The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c19.9

c19.9

There are some general descriptions of splendid cities and royal palaces in the earliest Tamil literature. Such details as are given indicate a close resemblance to the architecture of the north, and the employment of "skilled artisans from Magadha" in the construction of them is sometimes mentioned.² But the real architectural history of the south, or Tamil-speaking country, does not begin much before the seventh century, when the principal "Raths" at Mâmallapuram previously described were sculptured. This almost coincided with Hiuen Tsang's visit to Southern India (A.D. 640), where he stayed for a time at Conjeveram, then a large city and capital of the kingdom called Drâvida, which was ruled by kings of the Pallava dynasty who rose to power about the third century A.D., and for five or six centuries afterwards disputed with the three older dynasties for supreme rule in the south.