History of the Pallavas of Kanchi c11.s1.51

c11.s1.51

It was about the beginning of the seventh century that Pulakēśin II made himself Master of Vengi which till then was under the Pallavas, and established his brother Kubja-Vishnuvardhana as his viceroy. His descendants afterwards became independent making him founder of the Eastern Chālukya dynasty. It was in the course of his southern wars that Pulakēśin came into conflict with the Pallavas at Kāñchīpuram. The Aihole inscription ² which enumerates his exploits says of his encounter with the Pallavas that ‘he caused the splendour of the Lord of the Pallavas who had opposed the rise of his power to be obscured by the dust of his army and to vanish behind the walls of Kāñchīpuram.’ This important reference would suggest a defeat and retreat on the part of Mahēndravarman I before his Chālukyan adversary, but we learn however from the Kaśākkuḍi plates ³ that Mahēndravarman I gained a victory at Puḷḷalūr which has been identified by Dr. Hultzsch with Puḷḷalūr (Polilore in early British period of Indian history and now Pallūr) in the Conjeevaram taluk in the Chingleput District. This was the scene of two other battles between the English and the French in the British period. It is not stated who the enemies of the Pallavas in this victory were. But it is extremely likely that they were no other than the Chālukyas who in a later record described the Pallavas as their ‘natural enemies.’