8th Standard, Social, History, CHAPTER 19
THE CHALUKYAS OF BADAMI AND THE PALLAVAS OF KANCHI
EXERCISES
I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
1. The Pallava king who was defeated by Pulakeshi is Mahendravarma.
2. The army of Chalukyas of Badami was called as Karanatabala.
3. The writer of the Sanskrit drama ‘Hara Parvatiya’ is Shivabhattaraka.
4. The Pallava king who earned the title ‘Vatapikonda’ is Narasimhavarma I.
5. The painting ‘The Meditation of Arjuna’ is at Mahabalipuram.
II Answer the following questions in brief:
6. How did Pulakeshi II extend his empire?
Answer: Pulakeshi II. Overpowering the Gangas, Kadambas and Alupas, he extended his empire. The Pallavas were at the peak of glory in South Deccan. Since Mahendravarma did not accept the sovereignty of Pulakeshi, Pulakeshi defeated him. When Harshavardhana, who was ruling in North India, he advanced upto the banks of river Narmada, Pulakeshi stopped him and earned the titles of ‘Dakshinapatheshwara’ and ‘Lord of the Peninsula’ for his daring act.
7. Describe the administrative system of the Badami Chalukyas.
Answer: They ruled around 200 years. The king was actively involved in administration. The kingdom was divided into districts called vishaya and the vishayadhipati used to look after it. The village was the smallest unit of the administration. The village leaders looked after the village accounts and administration. The Chalukyas encouraged all traditions and sects like that of the Shaivas, Vaishnavas and the Jains. They supported the construction of Jain temples and Buddhist viharas too.
8. The Chalukyas were lovers of literature. Explain with examples.
Answer: The Chalukyas of Badami patronized literature. Kannada and Sanskrit developed very well. Kannada was their state language. During this period, the tripadi form of poetry came into existence. Though there are no literary works produced in Kannada at this time, there are many inscriptions written in Kannada. One of the poems in the inscription of Kappe Arabhatta of Badami is in tripadi form.
9. How did the Pallavas encourage Sanskrit and Tamil?
Answer: The Pallavas encouraged both Sanskrit and Tamil. Kanchi was the center of Sanskrit literature. Bharavi (the author of Kiratarjuniya) and Dandi (the author of Dashakumar Charita) were the poets in the Pallava court. King Mahendravarma himself wrote a social drama, ‘Matta Vilasa Prahasana’ and a book Bhagavadajjukam.
10. Explain the contributions of Pallavas to art and architecture
Answer: The Pallavas were lovers of art and architecture. They built many temples in their kingdom, which are noteworthy for their artistic skill. Many temples carved in rocks can be seen in Mahabalipuram. Wonderful monolithic sculptures have been carved in these temples. They tell the stories from Mahabharata and Bhagavata. The Pancharathas are the famous monolithic temples. The carving of ‘Arjuna’s Meditation’ has emerged as an excellent work of art. The temples of Kailasanath, Ekambarnath and Vaikunta Perumal at Kanchi, and the coastal temple at Mahabalipuram are excellent examples of ancient Indian architecture.
Additional Questions and Answers:
1 . What is ‘Chalukyas of Vengi’?
Answer: Pulakeshi II could not rule the whole of his kingdom from one centre. He appointed his younger brother, Kubja Vishnuvardhana, as the provincial head of Vengi province. Vengi region is in a modern Andhra Pradesh. Kubja Vishnuvardhana, who was appointed as governor by his brother, the Western Chalukya King Pulakeshi II. The capital was initially Vengi (near Eluru) and later moved to Rajahmundry. Later on, Chalukyas ruled the kingdom for around five centuries under the name ‘Chalukyas of Vengi’.
2. Who visited to Chalukya Capital when the ruling of Pulakeshi II? How he described the rule of Pulakeshi II?
Answer: Hiuen Tsang visited the Chalukya capital. He has given a detailed description of Pulikeshi II and the Chalukya kingdom. He said that the king was just and kind. The army was disciplined and the soldiers were courageous warriors who were not afraid of death. The subjects were lovers of truth, contented, self-respecting, prosperous and loyal to the king. They respected the king very much, and the king loved his subjects.
3. What are the contributions of the Badami Chalukyas to the Kannada land and culture?
Answer: The Chalukyas developed the Kannada land, language and culture, and protected its religion, literature, art and architecture. Their army was famous as ‘Karanatabala’ The reign of the Badami Chalukyas is a great and glorious period in the history of Karnataka. This age is noteworthy not only for its military exploits but also for its art and literature. The Chalukyas of Badami patronized literature. Kannada and Sanskrit developed very well. Kannada was their state language.
4. What are the contributions of Chalukyas of Badami to art and architecture?
Answer: The Chalukyas of Badami were great builders as well as art-lovers. They built beautiful temples at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakallu. They developed a special style or ‘Vesara style’ of sculpture called ‘The Chalukya Style’ in Indian architecture. They built cave-temples in the rocks of Badami. They encouraged many artists and sculptors. The best temples in the Chalukya style are in Aihole and Pattadkallu. Aihole was one of the cradles of temple architecture. Evolution of the series of temples architecture was first experimented here. This style found its full experssion at Pattadakallu. Thus we see the famous temples of Lokeshwara (Virupaksha) and Trilokeshwara (Mallikarjuna) here. We get conclusive proof of the Chalukyas’ artistic achievement in the towering sculptures of Vishnu, Varaha, Harihara and Ardhanarishwara in the caves of Badami. Even painting received encouragement.
5. Describe the administration system of Pallavas of Kanchi.
Answer: They introduced systematic administration in Tamil Nadu. Their contributions are significant in literature, religion, art, architecture and education. When the Chalukyas reigned in Vatapi and the Pallavas in Kanchi, it was a heroic age in the South. Their kingdom was strong and organized. There were ministers and provincial officers. The kingdom had been divided into mandala, nadu and grama. The gramasabha dealt with the problems of the village. The gramabhojaka looked after the village administration.
III. Activities:
- Discuss in groups the contributions of the Badami Chalukyas to Kannada language.
2. Learn about tripadisfrom your Kannada teachers and by reading Kannada books.
3. Pay a visit to Kanchipura and Mahabalipuram.
IV. Projects:
1. Pay a visit to a place of historical importance and collect information about it.
2. Draw pictures and make an album of important temples of Badami, Aihole and Pattadakalu.
