion of the crop and the services that were owed to
the king) to Brahmins. The village headman in the settlement would walk around the plot of land
with the royal order held over his head at the time which the details of the grant were released.
20 In fact, the expansion of the political system cannot be discussed without reference to the full
system of transactions revolving around the king. Very few of the royal cesses mentioned in the
inscriptions seem actually to have found the way to the central court of the king. One finds in the
inscriptions increasing numbers of tax-exempt Brahmin land settlements, temples and temple
land, and their accompanying corporate institutions. One finds as well seemingly greater
numbers of important people who held villages with some sort of tax-free status. Records of
local provision for other "intermediary" recipients of the king's generosity, such as warriors in
some way connected with the Centre, further suggests a large drain on royal revenues. A
consideration of the inscriptional evidence over time suggests an increasing expansion of this
system of transactions. These relations with the central king were apparently highly valued and
mutually advantageous. Otherwise, we could not explain the stability of the Pallavas and their
extraordinary capacity to just remain as a flourishing dynasty. The forms of royal relations
established under the later Pallavas functioned as adaptive institutions and were well-suited to
accommodate the growing scale and complexity of the political system.

15
 CHAPTER-5
KINDS OF ART & ITS PROMOTION:
The Dravidian style of art was more encouraged by the founders as well as the other rulers of the
pallava dynasty until their downfall also. All the rulers of pallava dynasty were lovers of art and
also the art was regarding the portraying various Gods at different situations at their own
interests and all this was due to worshiping idols and mere domination of Brahmins and they did
this in order to attain kaivalya.
They are famous for their marvelous cave temples and massive monolithic open air reliefs carved
into the out-croppings of black granite which runs through the town, forming a backbone of
sorts. One of these, strangely called Arjuna's penance is a famous relief depicting the descent
of the sacred river Ganges from the heavens wherein Lord Shiva consents to leash its strong
torrents in his labyrinthine hair and various naga kings along with humans and animals are
shown paying homage to the subdued flow which results. Another famous relief depicts the
goddess Durga astride her mount the Lion in the process of triumphing over the evil forces of
Mahishasur. But the most famous Pallava structures are a group of five temples carved into the
shape of rathas (chariots) of the Pandavas, running from north to south one after the other. All
these massively carved monoliths have on their sides, splendid examples of the elongated
elegance which is a mark of Pallava art. Opinion is that the tough nature of the granite
contributed to some extent for the elongated forms characteristic to the Pallavas. After the death
of Narsimha Varman I too, some construction was carried out at Mamallapuram and famous
amongst these is the Shore Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The design of the Shore Temple
closely resembles the great Kailashnath temple at Ellora and also strongly influenced the future
Chola architectures. It has a soaring tower and the inner cell is designed to permit the first
eastern sunlight and the passing sailors to pay homage to the deity. Local legend claims that
there were once four other temples alongside of this, but they were washed away by the sea, In
fact this existing temple also gives signs of melting away, from the constant onslaught of the sun
and water erosion.
A few paintings of the Jaina Pallava have been found at Sittanavasal but they were later on given
up the last known style of the Pallavas is Aparajita style of 900 A.D. This art has a close
relationship with the Chola style.

16
 CHAPTER-6
DYNASTYS VIEW ON ARCHITECTURE
THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS THAT ARE PRESENT IN ARCHITECTURE STYLE
OF PALLAVA DYNASTY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

The Pallava architecture shows the transition from the Rock Cut architecture to the Stone Built
temples.
The earliest examples of the Pallava art are the rock cut temples of the AD 7th century, while
the later examples are of the structural temples built in the 8th and 9th century.
The rock cut reliefs of the Pallavas are the earliest surviving royal portraits after the Kushana
images.
Mahendravarman 1st introduced the rock-cut Temples. This style of pallava temples are seen
at places like Mandagappattu, Mahendravadi, Mamandur, Dalavanur, Tiruchirappalli, Vallam,
Siyamangalam,Tirukalukkunram.
The five rathas, popularly called as the Pancha panadava rathas, signifies five different styles
of temple architecture. The mandapas contain beautiful sculptures on its walls. The most popular
of these mandapas are Mahishasuramardhini Mandapa, Tirumurthi Mandapam and Varaha
Mandapam.
The glory of the Pallavas still remains in their contribution to the art and architecture.
They were the pioneers of South Indian art and architecture. They had introduced the stone
architecture in the Tamil country. Their contributions are still extant because granite was used
for building temples and carving sculptures. The Pallava architecture had evolved stage by stage
from the period of Mahendravarman-I.

We can broadly classify the Pallavas architecture in following ways:

1.Rock-cut temples. .
2.Monolithic Rathas
3.Sculptural Mandapa
4.Structural temples.

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1. Rock-Cut temples:
We call the Pallava rock-cut temples as Mahendravarman style. He carved temples out of the
rocks and thus they were known as rock cut temples. It was really an innovation in the sphere of
art because he did not use any other building materials. Therefore, he was hailed s Vichitra
Chitta. In these rock cut temples, we find the sanctum sanctorum and on the walls of it beautiful
sculptures. The pillars are carved in such a way that they stand on the heads of lions. The rock
cut temples of Mahendravarman I are found at various places of Tamil Nadu. The most
important among them are Pallavaram, Mamandur, Mahendravadi, Vallam and Thalavanur.

2.Monolithic Rathas:
The monolithic rathas and sculptural mandapas constitute the Mamalla style of architecture. The
Pallava king, Narasimhavarman I was known as Mamalla. He had converted the port of
Mamallapuram as a beautiful city of art and architecture. The Monolithic rathas at
Mamallapuram are now called as Pancha Pandava Rathas. Each ratha or chariot was carved out
of single rock and hence the name monolithic. These rathas depict the five different forms of
temple architecture.

3.Sculptural Mandapa
The mandapas or halls at Mamallapuram had also belonged to the Mamallan period. Each
mandapa was carved out of single rock. On the side- walls of these Mandapas, beautiful
sculptures depicting Puranic stories had been carved. The scene depicting the Goddess Durgas
attack on Mahishasura is seen in the Mahishasura Mardhini Mandapa. Such beautiful sculptures
have also been carved in Thirumoorthi and Varaha Mandapas. .
The most important among the Mamalla style of architecture is the Open Art Gallery. Several
miniature sculptures have been carved beautifully on the wall of a big rock. The fall of the River
Ganges from the head of God Siva and the Arjunas penance are notable among them. The
images of deer, monkey, cat, mouse and other animals are beautifully carved on this huge rock.
Those five chariots of Mahabalipuram have been named after the five Pandavas which are Shiva
temples. The Sahadeva, Dharma Raja and the Bhma Rathas have a roof like that of a pyramid
having three stories and window niches.

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The Arjuna Ratha in very simple and has the influence of southern architecture. The Draupadi
ratha is in the square shape and appears to be like the modern temple built of ordinary bricks. All
these rathas are said to belong to the Mamalla style which was in vogue between 625 and 674
A.D. Narasimhavarman is said to have founded the Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) city.

4.Structural Temples:
So far, we have studied about the rock-cut temples and sculptural mandapas. From the reign of
Rajasimha, the construction of structural temples had started. These temple structures were built
with the use of granite slabs. Hence, they are known as structural temples.
We can broadly classify the Pallava dynastys architecture into following styles: .
1.RajasimhaStyle
2.NandivarmanStyle
the earliest among the Pallava structural temples were the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram
and the Shore Temple at Mamallapuram. These temples were built by using sandstones. The
Vimana or tower of the Kailasanatha temple is shaped like hilly comb. This temple is considered
as the Crown of Pallava architecture. This temple is also called as Rajasimheswaram. We also
find beautiful sculptures in this temple.
The sculptures depicting the scenes of the satirical drama Mathavilasa Prakasanam have been
engraved in this temple. The Shore temple at Mamallapuram is also filled with numerous
sculptures. This temple attracts tourists from all over the world.
The successors of Rajasimha had also built several structural temples at various places.
Nandivarman II had built the Vaikunda Perumal9 Temple at Kanchipuram. The temples built by
the later Pallava rulers are found at places like Kanchipuram, Panamalai, Kooram, Thiruthani
and Gudimallam.

Kanchipuram: Testimony to glory of the Pallavas10:

It was from the 8th centuries that the Pallava kings ruled south India. Big builders and well read,
these unchallenged kings were to go on and construct a number of temples dedicated to the
various Hindu and Jain gods. At the beginning of the 8th century, it was at Kanchipuram that

9C.Sivaramamurti, Five Master pieces of Indian sculptures.

10
Incredibleindia.org, pdf

19
they installed the capital of their dynasty which was to go on and impose itself, as much through
its military might as the cultural prowess displayed through exceptional art
and spread through their refined and monumental architecture.
Much more than simply religious places, these temples of the south, more often than not
immense in physical dimensions, were constructed under the royal patronage and reflected the
ambitious conquests achieved by the Pallavas who were by then the unquestioned masters of the
south.
Amongst the first structures excavated are the works ordered by King Paramesharavarman I
(672- 700) and some of these are still visible at Mahabalipuram. But it is to Narasimhavarman II-
Rajasimha (700-728) that we owe the magnificent temple of Kailashnatha at Kanchipuram,
which reveal as much the talent of the local artists as the perfect knowledge that they had of
iconographic themes.
Narasimhavarman II- Rajasimha was one of the principal kings who ruled over this part of south
India, along with his son, the Yuvaraj or Crown Prince, who incidentally died before the father.
We find at Kailashnatha, representations of Shiva, Parvati and their son Skanda, an echo of the
royal family of the epoch. The interiors of the temple unveil vibrant scenes borrowed from
Shaivik mythology and from the Puranas, dedicated to Shiva or his consort goddesses

A classic example of the Pallava sculpture

Kanchipuram was also essentially known as the seat of goddess Uma or Parvati. Uma, an
avatar of Parvati, was able to achieve her ambition of gaining Shivas love through her unending
and intense devotion and austerities, praying continuously to a lingam which represented Shiva,
under a blossoming mango tree. Legend has it that one day in order to save the lingam from the
floods, Uma held it so tightly to her bosom that it left marks of her breasts and bracelets on the
stone lingam. Touched by her devotion, Shiva appeared before Uma and granted her wish.
In the heart of the Ekambareshwara temple or the God of Mango is a sacred mango tree which
retains the souvenir of this memorable meeting which took place
under this sacred tree and where the union of Shiva and Uma took place. Of the same nature as
Kama, the God of Love, this sacred mango tree, whose age is supposed to be over 3500 years,
has four branches representing the four Vedas.

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THE BEACH TEMPLES AT MAHABALIPURAM:
It is one the jewels of Pallava art, constructed in the beginning of the 8th century, but protected
from the powerful waves, as well as from the last tsunami in 2004, by a imposing black rock
massif. Impassable but eroded by the salty air of the sea, big sandstone statues of the Nandi bull
keep a watch on the temple. The entire site is so overwhelming that it is little wonder and the site
was notified as a world heritage site by UNESCO as early as 1985.

There are 3 kinds of styles involved in the temples:

1. Mahendra Style
2. Mamalla Style
3. Rajasimha Style
4. Aparajitha Style

1. MAHENDRA STYLE:

Three broad movements have been identified in the development of Pallava forms. The first,
widely referred to as 'Mahendra Style', was rock-cut. The pillars of these temples are massive
and divided into three parts - the upper and lower being square in section and the middle
octagonal. The doorkeepers (dvarapala) on either side of the doorway of the sanctum are huge
and hefty, carry a heavy club, are sometimes horned and have the sacred thread (yajnopavila)
running over the right arm; but they are not fierce-looking and have, unlike their later
counterparts, only one pair of arms.
A pillar inscription from Kanchipuram, however, does point to the existence of masonry temples
in his time, though no such examples remain today.
The cave in this panorama is the Kotikal Mandapa. Beyond its massive pillars and past the hall,
is a cell that is guarded by female door-keepers at either side of the entrance.

2. MAMALLA STYLE:
Cave temples continue in this period, and free-standing monolithic temple also come into
existence. The pillars are slenderer, slightly more ornamented and are supported by squatting
lions. The kudu - a large horseshoe-shaped window in the prayer hall ('chaitya') - is still simple
and has the spade-head finial. The pavilion-ornament is like a thatched hut with a simulated

21
railing below. The niche is decorated with a torana-arch on top, and the two makaras with riders
at either end of the torana have floriated tails.

In this form, the dvarapalas are much the same as in the earlier caves. The figures, though still
heavy, have a definitely slimmer contour. On the whole, the general features of the earlier period
continue.

The Varaha Cave Temple in this panorama conforms to the Mamalla Style, and has a large hall
with a front row of four pillars and two pilasters supported by squatting lions. The back row of
two pillars does not have lions, and a cell is cut in the center of the back wall. In this cell is a
representation of Varaha raising the earth from the ocean.

'Mamalla Style' - The Varaha Cave Temple

In this cave, on either side of the cell are four panels, with a Gaja-Lakshmi seated on a lotus and
bathed by elephants and attended by nymphs, an eight-armed Mahishamardini towards the
extreme end and two representations of Vishnu, one beside each of these two.

On the side walls of the verandah are again two panels, one showing a seated king with queens
and the other a standing king leading his two queens. The panel of Gaja-Lakshmi is similar to
that in the other Varaha cave.

Mahishamardini is represented standing on the cut head of the demon Mahisha. Vishnu in both
the panels is adored by two kneeling devotees at his feet and is flanked by dwarapalas, one of
whom has snake-hoods above his head-gear suggesting Sesha, the lord of serpents, always
associated with the Varaha incarnation of Vishnu.

Two other panels here represent Gangadhara and Brahma, the former receiving Ganga on his
locks, the strands of which he is supporting with his right upper arm.

In the interesting group of royal portraits, one represents a king seated on a throne flanked by his
two standing queens and the other shows a king dressed in royal robes leading his senior queen
followed by the second and pointing his right forefinger towards the image in the central shrine.

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3. RAJASIMHA STYLE:

In this period, the practice of excavating rock-cut temples fell into disuse. The pillars of the
masonry-temples are slender and are supported by rampant and not squatting lions.

Additionally, the Dvarapalas are more ornamented, their figures conceived and executed with
greater delicacy; and there is a greater exuberance and larger grouping of figures.

The Shore Temple is featured in this panorama. It is close to the sea shore, so as almost to allow
the spray of the waves to dash against its walls, and is an example of the masonry temple of
Rajasimha's time.

'Rajasimha Style' - The Shore Temple

The entrance to the temple is approached by steps, and beyond the porch is the main cell which
enshrines a broken-fluted Shiva linga.

There are also rampant lions at intervals dividing the carved panels of the outer walls of the
temple, of which many are almost obliterated by the destructive agency of the continuous spray
of sea-water.

4. APARAJITHA STYLE:

This is more ornate resembling the Chola architecture. A few temples built in the style are found
at Dalavanur. The noteworthy feature of some shrines is that they are adorned by beautiful life-
like images of Pallava kings and their queens. But this style wasnt used in the
Mahabalipuram temples11.

Some of the famous and powerful temples in southern part of India & which were constructed by
Pallava dynasty rulers is:

1. Sri Kailasanatha of Kanchipuram:

11
K.R.Srinivasan, The dharma ratha and its sculptures mahabalipuram

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The temple is credited to the initiative and enterprise of the Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman II or
Rajasimha (also known as Ajiranakanta, Ranadhira and a Kshatriya Simheshvara) who reigned
between AD 690 to 728. The Kailashnath temple is the finest structural project of the Pallavas. It
looks as if a chariot from heaven has descended on the Earth.

2. Mandagappattu Temple:

This is the first Pallava rock-cut temple, built by Mahendra 1st in the early 7th century. An
inscription on the temple calls it the Laksitayatna and dedicates it to Brahma, Isvara and Vishnu.
The faade of the rectangular mandapa has four massive pillars and us flanked by niches
containing large dvarpalaka images carved in relief.

3. Vaikuntha Perumal Temple:

This Temple is situated at Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu and was built in the A.D. 8th century. It
was built by the Pallava emperor, Nandiavarman, Pallavamalla in the AD 8th century. This
Temple is famous for its unique architecture grandeur and religious importance. This Temple is
one of the 108 Divya Desam dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. This Temple is also called the Tiru
Parameshwara Vinnagaram.

4. Virupaksha Temple12:

This temple, in worship, known as Shri Lokeswara-Maha-Sila-prasada from the epigraphs, was
built by Lokamahadevi, the Queen of Vikaramaditya II (A.D.733-745) in about A.D.740 to
commemorate her husbands victory over the Pallavas of Kanchipuram. It closely resembles the
Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram on plan and elevation and represents a fully developed and
perfected stage of the Dravidian architecture.

Facing east, this temple has on plan a square sanctum (garbhagriha) with a circumambulatory
path (pradakshinapatha), an antarala with two small shrines for Ganesa and Mahishamardini
facing each other infront, a sabha-mandapa with entrance porches on the east, north and south
and a separateNandi-mandapa in front. The complex is enclosed by high prakara walls. Against

12 http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_ptdkl_monu_virupaksha.asp, last visited on 8-10-17

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the inner faces of these walls there were small shrines dedicated to the subsidiary deities
(parivaradevatas) of which only a few are extant now. The enclosure has been provided with
ornate entrance gates ((pratolis) on both east and west.

THOUGHT OF DYNASTY TO LANDMARK THEM IN THE WAY OF TEMPLE

CONSTRUCTION:

There was an all-pervasive development during this period in literature, music, paintings,
religion every walk of life. The Kings of Pallava Dynasty13 warmly patronized the Sanskrit
language. Kanchi became the famous seat of Sanskrit learning In the South. Dandi, Bharavi,
Dignaga, the great poet, master of Sanskrit prose and scholar respectively, all came and stayed in
Kanchi court. The Tamil literature also received patronage from the Pallava kings. We also know
that the Mattavilas Prahasana, the Tamil classic, Tamil Kural were composed in this age.
Paintings received patronage of the Tamil kings. The composer of several treaties in music
Mahendravarmana was a king of his age.

It should also be remembered that the great religious revival movement which overshadowed the
eight-century had its first origin in Tamil kingdom. It was the Pallavas who first completed the
Aryanisation14 of South India for them the Sanskrit language and learning and the Brahmanical
religion spreaded in the South. The University of Kanchi became the citadel of Aryan--
Brahmanical influence in the South. Kanchi was regarded as one of the seven sacred cities of the
Hindus. Though the Pallava Kings were the worshippers of Vishnu and Siva they showed
tolerance to other creeds as well. Many great Saiva and Vishnu Saints and the Vaishnava and
Saiva literatures had flourished in this age. Though Buddhism could not dominate the
Pallavas, Hiuen-Tsang found many Buddhist monasteries in the Pallava Empire.

13
https://www.importantindia.com/490/pallavas-culture-literature-art-and-architecture
14
DR.D.R. Rajesh ,The Pallava Sculpture.

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 CHAPTER-7
CONCLUSION
The implications of micro history are many. Micro history has intensified
interdependence and various branches which are yet to be enlightened. This is reflected in
Interdependence in regard to the availability of sources and conformity of such sources. As a
result, its developments are not determined entirely by various micro historians and also by the
availability of primary sources. Rather, they are influenced by both conditions as they are
essential. It is thus clear that with the help of micro history we can identify the minuscule
kingdoms and regarding their art &architecture skills, traditions & customs and also their
economic sources that existed in a time period where large and powerful kingdoms prevailed and
many historians wrote regarding this kind of kingdoms only but with help of the introduction of
the subject Micro History we are able to know everything regarding such small kingdoms.

In the similar way while I was researching regarding some of the small kingdoms that
were present in the medieval period of our country I was successfully able to find out one of such
kingdoms that is PALLAVA DYNASTY it was present in southern most part of country and
which has its origin from like the other kingdoms i.e., ARYANS. As, I had selected this
kingdom with respect to other kingdom is that they had a good view on art and architecture and
they are the ones who are responsible for promotion of Hinduism in our country by the
construction of temples and also donated huge areas of lands for their maintenance and they
didnt even collect revenue on those lands and also for the propagation of Hinduism they even
constructed stupas and pillars which were helpful as primary sources for knowing the history of
Pallavas and this short period of time but I have tried my level best to evaluate the overall history
of Pallava dynasty.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND E-SOURCES
BOOKS:
1. C.Sivaramamurti, Five Master pieces of Indian sculptures
2. Discovering the magic of Pallava Art; India and You. January-February 2009
3. DR.D.R. Rajesh, The Pallava Sculpture.
4. Forelesninger 4: Early Medieval Polity: Pallava Gifting
5. K.R. Srinivasan, The dharma ratha and its sculptures mahabalipuram
6. Myneni Krishna Kumari, Iconography of the door guardians of south India Dvarapalas
7. N. Vemlata Ramahaiyya, texts trilochana Pallava and karikala chola
8. R. Gopalam, History of Pallavas ,1924.

E-Sources:
1. http://web.uvic.ca/vv/student/vicbrewery/content/microhistory.html
2. Tamilnadu.ind.in, pdf
3. Incredibleindia.org, pdf
4. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chalukya-dynasty.
5. https://www.importantindia.com/490/pallavas-culture-literature-art-and-architecture/
6. http://www.tamilnadu.ind.in/tamilnadu_history/pallava/pallava.php
7. http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_ptdkl_monu_virupaksha.asp

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