Ancient History (South India) Siva Prasad
Topics Covered . Satavahanas Rashtrakutas Pallavas . Kalachuris of Kalyana Cholas . Gangas of Talakad . Kadambas of Banavasi . Vakatakas . Chalukyas of Badami Hoysalas . Chalukyas of Kalyana . Kakatiyas . Yadavas of Devagiri . Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi
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The Satavahanas The Satavahanas were the feudatories of the Mauryans, and with the decline of the Mauryans, declared themselves independent and must be credited as the first independent rulers of the South. Their capital was at Paithan in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra and they ruled over large tracts of Karnataka. . Simukha was the founder of Satavahanas. Hala and Gautamiputra Satakarni were their most well known rulers.
The Satavahanas The Satavahanas brought the South into a single political organisation and divided the Kingdom into janapada, Vishya and Seeme. . They seem to have started the systemof land-grants to guilds, Buddhists and Brahmins . Hala their King was a good writer and wrote the Gathasapatha Sati. Gundadhya wrote Brihakatha (about their rulers). Both were in Prakrit. . Sarvaverma's Katantra was a well known book on Sanskrit grammar. The Amaravati Stupa (Andhra Pradesh) and Karle cave hall or Chaitya in Maharashtra are their well known (Plus Nasik cave temples) works of architecture.
The Satavahanas . The famed Ajanta and Ellora cave paintings began during their rule. The Satavahanas brought vast areas in Godavari and Krishna basins under paddy cultivation They also introduced the system of land grants to Brahmins and feudatories.
Pallavas The Pallavas suppressed the Kalabrahas and replaced lkshavukus and came to power based at Kanchi. . The Pallavas throughout their rule fought the Kadambas, Chalukyas, Pandyas and Cholas. Simhavishnu was the founder of Pallavas. . The Cholas put an end to Pallava Rule.
Pallavas . The Pallavas were Shaivites and patronized Brahmical Hinduism. They were patrons of Sanskrit literature. Dandin was the court poet of Narasimhaverman and wrote Dasakumaracharitam and Kavya Darsha Mahendraverman himself wrote Mattavaliasaprahasana, a satirical work The Pallavas were great builders. . Their Rath temples at Mammalapuram or Mahabalipuram and the shore temple there and the famous Kailasanatha temple at Kanchi may be regarded as the first major Dravidan temples.
Cholas The Tamil power reached its peack during the rule of Cholas. Vijayala was the founder of later Cholas. They ruled from Thanjavore their most famous rulers were: (1) Rajaraja I who overran almost every adversary including Ceylon. He built the famous Siva temple at Tanjore (2) Rajendra I another ruler built a second capital at Gangaikonda cholapuram (3) Rajadhiraja Il was another great ruler who lost his life in the Kuppam battle against Western Chalukyas of Badami. (4) Kulottunga I (1070-1122) introduced land reforms. The Chola power declined towards the end of 12th century and were replaced by Pandyans of Madurai
Cholas . Cholas dug many irrigation tanks in the Cauvery delta region. The Cholas will be remembered for their village administration. Three types of village assemblies are recorded-sabha (for Brahmin Villages), Ur (for the common people) and nagaram (for towns people) . The Uttarameru inscription of Parantaka mentions in detail the village administration of Cholas . The Sabha used to administer through Committees (Variyams).
Gangas of Talakad Capitals:- Kolahala or Kolar, Talakadu and Makunda . The Gangas ruled large parts of Karnataka specially the old Mysore region. The area under the Gangas was referred to as Gangawadi or Ganganadu. . They initially made Kolar as their capital but later shifted to Talakadu (on Cauvery Bank) which remained their administrative headquarters and lastly to Makunda, near Chenapatna. . The elephant stood as their emblem
Gangas of Talakad .The Ganga period witnessed the emergence of the construction of free standing pillars of two types: . () Manasasthamba with Jain figures facing four directions at the top . (ii) Brahmadevasthamba with carvings of flowers etc., The Gangas also built Jain Basadis, temples at Talakadu (Pataleswara, and the Kapileswara temple at Manne).
Gangas of Talakad Dhanjaya wrote Raghavapanavijaya and Vidhibasimha wrote Gadya- chintamani. They were benevolent rulers and had Heggades as officers & were perhaps the first to install an administrative system in the old Mysore region.