Narasimhavarman II
Encyclopedia
Narasimhavarman II or Rajasimha was a Pallava
king who ruled in South India
during the 6th century. Succeeding his father Paramesvaravarman I
in the year 700 CE, he ruled for nearly 3 decades, until he was succeeded by his son Paramesvaravarman II
in 728 CE.
kings before him, was a great militarist. That the Pallavas were recognized as a major power during his period is testified by the fact that he exchanged ambassadors with China
. Some inscriptions credit him of "offering to certain rulers assistance in their war against Arabs". In general his period was relatively free from major wars and Pallava domination of south east Asia continued.
and Tamil
. Most of these are missing. His Sanskrit plays had themes from Ramayana, Mahabharatha and puranas. Kutiyattam, which is presently considered as the most ancient available form of Sanskrit dance drama and still in vogue in Kerala
, uses some of his plays (like kailasodharanam) for subject matter. another play called "kamsavadham" dealing with lord krishna's killing of kamsa also was written by the king.
The Sanskrit
litterateur Dandin
spent several years in his court and was patronized by the king, but we do not know about his standing as the inscriptions denote considerable level of erudition . Rajasimha himself was a great devotee who was credited for having mastered the great agamic worship rituals" like preceptor drona".
For all his accomplishments, Rajasimha is mainly remembered as a foremost devotee of lord sivan and a relentless,truthful, diehard warrior king who made sure that pallava armies remained dominant in the subcontinent. Lord sivan is famously known to have appeared in the king's dream and ordered him to adjourn his coronation because he wanted to first bless an impoverished saint poosalar.This event is very well described in most pallava grants of Rajasimha as well as the ones after him.
and constructed the Kailasanathar Temple at Kanchipuram
. Rajasimha is one among the pantheon of 63 Saivite Nayanmar saints as Kazharsimha( meaning "one who is lion to crowd of evil kings") Nayanar and also contemporary to many nayanmar saints like sundarar, dandi, poosalar and his great queen Rangapataka who was known to be a pious queen. Rajasimha is greatly admired for valor. He took many titles like "ranajaya", "sivachudamani" etc.
He is further credited with the construction of the Buddhist Vihara
at Nagapattinam
.
Rajasimha's reign was marked by peace and prosperity, and he constructed several beautiful temples. Apart from the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram, Rajasimha also built several other temples, including the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple at Kanchi, Shore Temple
at Mahabalipuram. He is also credited with building the Airavatesvara temple at Kanchipuram and the Talagirisvara temple at Panamalai.
succeeded to the throne in 728 CE.
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
king who ruled in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
during the 6th century. Succeeding his father Paramesvaravarman I
Paramesvaravarman I
Parameswaravarman I was a Pallava emperor who ruled in South India in the latter half of the seventh century.He ascended to the throne after the death of his father Mahendravarman II in 670 CE. His grandfather Narasimhavarman I had already made the Pallava empire the most powerful force in the...
in the year 700 CE, he ruled for nearly 3 decades, until he was succeeded by his son Paramesvaravarman II
Paramesvaravarman II
Paramesvaravarman II was a Pallava king who ruled from 728 to 731. He was killed by the Chalukya king Vikramaditya II.- Reign :Paramesvaravarman succeeded his father Narasimhavarman II in 728 and ruled till 731. During his reign, Kanchi was invaded by the Chalukyas and Paramesvaravarman had to...
in 728 CE.
Ascension to the throne
By the time Rajasimha ascended the throne, the Pallavas were by the large most powerful military force in the subcontinent. His father Parameswaravarman I was among the greatest of warrior kings of ancient India, the Amaravati Pallava inscription praises him of being:'" As vigorous and strong as lord sambhu (siva).". Parameswaravarman I had subdued all his formidable enemies to extend the Pallava empire far and away. Rajasimha followed up very well.The Vayalur inscription of Pallavas issued on the eve of the coronation of Rajasimha (695.C.E-728.C.E), gives a lineage of 54 rulers through the epochs of Kritam, Dwaparam and Kali up to emperor Rajasimha, this includes 47 kings after Aswattaman, the great warrior ancestor of the Pallavas.The reign
Rajasimha, like of most of PallavaPallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
kings before him, was a great militarist. That the Pallavas were recognized as a major power during his period is testified by the fact that he exchanged ambassadors with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Some inscriptions credit him of "offering to certain rulers assistance in their war against Arabs". In general his period was relatively free from major wars and Pallava domination of south east Asia continued.
Contribution to Literature
Rajasimha was a skilled dramatist and poet. He wrote many works in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. Most of these are missing. His Sanskrit plays had themes from Ramayana, Mahabharatha and puranas. Kutiyattam, which is presently considered as the most ancient available form of Sanskrit dance drama and still in vogue in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, uses some of his plays (like kailasodharanam) for subject matter. another play called "kamsavadham" dealing with lord krishna's killing of kamsa also was written by the king.
The Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
litterateur Dandin
Dandi (poet)
Daṇḍin is a 6th-7th century Sanskrit author of prose romances and expounder on poetics. Although he produced literature on his own, most notably the Daśakumāracarita, first translated in 1927 as Hindoo Tales, or The Adventures of the Ten Princes, he is best known for composing the Kāvyādarśa , the...
spent several years in his court and was patronized by the king, but we do not know about his standing as the inscriptions denote considerable level of erudition . Rajasimha himself was a great devotee who was credited for having mastered the great agamic worship rituals" like preceptor drona".
For all his accomplishments, Rajasimha is mainly remembered as a foremost devotee of lord sivan and a relentless,truthful, diehard warrior king who made sure that pallava armies remained dominant in the subcontinent. Lord sivan is famously known to have appeared in the king's dream and ordered him to adjourn his coronation because he wanted to first bless an impoverished saint poosalar.This event is very well described in most pallava grants of Rajasimha as well as the ones after him.
Religious endowments
Rajasimha was a great devotee of SivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and constructed the Kailasanathar Temple at Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
. Rajasimha is one among the pantheon of 63 Saivite Nayanmar saints as Kazharsimha( meaning "one who is lion to crowd of evil kings") Nayanar and also contemporary to many nayanmar saints like sundarar, dandi, poosalar and his great queen Rangapataka who was known to be a pious queen. Rajasimha is greatly admired for valor. He took many titles like "ranajaya", "sivachudamani" etc.
He is further credited with the construction of the Buddhist Vihara
Chudamani Vihara
Chudamani Vihara was a Buddhist vihara in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India. Chudamani Vihara was constructed in 1006 CE by the Srivijayan king Sri Vijaya Soolamanivarman with the patronage of Rajaraja Chola. The vihara building survived in dilapidated condition till 1867, when Jesuit missionaries...
at Nagapattinam
Nagapattinam
Nagapattinam is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. It is a prominent seaport on the east coast of India and an important centre of trade and commerce.The town of Nagapattinam dates back to the Sangam period...
.
Patronage of Architecture
Shore Temple
The Shore Temple is so named because it overlooks the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. It was built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mahabalipuram, a village south of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu,...
at Mahabalipuram. He is also credited with building the Airavatesvara temple at Kanchipuram and the Talagirisvara temple at Panamalai.
Successor
Rajasimha's had two sons - Mahendravarman and Paramesvaravarman II. However, Mahendravarman III predeceased his father, and Paramesvaravarman IIParamesvaravarman II
Paramesvaravarman II was a Pallava king who ruled from 728 to 731. He was killed by the Chalukya king Vikramaditya II.- Reign :Paramesvaravarman succeeded his father Narasimhavarman II in 728 and ruled till 731. During his reign, Kanchi was invaded by the Chalukyas and Paramesvaravarman had to...
succeeded to the throne in 728 CE.