The Pallava
dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also
known as Tondaimandalam. They patronized
Tamil poets, built magnificent temples and monuments, and their inscriptions
were mostly in Tamil. The Pallavas played a crucial
role in shaping the Tamil culture and heritage of the region during their rule.[5][6] The
dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served
as feudatories.[7][8]
The Pallavas became a major South Indian power
during the reign of Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) and Narasimhavarman I (630–668
CE), and dominated the southern Telugu Region and
the northern parts of the Tamil region for about 600 years, until the end
of the 9th century. Throughout their reign, they remained in constant conflict
with both the Chalukyas of Badami in the north, and the Tamil kingdoms of Chola and Pandyas in
the south. The Pallavas were finally defeated by the Chola ruler Aditya I in
the 9th century CE.[9]
The Pallavas are most noted for their
patronage of Hindu Vaishnava temple architecture, the finest example being the Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mamallapuram. Kancheepuram served
as the capital of the Pallava kingdom. The dynasty
left behind magnificent sculptures and temples, and are recognized to have
established the foundations of medieval South Indian architecture, which some
scholars believe the ancient Hindu treatise Manasara inspired.[10] They
developed the Pallava script, from which Grantha ultimately
took form. This script eventually gave rise to several other Southeast Asian
scripts such Khmer. The Chinese traveller Xuanzang visited Kanchipuram during
Pallava rule and extolled their benign rule.