History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c15.s2.4

v1.c15.s2.4

Sinhavishṇu was the first great sovereign among the later Pallavas. He conquered, besides the Cholas etc, even Ceylon. His son was Mahendravarman I who was defeated by Pulakeśin II the great rival of Harsha. When Hiuen Tsang visited Kāñchī, his son Narasinhavarman was on the throne; he was apparently subject to Pulakeśin II. But this Narasinhavarman I eventually defeated Pulakeśin II in 642 and his capital Vātāpi was taken and plundered by him. The latter's son Vikramāditya I thereafter revived the glory of the Chālukyas and took revenge by seizing Kāñchī in return. The date of this conquest of Parmeśvaravarman I by Vikramāditya I is fixed by a grant of the latter (Gadval plates, Ep. Ind. X p. 101) in 674 A. D. (Dubreuil p. 42). A grant of Vikramāditya's son Vinayāditya dated 613 Śaka or 691 A. D. (Ind. Ant. Vol. VI p. 89) contains some interesting information. The epithet हिमकरकरविमल कुलपरिभविलयहेतुपल्लवपतिपराजयानन्तरगृहीतकाञ्चिपुरस्य (विक्रमादित्यस्य) is somewhat obscure. This has been translated by Dr. Fleet as follows "who seized the city of Kāñchī after the defeat of the leader of Pallavas, who had been the cause of the humiliation of the family as pure as the rays of the moon." Now the real difficulty is in the word विलय; the पल्लवपति is described not as परिभवहेतु but परिभविलयहेतु, विलय being omitted or left unnoticed by Fleet. But the expression is indeed obscure. The Chālukya family is here supposed to be of the lunar race as later records represent it, but this point is also doubtful. However the main fact is apparent viz. that the Pallavas being defeated their city was entered. Another important epithet applied to Vikramāditya in this grant is त्रिसमुद्रमध्यवर्तिमण्डलाधीश्वरस्य which shows that he was the overlord of all the chiefs who ruled within three oceans. And thirdly the word त्रैराज्यपल्लवबलमवष्टभ्य shows the Pallavas had three kingdoms much in the same way as the Chālukyas had three Mahārāshtas (viz. Vidarbha, Mahārāshtra proper and Kuntala or southern Maratha country). And the three kingdoms of the Pallavas were probably Vengi, Kānchī and Palakkada; but Vengi had already been lost and taken by the Eastern Chālukyas. Perhaps the traditional epithet Trairājya Pallava still remained.