PALLAVA SOCIETY

PALLAVA SOCIETY


The Pallavas political history covering four centuries is tortous and

complex but their contribution to society is singnificant in two ways -

comletion of Aryanisation of southern India, and consmation of

traditional or indigenous art.

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The Aryanisation of south India as completed during the period of the

Pallavas. Their grants show that the Aryan structure of society has

gained frim hold on the south by the sixth century. Grants to brahmins

are specifically mentioned which show that the north Indian Dharma

Sastras had acquired authority in the Pallava kingdom. Sanskrit had

established its sway. The university of Kanchi played to doubt a great

part in India, and we know from Hiuen-Tsang that it was the greatest

center of education in the south. Vatsyayana, the logician, the author

of Nyaya Bhashya who lived in the fourth century. A.D, seems tohave

been Pandit of Kanchi. Denage the famous Buddhist dialectian is also

said to have had his training in the souther capital. In the fifth century

we have epigraphic record of Nayurrasarman of the Kadamba family

going for higher studies to Kanchi. In fact it can ligtimately be calimed

that Kanchi of the Paalvas was the great center from which the

Sanksritisation of the south as well as the Indian colonies in the fareast

proceeded.

Pallavas were orthdox Hindus and they patronized the great

reformation of the medival ages. Most of the kings ere brahminical

Hindus devoted to the worship of Shiva. Mahendravarman was the

first, who about the middle of his reign, adopted the worship of Siva

and he was influenced by the famous saints of the age. He showed

reverence to other Hindu gods also. But, he was intolerant of Jainism

and destroyed some Jain monastries. Some Vaishnava and Saiva

saints lived during his time. In general, the Pallavas were tolerant to

other sects. Buddhism and Jainism lost their appeal. Indeed Hiuen-

Tsang saw at Kanchi one hundred Buddhist monastries and 10,000

priests belonging to the Mahayana school but this has to be taken with

a pinch of salt.

In general, the vedic tradition was super imposed on the local

traditions, As brahmins were custodians of Vedic tradition, they

automaticalldy enjoyed privillages. The Vedic tradition, a little later,

received stimulus because of Sankarcharya. The Temples were the

focal points. The out-castes were not permitted to enter the precincts

of the temple.

Even then, Tamil saints of the 6th and 7th centuries, who were the

progenitors of the bhakti movement, mostly belonged to the lower

castes. The hymns and sermonsof the nayanaras (Shaivism) and the

slvars (vaishnavism) continued the tradition. Amongst the Shaiva

saints the important were Appar (supposed to have converted

Mahendravarman) Sambandar, Manikkawasagar, and Sundarar. The

most ………………………….. about them was the presence of women,

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Saints, such as Andal. This Bhakti cult was derived from the ideas in

the Upanishads and also from the heterodox doctrines. Dr. Thapar

opines that the concepts of comapassonate God was a resultant of the

impact of Buddhist ideas particularly the bodhisttava concept, although

the chirstians in malabar might have provided a new perception of

religion. What the bhakti movement contributed was great. The

religious hymns and music as popularized by Tamil saints were sung

during temple rituals. Dancing was also included. From the Pallavi

period onwards dancers were maintained by all the prosperous

temples.

Regarding education, in the early days, education was imparted by

Jains and Buddhists. The Jaina institutions were located at Madurai and

Kanchi. Soon brahminical institutions superseded them. Ghatkias or

Hindu colleges were attached to the temples. They were primarily

Brahmin institutions are mostly confined themselves to advanced

studies. And in the 8th century the maths also became popular, which

was an ominous institutions because of its being a rest-house, a

feeding center and an education center. In all these colleges Sanskrit

was the medium of instruction which was also the official language.

Kanchi, the capital, was a great cencentre of Sanskrit learning. The

scientific works of Varahmihira and the poetry of Kalidasa and Bhairvi

were-known in the Pallava country. And Parameshvaravarman I

granted the Kurran copper-plate that was made for the recitation of

the Mahabharata in a mandapa at the village of Kurram, near

Conjeevaram.

By the beginning of the 7th century the Pallavas of Kanchi, the

Chalukyas of Badami and the Pandyas of Madurai emerged as the

three major states. By the time the political rule of these dynasties

came to an end, an event known as the revolt of the Kalabharas took

place. The Pallavas, the Kadambas (North Canara in Karnataka) and

the Chalukyas of Badami along with along with a large number of their

contemporaries were the protage of vedic sacrifices. Logically, the

brahmins emerged as an important segment of society but at the

expense of the peasantry. Possibly, this predominance was oppressive

leading to the revoltof the kalabhars in the 6th century. A.D. It is also

said that they overthrew in numberable kings and established their old

inTamilnadu. They ended the Brahmadeva rights earlier granted to

brahmins in numerous villages. It is also said that the Kalabhras

patronized Buddhism. In the end, the revolt of the kalabhras could be

ended only by the Joint efforts of the Pandays, the Pallavas and the

Chalukays.

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