Neighboring contemporaries

This situation seems to have proved

oppressive, and eventually it caused a revolt led by the Kalabhras in the sixth

century. The revolt affected the Pallavas as well as their neighboring

contemporaries. The Kalabhras are called evil rulers who overthrew innumerable

kings and established their hold on the Tamil land.

They put an end to the brahmadeya rights

granted to the brahmanas in numerous villages, It seems that the Kalabhras held

Buddhist persuasions, for they patronized Buddhist monasteries It is

significant that the Kalabhras revolt could be put down only through the joint

efforts of the Pandyas, the Pallavas and * the Chalukyas of Badami, There is

also a tradition that the Kalabhras had imprisoned the Chola, the Pandya and

the Cheia kings.

All this shows that their revolt had

assumed wide proportions, and produced repercussions out ‘side the Tamil land

The confederacy of the kings against the*Kalabhras, who had revoked the land

grants made to the brahmanas, shows that the revolt was directed against the

existing social and political order in south India.

Conflict between the Pailavas and the Chalukyas

The mam interest in the political history

of peninsular India from the sixth to the eighth centuries centers round the

long struggle between the Pailavas of Kanchi and the Chalukyas of Badami for

supremacy. The Pandyas, who were in control of Madurai and Tinnevelly districts

of Tamil Nadu, joined this conflict as a poor third. Although both the Pailavas

and Chalukyas championed Brahmanism, performed Vedic sacrifices and made

grants’ to the brahmanas, the two quarreled with each other for plunder,

prestige and territorial resources.

Both tried to establish supremacy over the

land lying between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra. This doab formed the bone

of contention in late medieval times between the Vijayanagar and the Bahmani

kingdoms. Time and again the Pallava princes tried to cross the Tungabhadra,

which formed the natural historic boundary between many a kingdom of the Deccan

and the Deep South. The struggle continued for long with varying fortunes.

The first important events in this long

conflict took place in the reign of Pulakesin II (609 642), the most famous

Chalukya king. He is known to us from his eulogy written by the court poet

Ravikirti in the Aihole inscription. This inscription is an example of poetic

excellence reached in Sanskrit, and in spite of its exaggeration is a valuable

source for the biography of Pulakesin. He overthrew the Kadamba capital at

Banavasi and compelled the Gangas of Mysore to acknowledge his suzerainty. He

also defeated Harsha’s army on the Narmada and checked his advance towards the

Deccan.