Page 87 - SST Class 06

Political Development :

Chalukyas and Pallavas 13

q What happened in the sub-continent after decline of the Guptas.
q What kingdoms emerged in Deccan and South India.

Introduction Hiuen-Tsang, the celebrated Chinese traveller,
also visited the court of Pulakeshin II. He has
By the sixth century AD, the Gupta empire had
disintegrated and it paved way for the rise of described the Chalukya dynasty. He has admired
smaller kingdoms in the Deccan and south, many of the Chalukya king and the people.
which declared their independence of these
kingdoms, two rose to prominence – the Chalukyas Just Think!
(Vatapi) and the Pallavas (Kanchi). This is evident
from a number of copper plate inscriptions of that Who were the contemporaries of king Harsha in the
period. south?

CHALUKYAS
Narmada
a
Mahan di
The Chalukyas ruled over Karnataka region of the Ta i p Amravati
Deccan. This dynasty started in about 543 AD A Sopara Ellora
o
when Pulakeshin I set up his kingdom with his G davar i KAL INGA B AY
capital at Vatapi (modern Badami in Bijapur R A B CHALUKYAS O F
district). His successors were able rulers, but the I A
s B E N G A L
most important ruler of this dynasty was
Kri hna
N
Vatapi Nagarjunkonda
S
Pulakeshin II . He was a contemporary of E
RASHTRAKUTAS
Harshavardhana. He ruled from circa 608 AD to
A
PALLAVAS
Mahabalipuram
643 AD. Kave i r CH
Pulakeshin II CH ERA OLA
Tanjore
You have read that when Harshavardhana turned Madurai
towards the Deccan, his advance was checked by PANDYA
Pulakeshin II. Thus, the Narmada River served as SRI
LANKA
the boundary between the empires of
Harshavardhana in the north and Pulakeshin II in INDIAN OCEAN
the south. Kingdoms of Chalukyas and Pallavas
Pulakeshin II had to face the Rashtrakutas and the
Info Bits
Pallavas. The former were not very strong, but the Info Bits
latter were. He defeated Mahendravarman , a
Pallava king. However, Narsimhavarman , the son Inscription in Sanskrit and Kannada are the main
of Mahendravarman, later defeated and killed
source of information about Badami Chalukya
Pulakeshin II in 643 AD. He also plundered history.
Vatapi.
Political Development : Chalukyas and Pallavas
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