The Pallavas and the Chalukyas of Badami
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Two great southern dynasties that built the temples of Mahabalipuram, Aihole and Pattadakal, and the age of the Tamil bhakti saints.
c. 550–750 CE
How it was ruled
The Pallavas ruled from Kanchipuram; the Chalukyas ruled the Deccan from Vatapi (Badami). They fought for generations; the Pandyas ruled from Madurai.
How people lived
The Alvars and Nayanars sang devotional hymns in Tamil to Vishnu and Shiva, open to all castes and to women.
What people did
Farming with tanks and irrigation channels; temple-building gave work to architects, sculptors and craftsmen.
What people ate
Rice, millets, coconut, jaggery and dairy, much as in the south today.
Trade
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) was a busy port with links to South-East Asia.
Region by region
- Tamil Nadu: Kanchipuram and the rock-cut and structural temples of Mahabalipuram (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
- Karnataka: Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); Pulakeshin II's Aihole inscription (634 CE).
- Andhra Pradesh: The Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi ruled the coastal Andhra region from the 7th century.
Key events
- 634 CE: The Aihole inscription records Pulakeshin II's victories
- c. 642 CE: The Pallava king Narasimhavarman I captures Vatapi
- c. 700 CE: The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram built
Legacy
The Dravidian temple style and the bhakti hymns (Tevaram, Divya Prabandham) still sung today.