The Deccan and Beyond

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 15: Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 15.4

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In the Deccan, the Chālukyas of Vātāpi (Badami) rose in the mid-6th century. Pulakeśhin II expanded the kingdom and, as the court poet Ravikīrti's inscription on a Jain temple at Aihole boasts, defeated Harṣha (though some of its claims are exaggerated). In the early 7th century, Harṣha ruled north of the Vindhyas and Pulakeśhin II south of them. Later the Eastern Chālukyas ruled from Vengi. Further south, the Pallavas of Kānchī peaked under Mahendravarman I and Narasimhavarman I ("Mamalla"), who defeated Pulakeśhin II. Their port Māmallapuram traded with Southeast Asia, and its rock-cut and monolithic temples are carved from single rocks.

The old Tamil kingdoms returned. The Pāṇḍyas ruled from Madurai and traded through the port of Korkai; the Cheras held the Kerala coast. In the 9th century Vijayalaya revived the Cholas at Tanjāvūr, and his son Aditya I overthrew the Pallavas. The Cholas built one of south India's largest empires, with efficient government, a strong navy, grand temples and bronzes like the dancing Naṭarāja, fed by the fertile Kāveri delta. Inscriptions of this time often used two languages: Sanskrit to praise the king and the local language for the actual details.

Explore: which southern dynasty?

1. Sort each clue.

Remember

• The Chālukyas of Badami and Pallavas of Kānchī were great rivals in the 7th century.
• The Pāṇḍyas, Cheras and especially the Cholas of Tanjāvūr shaped the far south.

Quick check

A monolithic temple is …

1. carved from a single rock
2. built of bricks
3. made of wood
4. floating on water

Think about it

Why would a land grant praise the king in Sanskrit but give the details in the local language?

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.