| Mahendravarman I | |
|---|---|
 Sculpture of Mahendravarman I with his queens atVaraha Cave Temple. | |
| Pallava King | |
| Reign | 590–630 |
| Predecessor | Simhavishnu |
| Successor | Narasimhavarman I |
| Issue | Narasimhavarman I |
| House | Pallava |
| Father | Simhavishnu |
| Religion | Jainism Shaivism |
| Pallava Monarchs (200s–800s CE) | |
|---|---|
| Virakurcha | (??–??) |
| Vishnugopa I | (??–??) |
| Vishnugopa II | (??–??) |
| Simhavarman III | (??–??) |
| Simhavishnu | 575–600 |
| Mahendravarman I | 600–630 |
| Narasimhavarman I | 630–668 |
| Mahendravarman II | 668–670 |
| Parameswaravarman I | 670–695 |
| Narasimhavarman II | 695–728 |
| Paramesvaravarman II | 728–731 |
| Nandivarman II | 731–795 |
| Dantivarman | 795–846 |
| Nandivarman III | 846–869 |
| Nriputungavarman | 869–880 |
| Aparajita Varman | 880–897 |
Mahendravarman I (reigned 590–630)[1][2] was aPallava emperor who ruled over realm covering the southern portions of present-dayAndhra region and northern regions of what forms present-dayTamil Nadu inIndia, in the early 7th century. He was a scholar, a painter, an architect and a musician. He was the son ofSimhavishnu, who defeated theKalabhras and re-established the Pallava kingdom.
During his reign, theChalukya monarchPulakeshin II attacked the Pallava realm. The Pallavas fought a series of wars in the northernVengi region, before Mahendra-varman decimated his chief enemies at Pullalur (according to Pallava grants at Kuram, Kasakudi and Tadantottam). Although Mahendra-varman saved his capital, he lost the northern provinces to Pulakeshin.[3] Tamil literature flourished under his rule, with the rise in popularity ofTevaram written byAppar andSambandhar. Mahendravarman I was the author of the playMattavilasa Prahasana which is aSanskrit satire. During his period "Bhagavadajjukam", another satire (prahasanam), was written byBodhayana. King Mahendravarman mentioned this on a stone inscription in Mamandur along with his ownMattavilasa Prahasanam.[4]
Mahendra-varman was succeeded to the throne by his more famous sonNarasimhavarman I in 630 CE.[1]who defeatedPulakeshin II ofChalukya dynasty and ransacked the Chalukyan capital city ofVatapi (also known asBadami).[5]
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Construction of these[clarification needed] started in the reign of Mahendravarma I.[6] Mahendravarman was a great patron of letters and architecture. He constructed theMahabalipuram Lighthouse and Kanchi University where Vedas, Buddhism, Jainism, Painting, Music & Dance were taught. He was the pioneer of the Rock-cut Architecture amongst the Pallavas.[7] The inscription at the rock-cutMandagapattu Tirumurti Temple hails him as Vichitrachitta and claims that the temple was built without wood, brick, mortar or metal. The five-celled cave temple atPallavaram was also built during his reign as was theKokarneswarar Temple, Thirukokarnam of Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu.[8] He made Kudimiya malai Inscription. His paintings are found inSittanavasal Cave (Tamil Nadu).
Fine examples of his rock-cut temples can be witnessed atMahabalipuram, (Satyagirinathar and Satyagirishwarar twin temples),Seeyamangalam (theAvanibhajana Pallaveswaram Siva temple) in North Arcot district and theupper rock-cut temple atTrichy. Apart from the Siva temples, Mahendravarma also excavated a few Vishnu cave temples, the Mahendravishnugrha atMahendravadi, andthe Ranganatha Temple at Singavaram in present-dayGingee (then North Arcot district).[9]
He was also the author of the playMattavilasa Prahasana, a farce concerningBuddhist andSaiva ascetics. He is also claimed to be the author of another play calledBhagavadajjuka,. This is evident by the inscriptions found atMamandur cave shrines (near Kanchipuram - this place is mentioned as Dusi Mamandur to avoid confusions with other places by the same name). However, there is an alternate view that attributes this play to Bodhayana.[10]
Mahendravarman was initially a patron ofJainism,[11] but he converted to theShaiva tradition under the influence of the Shaiva saintAppar.[12][13] According to Divyacharitam, a Sanskrit work on the life of Alvars that was written in 12th century, the image of Yatotkara Perumal (Vishnu), enshrined in Kanchipuram, was carried out of the city along with his devoteeTirumalisai Alvar, because the latter faced persecution and exile from the king, who had at least temporarily come under the influence ofJainism.[14][15]
Mahendravarman I is a prominent character inTamilhistorical fiction. The novelSivagamiyin Sapatham byKalki Krishnamurthy, talks about the first Vatapi invasion into the Pallava Kingdom, Mahendravarman's heroic deeds in the war, securing the Kanchi fort from the imminent invasion of the huge Vatapi army, his loss to the Vatapi Pulikesi, and eventual death. The inscriptions in Madangapattu mention him as a curious king who wanted to discard perishable materials like wood, brick, metal, or mortar for building temples. He was a pioneer in the use of rock-cut inscriptions. Literature also mentions that he built the famous Mahendratankta, the famous irrigation tank. He initiated most of the monuments inMahabalipuram, which, in modern times, are grouped asGroup of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.[12]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)Mahendravarman I | ||
| Preceded by | Pallava dynasty 600–630 | Succeeded by |
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