Month: January 2013

Rahul Gandhi’s tragic disconnect with reality

Scene 1: Sunday January 20th, Jaipur, Congress Chintan Shivir

“Ek taraf hum desh mein shanti banane ki koshish kar rahe hai, minorities per jo har waqt injustices hote hai woh bhi dekha jaaraha hai… lekin abhi beechmein humare paas yeh report aagaya hai, investigation mein, ke Bharatiya Janata Party ho, ya RSS ke ho, unke jo training camps hai, woh Hindu terrorsim badhane ka kaam dekh rahe hai”

[On the one hand we (Congress led-UPA Government at the Centre) are trying to maintain peace in the country, we are also looking into matters of injustice towards minority communities that occur all the time. But now, meanwhile, we have received reports through investigations that both BJP (India’s main Opposition party) and RSS (world’s largest voluntary organisation) are running training camps aimed at increasing Hindu terrorism (sic)… ] — India’s Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, addressing some 1,200 odd Congress party delegates in Jaipur.

This speech was beamed live to the world by assorted news channels present in Jaipur. The Indian Home Minister had just accused India’s democratic opposition party of being a terrorist outfit. By one stroke of genius, the Indian security establishment had told the world at large that Islamic terrorism was probably just a mirage and that the world should be more worried about Hindus who are committing all the terror activities on Indian soil (and probably elsewhere).

Let us try and understand the gravity of the situation. Imagine, if Theresa May, the British Home Secretary were to announce that the Labour Party was running terror camps and it was a terrorist organisation. Or, try and imagine if Thomas E Donilon, National Security Advisor to US President Barack Obama, were to announce to the world that the Republican Party was a terrorist organisation. There would be absolute outrage across the world. Such accusations without substantial proof would be considered an affront to the very basic principles of democracy.

What happened after the Indian Home Minister’s outrageous assertions? The world at large hardly took notice, except for Pakistan, which was jumping with joy. In India there were some murmurs about ‘the choice of words’ employed by the HM, but aside from that the editorial class and the intellectual brigade actually tended to agree that BJP was a terror outfit! The next day, the Congress actually reasserted that both BJP and RSS were Hindu terrorist organisations.

What does this tell us? It tells us how lax we are about our security, how the world will never again take us seriously and how all the human suffering due to genuine Islamist terrorism for so many decades now stands whitewashed. The next time there is a 26/11 type attack on Indian soil, the world will not listen to our protestations about cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and would instead tell us to arrest BJP/RSS activists!

Yes, Hafiz Saeed congratulated the Indian Home Minister! His stand, that he was innocent all along and it was RSS/BJP who were responsible for all the terrorism on Indian soil stands vindicated today by the OFFICIAL position of the Indian Government.

Scene 2: Monday January 21, Prayag, on the banks of Sangam

A congregation of some 3000 odd Sadhus has reached the banks of Sangam very early in the morning for the holy dip. In this group are Sadhus belonging to Shirshasanis, who even sleep in a standing position by resting their heads on a vertical pole. While meditating, they stand on their heads. This is a very unique path to Nirvana and it has been practised for many centuries now. As per their belief, they can never let their entire vertical bodies to touch mother Earth. But this year they are facing a great difficulty in the Kumbh Mela.

As the Sadhus enter the Sangam, they find themselves standing in less than knee-deep water. It is customary to take a full-body dip in the water to complete the shahi snan. It is very difficult to take a full dip in these low water levels even in a squatting position. Therefore, many a times these days, the sadhus lie down on the riverbed to complete the parikrama, which goes against the ethos of Shirshasanis. The water in Sangam is also quite dirty and does not flow as freely as it did in the past — it is mostly stagnant water.

Uttar Pradesh Government is only releasing 2,500 cusecs of water into the Sangam during the festival. Tirth Maryada Rakhsa Samiti (TMRS) has been agitating for many days now against this decision of the UP Government. TMRS is agitating not only in Allahabad and Lucknow but also in Haridwar, requesting the Governments of UP and Uttarakhand to release more water into the Ganga for the Kumbh Mela. Members of TMRS have requested audience with the Chief Secretary of UP, Javed Usmani, but he has refused to meet them.

This year in Prayag, more than 100 million people are expected to take a holy dip in the Sangam. How will a paltry 2,500 cusecs be able to meet the demands of such a mass of humanity? Is the demand for more water by Hindu pilgrims an unjust one? It is not as if the Maha Kumbh is an annual event like a Haj (which, by the way, still gets Government subsidies), it is not even a quadrennial event like an Olympic or a Cricket World Cup. A Maha Kumbh is the largest human gathering in the world that only occurs once in 12 years.

Scene 3: January 18, Additional District and Sessions Court, Deeg, Bharatpur (about 100 miles from Congress Chintan Shivir):

Ashok Kumar Jain, the additional District and Sessions Court judge of Deeg, Bharatpur, declares Jalis Khan, the chief of Bharatpur’s Kaman Panchayat Samiti, as an absconder in the much publicised abduction and gang rape case of 2010. Khan happens to be the husband of Congress MLA Zahida Khan, who, as luck would have it, is also the general secretary of All India Mahila Congress, the apex body of female congress members in India.

This court decision ought to have been an important news item for an India that is still reeling under the impact of the Delhi gang rape and brutal murder of a 23-year-old woman. News media in India has been relentlessly highlighting, for many days non-stop, rape cases and societal reactions to rapes. Everybody from the Sarsanghchalak of RSS, Mohan Bhagwat, to spiritual guru Asaram Bapu has been targeted by the media for their insensitivity. In such a scenario, this gang rape by the husband of Congress party’s women’s wing’s general secretary could potentially be the biggest breaking news in 24/7 India.

To make matters even more convenient, there was a Congress Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session) happening just some 100 miles away from Bharatpur, the scene of the crime and the court judgement. A large posse of media personalities, journalists, news editors, reporters, cameramen and news anchors are all camped nearby in order to cover the Congress brainstorming session and report the news back to India. All these media personalities might very well have started salivating at this news of a gang rape verdict in a court just 100 miles from where they are currently located. This could produce compelling news packages and also get great TRPs. It could also potentially overshadow the Congress Chintan Shivir.

Over the next 5 days — including the 3 days of Congress Chintan Shivir — till today, there has been not a single mention on the gang rape case of Bharatpur in the media. Not one panel discussion, not one ‘nation-wants-answers’ debate, not one high-moral lecture by news anchors, not one editorial page outrage about a political rape and not even a single condemnation tweet. There is almost total secular silence on the entire matter, as if all of this had happened somewhere in Siberia. The same media which was outraging against mere statements, terming them insensitive, has maintained total silence on this actual act of debauchery!

In these 5 days, the braveheart of Delhi died all over again, each time with the same pain, the same agony and with the same questioning eyes asking: “Why this deathly silence?”

India unwired and disconnected

Sunday is a day when most news anchors in India are generally on a holiday (a rule that was not broken even after Delhi went berserk last month after the gang rape). It was on this day that Rahul Gandhi made his speech to the gathering at the Chintan Shivir. Every news anchor and journalist worth his salt cancelled their Sunday holiday and had hours of TV discussions/debates about the ‘momentous speech’ by the young prince.

Every nuance was appreciated, every teardrop was analysed. One could possibly even hear a sigh from certain news anchors. It was hailed as ‘India’s Obama moment’. Later, unconfirmed reports suggested that many journalists were actually crying when Rahul delivered his speech.

Lutyens’ Dilli, which did not shed a tear for all those homeless people dying in the Delhi winter, nor for the rape victim of Jalis Khan, was in tears listening to the dynastic sob story of power politics. This is the disconnect that India has been cursed with by an overarching secularist construct.

A molested policewoman writes an angst-ridden poem and there is condemnation across the nation for it might ‘hurt the sentiments’ of the rioters of Azad maidan. Two Armymen are killed and their bodies are mutilated by India’s mortal enemy and Indian journalists justify it by accusing our own Army of engaging in even worse behaviour. Our Home Minister proclaims to the world that Hindus are terrorists and that Muslims and minorities are suffering gross injustices in India. One must seriously wonder which India these media persons and Congress leaders are talking about. The one that we all live in?

Meanwhile, at the Sangam, the sadhus and pilgrims are still struggling to take a holy dip in knee-deep water in the cold winter mornings. if faith can move mountains, then it can possibly alter India’s Karmic cycle as well.

Tailpiece

“My father was a brave man,” says Rahul Gandhi with feeling, “The hospital was dark, it was green and very dirty… as we entered, people were shouting, they were very angry. It was the first time in my life that I saw my father cry,” avers the young scion of India to his audience, explaining the scene of his grandmother’s death. Rahul then goes on to describe how his father (the then Prime Minister elect) went on to address the nation on TV/Radio despite his emotional loss. He is trying to educate congressmen about ‘hope’, using his own personal tragedy as an analogy.

Just a few hundred metres away from the scene that Rahul Gandhi so evocatively describes (as a dirty green hospital), men and women were being butchered in broad daylight. Hundreds of young Sikh boys were witnessing the beheading of their fathers and the gang raping of their mothers. Their India was as disconnected then, as it is now. In those dark days when India lost all its hope, Rahul Gandhi discovered hope. That hope, built on the dead bodies of thousands of Sikhs, has come back to haunt India in 2013

-NitiCentral

#PaidMedia #shame #dynasticPoliticd #MinorityAppeasement

History of South India – Part 8: The Kadamba Dynasty

Kadamba Dynasty, Kadambas of Banavasi (Kannada: ಕದಂಬರು) (345 – 525 CE) was an ancient royal family of Karnataka, India that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present day Uttara Kannada district. At the peak of their power under King Kakushtavarma, Kadambas of Banavasi they ruled large parts of Karnataka state. The dynasty was founded by Mayurasharman in 345 CE which at times showed the potential of developing into imperial proportions, an indication to which is provided by the titles and epithets assumed by its rulers. King Mayurasharman defeated the armies of Pallavas of Kanchi possibly with help of some native tribes. The Kadamba fame reached its peak during the rule of Kakusthavarma, a powerful ruler with whom even the kings of Gupta Dynasty of northern India cultivated marital alliances. Tiring of the endless battles and bloodshed, one of the later descendants, King Shivakoti adopted Jainism. The Kadambas were contemporaries of the Western Ganga Dynasty and together they formed the earliest native kingdoms to rule the land with absolute autonomy. The dynasty later continued to rule as a feudatory of larger Kannada empires, the Chalukya and the Rashtrakuta empires for over five hundred years during which time they branched into Goa and Hanagal.

During the pre-Kadamba era the ruling families that controlled Karnataka, the Mauryas, Satavahanas and Chutus were not natives of the region and the nucleus of power resided outside present day Karnataka. The Kadambas were the first indigenous dynasty to use Kannada, the language of the soil at an administrative level. In the history of Karnataka, this era serves as a broad based historical starting point in the study of the development of region as an enduring geo-political entity and Kannada as an important regional language.

There is no shortage of myths about the origin of the Kadambas. According to one account the dynasty was founded by one Trilochana Kadamba also known from the Halsi and Degamve records as Jayanta who had three eyes and four arms. He was born out of the sweat of Shiva, which had fallen under a Kadamba tree and hence his name Kadamba. According to another myth, Mayurasharma himself was born to Lord Shiva and mother earth and had three eyes.  According to Grama Paddhati, a Kannada work dealing with the history of the Tulu Brahmanas, Mayurasharma was born to Lord Shiva and goddess Parvathi under a Kadamba tree in the Sahyadri mountains and hence the name Kadamba. An inscription of the Nagarakhanda Kadambas, a later descendent dynasty, gives a legendary account and traces their lineage back to the Nandas. According to the inscription, King Nanda who had no heir prayed to Lord Shiva in the Kailash mountains when a heavenly voice advised him that two sons would be born to him, would bear the name of Kadamba Kula (family) and they should be instructed in the use of weapons.

There are two theories to the origin of the Kadamba dynasty, a native Kannadiga origin and the other a north Indian origin. Mention of the north Indian origin of the Kadambas are only found in their later records of their offshoot descendent dynasty and is considered legendary. The earliest record making this claim is the 1053 and 1055 inscriptions of Harikesari Deva which are copied in inscriptions thereafter, describing Mayurasharma as the progenitor of the kingdom who established his might on the summit of Mount Himavat. But this theory has not found popularity as there is no indication of this account in any of their early records. On the contrary, the family derives its name from the Kadamba tree that is common only to the South India region.

Historians are divided on the issue of the caste of the Kadamba family, whether the founders of the kingdom belonged to the Brahmin caste as claimed by the Talagunda inscription, or were of tribal origin. A claim has been made that the Kadambas were none other than a tribe called the Kadambu, who were in conflict with the Chera kingdom (of modern Tamil Nadu – Kerala region). The ‘Kadambus’ find mention in the Tamil Sangam literature as totemic worshippers of the Kadambu tree and the Hindu god Subramanya.  While some historians have argued that they being of Brahmin descent made Mayurasharma’s ancestors natives of northern India, the counter argument is that it was common for Dravidian peoples to be received into the Brahmanic caste during early and later medieval times. Being native Kannadigas, the Kadambas promptly gave administrative and political importance to their language, Kannada, after coming to power. It is thus claimed that the family of the Kadambas were undoubtedly of Kanarese descent and may have been admitted into the Brahminical caste. The Naga descent of the Kadambas has been stated in early inscriptions of King Krishna Varma I too, which confirms the family was from present day Karnataka

Inscriptions in Sanskrit and Kannada are the main sources of the Kadamba history. The Talagunda, Gundanur, Chandravalli, Halasi and Halmidi inscription are some of the important inscriptions that throw light on this ancient ruling family of Karnataka.They belonged to the Manavya Gotra and were Haritiputras (lineage), which connects them to the native Chutus of Banavasi, a feudatory of the Satavahana empire. Inscriptions of the Kadambas in Kannada and Sanskrit ascribed to the main dynasty and branch kingdoms have been published by historians. The Kadambas minted coins with Nagari, Kannada and Grantha legends which provide additional numismatic evidence of their history.

Kadambas were the first rulers to use Kannada as an additional official administrative language, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription of 450. Three Kannada inscriptions from their early rule from Banavasi have been discovered.  Several early Kadamba dynasty coins bearing the Kannada inscription Vira and Skandha was found in Satara collectorate. A gold coin of King Bhagiratha (390–415 CE) bearing the old Kannada legend Sri and Bhagi also exists. Recent discovery of 5th century Kadamba copper coin in Banavasi with Kannada script inscription Srimanaragi on it proves the usage of Kannada at the administrative level further.

One of their earliest inscriptions, the Talagunda inscription of Santivarma (450) gives what may be the most possible cause for the emergence of the Kadamba kingdom. It states that Mayura sharma was a native of Talagunda, (in present day Shimoga district) and his family got its name from the Kadamba tree that grew near his home. The inscription narrates how Mayurasharma proceeded to Kanchi in 345 along with his guru and grandfather Veerasarma to pursue his Vedic studies at a Ghatika (school). There, owing to some misunderstanding between him and a Pallava guard or at an Ashvasanstha (a place of horse sacrifice), a quarrel arose in which Mayurasharma was humiliated. In high rage, the Brahmana discontinued his studies, left Kanchi, swearing vengeance on the impudent Pallavas, and took to arms. He collected a faithful group of followers and routed the Pallava armies near Srisilam region. After a prolonged period of low intensity warfare against the Pallavas and other smaller kings such as the Brihad-Banas of Kolar region, he proclaimed independence. Unable to contain him, the Pallavas had to accept his sovereignty. Thus in an act of righteous indignation was born the first native kingdom of Karnataka, the Pallava King Skandavarman condescending to recognise the growing might of the Kadambas south of the Malaprabha river as a sovereign power. Mayurasharma availed himself of the confusion that was created by the invasion of Samudragupta who,in his Allahabad Inscription,claims to have defeated, among others,Vishnugopa of Kanchi. Taking advantage of the weakening of the Pallava power, Mayura appears to have succeeded in establishing a new kingdom. The fact that Mayurasharma had to travel to distant Kanchi for Vedic studies gives an indication that Vedic lore was quite rudimentary in the region at that time. The recently discovered Gudnapur inscription states that Mauryasharma’s grandfather and preceptor was Virasarma and his father Bandhushena developed the character of a Kshatriya.

Mayurasharma’s successor was his son Kangavarma who had to fight the Vakataka might to protect Kuntala. He was defeated by Vakataka Prithvisena but managed to maintain his freedom. His son Bhagiratha is said to have retrieved his fathers losses but Vakataka inscriptions do not attest to this. His son Raghu died fighting the Pallavas. He was succeeded by his brother Kakusthavarma who was the most ferocious and powerful ruler of the kingdom. He maintained marital relations with even the imperial Guptas of the north, according to the Talagunda inscription. One of his daughters was married to Kumara Gupta’s son Skanda Gupta. His other daughter was married to a Vakataka king Narendrasena. He maintained similar relations with the Bhatari, the Alupas of South Canara and the Western Ganga Dynasty of Gangavadi according to the Talagunda inscription. The great poet Kalidasa had visited his court.

After Kakusthavarma only Ravivarma who came to the throne in 485 AD was able to build upon the kingdom. His rule was marked by a series of clashes within the family, and also against the Pallavas and the Gangas. He is also credited with a victory against the Vakatakas, which extended his Kingdom as far north as the river Narmada. The crux of their kingdom essentially consisted of most of Karnataka, Goa and southern areas of present day Maharashtra. After his death, the kingdom went into decline due to family feuds. The Triparvatha branch that broke away ruled from Murod in Belgavi for some time and merged with the main Banavasi kingdom during rule of Harivarma. Finally the kingdom fell to the prowess of the Badami Chalukyas. The Kadambas thereafter became feudatories of the Badami Chalukyas and later the Rashtrakutas and Kalyani Chalukyas. The successors of Mayurasharma took to the name “varma” to indicate their Kshatriya status.

Although the Kadamba dynasty has been known from over 50 inscriptions, no coins had been firmly attributed to them until recently. However, coins of these kings came to light for the first time in 2006, when a hoard of coins was discovered, mostly coins of a lesser branch of the Satavahanas, who had ruled in the Banavasi area, a few coins of the Chutus, and Kadamba coins. They have been definitively attributed to the Kadambas because they not only have various Kadamba symbols, such as conches and chakras, but one of the epithets on the coins, sri dosharashi, is known from inscriptions to have been used by the Kadamba king Krishnavarma II (ruled 516-540). Other coins with the legend Sri Manarashi were also found, along with anepigraphic coins (that is, coins without any legends) featuring flowers, chakras, and conches. The lotus, chakra (discus), and conch are all symbols of the god Vishnu. Kadamba inscriptions frequently invoke Vishnu, indicating they must have been devotees of this deity. The identity of the king named Sri Manarashi has still not been determined.

The coins are perhaps the earliest ones to use Kannada letters, a confirmation that the Kadambas were the first ruling dynasty indigenous to Karnataka

The Kadamba kings called themselves Dharmamaharajas like the Satavahana kings. Dr. Mores has identified various cabinet and other positions in the kingdom from inscriptions. The prime minister (Pradhana), Steward (Manevergade), secretary of council (Tantrapala or Sabhakarya Sachiva), scholarly elders (Vidyavriddhas), physician (Deshamatya), private secretary (Rahasyadhikritha), chief secretary (Sarvakaryakarta), chief justice (Dharmadhyaksha) and other officials (Bhojaka and Ayukta). The army consisted of officers like Jagadala, Dandanayaka and Senapathi.

The Kadambas were followers of Vedic Hinduism. The founder, Mayurasharma was a Brahmin by birth but later his successors changed their surname to Varma to indicate their Kshatriya status. Some Kadamba kings like Krishna Varma performed the horse sacrifice (Ashwamedha). Their Talagunda inscription starts with an invocation of Lord Shiva while the Halmidi and Banavasi inscriptions start with an invocation of Lord Vishnu. They built the Madhukesvara temple which is considered their family deity. Many records like the Kudalur, Sirsi records speak of grants made by them to scholarly Brahmins. Grants were also made to Buddhist viharas.

The Kadambas also patronised Jainism; several of the latter kings adopted the religion, and built numerous Jain Basadis (temples) that are scattered around Banavasi, Belgavi, Mangaluru and Goa. Kings and Queens of the dynasty were renowned for their support of literature, arts and liberal grants to temples and educational institutions. Several descendants are scattered around present day Goa, Belgavi, Mangaluru and Bengaluru. Adikavi Pampa highly spoke of this kingdom in his writings.

Kadamba shikara (tower) with Kalasa (pinnacle) on top, Doddagaddavalli. The contribution of the Kadambas to the architectural heritage of Karnataka is certainly worthy of recognition. The Kadamba style can be identified and that it has a few things in common with the Chalukya and the Pallava styles. The most prominent feature of their architecture, basic as it was is their Shikara called Kadamba Shikara. The Shikara is pyramid shaped and rises in steps without any decoration with a Stupika or Kalasha at the top. This style of Shikara are used several centuries later in the Doddagaddavalli Hoysala temple and the Mahakuta temples in Hampi. Some of their temples also use perforated screen windows. It has also been pointed out that in architecture and sculpture, the Kadambas contributed to the foundation of the later Chalukya-Hoysala style.

The Madhukeshwara (Lord Shiva) temple built by them still exists in Banavasi. Built in 10th century and renovated many times, the temple is a very good piece of art. The stone cot with wonderful carvings is one of the main tourist attractions in the temple.

True Story of Lord Shiva

In 1879, when there was British were ruling in India, Lt. Col. Martin of Agar Malva was leading the army in the war against Afghanistan.

Col. Martin used to regularly send messages of his well-being to his wife. T…he war continued for long & Lady Martin stopped getting messages. She was very upset.
Once riding on her horse, she passed by the temple of Baijnath Mahadev. She was attracted to the sound of Conch & Mantra. She went inside and came to know that the Brahmanas were worshipping Lord Shiva. They saw her sad face and asked her problem. She explained everything to them. They told her that Lord Shiva listens to the prayers of devotees and takes them out of difficult situations in no time. With the advice of the Brahmanas she started the ‘Laghurudri Anushtthan’ of the Mantra: ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ for 11 days. She prayed to Lord Shiva that if her husband reaches home safely, then she would get the temple renovated.

On the last of the ‘Laghurudri’ a messenger came and gave a letter to her. Her husband had written: ‘I was regularly sending messages to you from the battle grounds but suddenly the Pathans surrounded us from all sides. We were entrapped in a situation where there was no scope of escaping death. Suddenly I saw a Yogi of India with long hair, carrying a weapon with three pointers (Trishul). His personality was amazing and he was maneuvering his weapon with a magnificent style. Seeing this great man, the Pathans started running back. With his grace our bad times turned into moments of victory. This was possible only because of that man of India wearing a lion skin & carrying a three-pointer weapon (Trishul). That great Yogi told me that I should not worry and that he had come to rescue me because he was very pleased with my wife’s prayers.’

Tears of joy were falling down the eyes of Lady Martin’s eyes while reading the letter. Her heart was overwhelmed. She fell into the feet of Lord Shiva’s statue and burst in tears.

After a few weeks Col. Martin returned. Lady Martin narrated the whole incident to him. Now both husband & wife became devotees of Lord Shiva. In 1883 they donated Rs. 15,000 for renovating the temple. The information engraved slab for the same is still there in the Baijnath Mahadev Temple of Agar Malva. This is the only Hindu temple built by the British.

When Lady Martin left for Europe she said that they would make Shiva Temple at their home and pray to Him till the end of life.

VIA :— Aarya

History of South India – Part 7: The Pallava Empire

Pallavas ruled regions of northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh between the 2nd and 9th centuries CE. The Pallavas gained prominence after the eclipse of the Satavahana dynasty, whom the Pallavas served as feudatories. A number of legends are associated with the origin of the Pallavas. The Pallavas find no mention as rulers of Tamil regions during the period when the Three Crowned Kings (Tamil: மூவேந்தர், Mūvēntar), namely, the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas, warred against each other and sought control of Chola Nadu, Chera Nadu and Pandya Nadu which made up the ancient Tamil country, Tamilakam. Some details of Pallava kings are found in the Sangam Period classics Ahananuru, Manimekhalai and Perumbanarruppatai. It is generally believed by many experts that the Pallavas were Kurumbar/Kurubas.

Traditionally Kanchi is considered to be the homeland of Pallavas, as though they asserted themselves on the collapse of the Satavahana power, they never had or moved the capital into the old Satavahana states, and might have annexed a part of Chola territory by 250 C.E.  Tamil literature relates the story of Chola King Killivalavan who moved his capital to Uraiyar after the destruction of the Chola capital of Puhar. Mudaliyar C. Rasanayagam of Colombo claims that Killi Valavan had a liaison with the daughter of Naga king Valaivanam of Manipallavanam (in Jaffna peninsula) in Ceylon. From this union was born a child who was named Tondaiman Ilantirayan whom his father, Killi Valavan, made the ruler of a territory which was named Tondamandalam with capital at Kanchi. It is pointed out that name Pallava derives from the last syllable of Manipallavanam .

The Pallavas were in conflict with major kingdoms at various periods of time. A contest for political supremacy existed between the early Pallavas and the Kadambas. Numerous Kadamba inscriptions provide details of Pallava-Kadamba hostlities. The Pallavas also contracted matrimonial relationships with Kadambas. According to the Velurpalaiyam Plates the mother of the Pallava king Nandivarman was a Kadamba princess named Aggalanimmati. The Velurpalaiyam Plates also state that Nandivarman had to fight for his father’s throne.

During the reign of Vishnugopavarman II (approx. 500-525 CE), political convulsion engulfed the Pallavas due to the Kalabhra invasion of the Tamil country. Towards the close of the 6th century, the Pallava Simhavishnu stuck a blow against the Kalabhras. The Pandyas followed suit. Thereafter the Tamil country was divided between the Pallavas in the north with Kanchipuram as their capital, and Pandyas in the south with Madurai as their capital.

After the Kalabhra upheaval the long struggle between the Pallavas and Chalukyas of Badami for supremacy in peninsular India began. Both tried to establish control over the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab. Under Skandavarman I, the Pallavas extended their dominions north to the Krishna River and west to the Arabian Sea. Although the Chalukya ruler Pulakeshin II almost reached the Pallava capitalm his second invasion ended in failure. The Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman occupied Vatapi, defeated the Pandyas, Cholas and Cheras.  The Gupta King, Samudragupta led an expedition to the south, travelling through the forest tracts of Madhya Pradesh to Orissa, Vishakapatnam, Godavari, Krishna and Nellore district, and intruding into Kanchi the capital of the Pallavas. Retreating into their homeland of Nellore and Guntur for a while the Pallavas returned to Kanchi with renewed vigor. They then ruled with Kanchipuram as their capital uninterrupted until hostilities with Chalukyas surfaced.

The conflict between Pallavas and Chalukyas resumed in the first half of the 8th century with multiple Pallava setbacks. The Chalukyas overrun them completely in 740 CE, ending the Pallava supremacy in South India

The royal custom of using a series of descriptive honorific titles, birudas, was particularly prevalent among the Pallavas. The birudas of Mahendravarman I are in Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu. The Telugu birudas show Mahendravarman’s involvement with the Andhra region continued to be strong at the time he was creating his cave-temples in the Tamil region.  The suffix “Malla” was used by the Pallava rulers. Mahendravarman I used the biruda, Satrumalla, “a warrior who overthrows his enemies”, and his grandson Paramesvara I was called Ekamalla “the sole warrior or wrestler”. Pallavas kings, persumably exalted ones, were known by their title, Mahamalla or the “great wrestler”.

All the early Pallava royal inscriptions are either in Prakrit or in Sanskrit language, considered the official languages of the dynasty while the official script was Pallava grantha. Similarly, inscriptions found in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka State are in Prakrit and not in Telugu or Kannada. The phenomenon of using Prakrit and Sanskrit as official languages in which rulers left their inscriptions and epigraphies continued till the 6th century CE. It would have been in the interest of the ruling elite to protect their privileges by perpetuating their hegemony of Prakrit in order to exclude the common people from sharing power (Mahadevan 1995a: 173-188). The Pallavas in their Tamil country also adopted the same method. They used Sanskrit language and Pallava grantha scripts in their official orders.

The earliest copper-plate muniment (legal document) so far discovered in India, is by the Pallavas at an early undated time. This document was the renewal of a previous grant of a garden made by an earlier king Bappa, to twenty Brahman families of the Atreya, Harita, Bhradvaja, Kausika, Kasyapa, and Vatsya gotras, who were settled in Southern India around the date of this grant. The grant mentions certain specified shares for the Brahmans, and free from all taxes ; to which was now added a new grant of a piece of land in a neighbouring village for a threshing-floor, and of another piece for house-sites, together also with four cultivating labourers, and two other agricultural serfs attached to the soil. This endowment was created for the increase of the merit, longevity, power, and fame of the donor’s family and race.

The grant was issued from Kanchipura, and it was dated on the fifth day of the sixth fortnight of the rainy season in the eight year of the donor’s reign. The grant was made by the Pallava king Sivaskanda-varman, who is mentioned as a member of the spiritual guild of rishi Bharadvaja, and an offerer of the Agnishtoma, Vajapeya, and Asvamedha vedic sacrifices.

Pallava power was well established at the time when Sivaskanda-varman is styled ” supreme king of great kings,“ a title which implies paramount authority over other rulers subject to him ; and the circumstance of his having offered the horse-sacrifice, which indicates his own personal appreciation of his great power. His predecessor, immediate or otherwise, King Bappa, was wealthy enough to make donations to Brahmans of a 100,000 Ox ploughs, whatever the multiple of exaggeration may be, and many millions of gold coin.

Tho Pallava king was assisted in his government by ‘ministers” of state and “privy councillors”; and his throne was surrounded by “royal princes.” As can be ascertained from the terms of Professor Buhler’s translation, they embraced “countries” governed by “prefects” distributed into “provinces” administered by their “lords,” and subdivided into “districts” under the superintendence of their “rulers”. Their fiscal arrangements included “custom houses” and “officers” of customs, and “spies” or itinerant superintendents of revenue. They had also some kind of forest department with its staff of “foresters.” They maintained a standing army, the brigades of which were commanded by “generals,” and its minor groups of rank and file had their non-commissioned officers or “naicks”.

Their village lands were occupied by ryots who paid “eighteen kinds” of contributions to the crown, partly in kind and partly in money (“taxes”). Amongst those which were paid in kind were “sweet and sour milk”, “grass and wood” and “vegetables and flowers”. They had to plough the crown (state) lands by turns with their “oxen in succession,” and it was a part of their obligation to keep the roads and irrigation works in repair by a system of “forced labour”. Salt and sugar were royal monopolies; and these not infrequently involved the ryots in “troubles”.

The crown had the power to confer grants of land for religious uses, for “the increase of the merit, longevity, power, and fame of his own family and race,” and to exempt the grantees and their grant-lands from the payment of the customary taxes. When such land-grants were made, the agricultural “labourers,” and the “kolikas” or village staff, were transferred with the land. These “labourers” received for their remuneration “half the produce,” according to the system of varam

Pallava royal lineages were established in the old kingdom of Kedah of the Malay Peninsula under Rudravarman I, Chenla under Bhavavarman I, Champa under Bhadravarman I and the Kaundinya-Gunavarman line of the Funan in Cambodia, eventually their rule growing to form the Khmer Empire. These dynasties’ unique Dravidian architectural style was introduced to build Angor Wat while Tamil cultural norms spread across the continent, their surviving epigraphic inscriptions recording domestic societal life and their pivotal role in Asian trade routes.

Direct extensive contacts with these regions were maintained from the maritime commerce city Mamallapuram, where Mahendravarman I and his son “Mahamalla” Narasimhavarman I built the Shore Temple of the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram.

Pallavas were followers of Hinduism and made gifts of land to gods and Brahmins. In line with the prevalent customs, some of the rulers performed the Aswamedha and other Vedic sacrifices.[26] They were, however, tolerant of other faiths. The Chinese monk Xuanzang who visited Kanchipuram during the reign of Narasimhavarman I reported that there were 100 Buddhist monasteries, and 80 temples in Kanchipuram.

Mahendravarman I was initially a patron of the Jain faith. He later converted to Hinduism under the influence of the Saiva saint Appar with the revival of Hinduism during the Bhakti movement in South India.

The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram built by Narasimhavarman IIThe Pallavas were instrumental in the transition from rock-cut architecture to stone temples. The earliest examples of Pallava constructions are rock-cut temples dating from 610–690 CE and structural temples between 690–900 CE. A number of rock-cut cave temples bear the inscription of the Pallava king, Mahendravarman I and his successors.

The greatest accomplishments of the Pallava architecture are the rock-cut temples at Mahabalipuram. There are excavated pillared halls and monolithic shrines known as rathas in Mahabalipuram. Early temples were mostly dedicated to Shiva. The Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram and the Shore Temple built by Narasimhavarman II, rock cut temple in Mahendravadi by Mahendravarman are fine examples of the Pallava style temples. The temple of Nalanda Gedige in Kandy, Sri Lanka is another. The famous Tondeswaram temple of Tenavarai and the ancient Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee were patronized and structurally developed by the Pallavas in the 7th century.

History of South India – Part 6: The Satvahana Empire

The Sātavāhana Empire or Andhra Empire, was a royal Indian dynasty based from Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar (Pune) and Prathisthan (Paithan) in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted about 450 years, until around 220 CE. The Satavahanas are credited for establishing peace in the country, resisting the onslaught of foreigners after the decline of Mauryan Empire.

Sātavāhanas started out as feudatories to the Mauryan dynasty, but declared independence with its decline. They are known for their patronage of Hinduism and Buddhism which resulted in Buddhist monuments from Ellora (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to Amaravati. The Sātavāhanas were one of the first Indian states to issue coins struck with their rulers embossed. They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade as well as the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the southern tip of India.

They had to compete with the Sungas and then the Kanvas of Magadha to establish their rule. Later, they played a crucial role to protect a huge part of India against foreign invaders like the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas. In particular their struggles with the Western Kshatrapas went on for a long time. The great rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sri Yajna Sātakarni were able to defeat the foreign invaders like the Western Kshatrapas and stop their expansion. In the 3rd century CE the empire was split into smaller states.

In the Pūrānas and on their coins the dynasty is variously referred to as the Sātavāhanas or Sālavāhaṇa, Sātakarnīs, Andhras and Andhrabhrityas. A reference to the Sātavāhanas by the Greek traveler Megasthenes indicates that they possessed 100,000 infantry, 1,000 elephants, and had more than 30 well built fortified towns.

The Sātavāhanas ruled a large and powerful empire that withstood the onslaughts from Central Asia. Aside from their military power, their commercialism and naval activity is evidenced by establishment of Indian colonies in Southeast Asia. The Edicts of Ashoka mention the Sātavāhanas as feudatories of Emperor Ashoka. Fragment of the 6th Pillar Edicts of Ashoka (238 BCE), in Telugu (Brahmi), sandstone. British Museum.The Sātavāhanas began as feudatories to the Mauryan Empire. They seem to have been under the control of Emperor Ashoka, who claims they were in his domain, and that he introduced Buddhism among them. It is believed that they were originally practicing Hindu religion (as per Sthala Purana of Amaravathi. Some rulers like Maharaja Satakarni are believed to have performed Vedic sacrifices as well.

They were not only worshipers of Vishnu and Shiva but also respected Buddha, but also other incarnations of, Gauri, Indra, the sun and moon.They were mostly Buddhistic Vaishnavites. Under their reign, Buddha had been worshiped as a form of Vishnu in Amaravati

Śātavāhana, Śālivāhana, Śātakarṇi seem to be Sanskritised versions of the aboriginal name Sātakaṇi and appears as Sālavāhaṇa in Prakrit vernacular.

The Satavahana Dynasty
The Satavahanas find mention in the Puranas, sacred Hindu texts, but their rise to prominence was led by Simuka, who declared his independence from Mauryan rule in about 230 BC. He then embarked on conquests of Malwa and Maharashtra, and annexed parts of western and central India. Simuka’s brother, Krishna, reigned next. He added Nasik to the kingdom. Krishna was succeeded by Malia Satakarni and Purnothsanga.

Satakarni I, the next king, was the greatest Satavahanan emperor. He ruled for fifty-six years and annexed Berar, Malwa, and many southern states. He performed the traditional Ashwamedha and Rajasuya sacrifices that declared his supremacy. Satakarni II, the next king, conquered Pataliputra and Kalinga. By this time, the Sakas and the Greeks had started to trouble the Satavahana Empire.

In about 78 BC, Gautamiputra Satakarni, also known as Yajna Sri Satakarni, took over the kingdom. The Saka Era was established by King Gautamiputra Satakarni and was popularly followed by people in southern India. He was also the king to introduce coins with royal images in India. He was the last powerful king of the Satavahana Dynasty. Though other Satavahana kings are known to have reigned until about 200 AD, most of the empire broke away and the Pallavas, the Western Satraps, the Kadambas, and Ikshvakus had declared independence.

Cultural Legacy of the Satavahanas
Buddhist and Brahminical literature found much encouragement from the Satavahana kings. While Buddhist architecture was not new to India, the Satavahana kings commissioned some extraordinary stupas (temples), including the renowned one at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh.

The Satavahana kings of the first century BC also seem to have contributed to building the carved entrances and the banisters at Sanchi. Buddha is represented as the divine spirit and is not portrayed in his embodied form in most Satavahana relics. Mahayana Buddhism seems to have originated in the Satavahana Empire and then spread to other parts of India and the world.

Use of Coins
The Satavahanas were the earliest Indian monarchs to issue coins with their images. A healthy trade with Rome ensured a steady influx of Roman gold coins. The numismatic images of the Satavahana reign were replete with social, cultural, and religious symbolism. The lead, copper, and silver coins of the era bear royal insignia such as lions and elephants. The patronage received by Buddhism is also reflected in these coins. Historians also suggest that the wise king of Ujjain, Vikramaditya may have belonged to the Satavahana lineage due to the similarity in the royal insignia of Ujjain and the ones inscribed on the Satavahana coins.

The kings of the Satavahana dynasty were excellent administrators. They divided their kingdom into many smaller regions called Aharas. Each was administered by a minister, or Amatya. Vaijayanti and Amaravati were the two most important cities in the Satavahana Empire. The beautiful sculptures of the galleries at Ajanta are attributed to the Satavahana artisans.

One should never hurt women but when we see history we find two of the great Aaryas in history killing women first… Sri Rama and sri Krishna.
Sages and sants always denote Tadaka and Putna as ignorance; ignorance generates demonic nature in humans. Tadaka and putna in our culture simply refers to primary reasons which generate demonic nature. Before taking any great mission destroy the primarily excuse. Else, whats the use of undertaking a task when problems are just going to go on and on in continues manner?

When Lord Shri Ram questions about hurting women, sage Vishwamitra explains..
This tadaka the daughter of Brahma, given to yaksha became evil and started to harass all innocents with her tyrant power. It is Dharma to put stop on anyone who does such deeds for welfare of all stages in society. Lord Indra killed Manthara, the daughter of Virochana when she wanted to destroy earth. Many great personalities had to kill women when those women went away from path of Righteousness.

Today tadaka and putna live in our own mind, in our own ignorance and make us demons. I have seen many fanatic guys who talk lets take weapons and kill muslims,kill congress, all this is useless b’coz they failed to realized they are still in part of a continues circle for they didn’t took time to kill mother of demonic-nature from their own hearts.
Killing of evil people does become necessary in every part of history but what is evil? Are we actually Dharma or we are just part of continues evil? When will you stop and think over this basic question? Only Aarya should fight against Adharma, a small demon fighting with big demon is pure stupidity.
be calm, adopt Dharma, kill tadka from your heart and victory will be all yours. the peaceful society which works for benefit of all will be yours. Yato Dharmam…Tato Jayam

VIA :— Aarya