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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(NOVEMBER, 19:6
Rashtrakūtas (753-973), who were the Balharas of the revenue survey of the Tamil dominions in (Vallabha Rais) of the Muhammadan writers and 1086—the year of the Domesday Book. After him the buillers of the Kailâsa Temple at Ellora. The the great dynasty struggled on till 1287 and then Muhammadans called them "the greatest sovereigns came Malik Kafar, the Muhammadan raider, and in India," and no doubt they produced several finally the mighty Vijayanagar rule (c. 1370), which, notable rulers-Govinda III (793-815), Amoga varsha however, belongs to Medieval history. Such is the of the long reiga (815-877), Indra III (914-916), who merest outline of Chola rule, which, however, reckon. successfully attacked distant Kanau). And then in ed among its members some of the greatest personal 973 Taila, a Chalukya, overthrew them and restor. rulers in South India, and left behind it the record ed the fortunes of his family in the Chalukyas of of a system of government worth the study of all Kalyani for two and a quarter centuries (973-1190). nationalities. of this branch of the Chalukyas, Vikramánka Dr. Vincent Smith next taokles what may be (1076-1126) was a wise, kindly man who ruled in
called the burning question of South Indian research : peace for the most part. Then came Bijjala, the
who frere the Palla vas! He quite rightly discaris Kalachurya Jain for a while, under whom his
the theory that they were probably & Pahlavi Brâhman Minister Basava founded the Lingayats (Persian, Parthian) clan, i.e., Rajpaits of some kind, c. 1167-a soct which checked Jainism and helped
who obtained rule in South India: It is now quite to destroy Buddhism in South India. After a short
certain that they were a local tribe or family which revival of the Chalukyas there came over one part rose to power in the early Christian centuriw and of the kingdom the Hoysalas of the Mysore country were not Tamils. Dr. Vincent Smith As usual bly (Dorasamudra, Halebid) in 1190 to be destroyed in sums up the evidence available to him as to what turn by the Muhammadans c. 1326. And over they really were, but, as Mr. Edwardes saya in his another part came the Yåda vas of Devagiri (Daula. preface, still further evidence came to light while tabad) to succumb also to the Muhammadans in the book was in the Pross which could not be digest. 1318. A useful set of Dynastic Tables concludes led-a fate that happens off and on practically to all the short account of the Deccan Dynasties.
engaged in research. So the question is still ungot The Southern Kingdoms present a more dittcult tled and incleed the rosenrch itself is still not Gnished. and unfortunately still less settled problem, mean- For centuries the Palla vas were important and some ing by that term in ancient India, the Land of the of them were great rulers. They had indeed so Tamils, and that ruled by the Palla vas. The difti- great an effect on South India and in fact vicariously culty of the subject lies in the incompleteness of the on India generally that it is most clesirable to ascer. research which still obtains. In- the ancient clays tain all that is possible about them. Mahendra. the ruling families were the Påndyas in the South, varman I (c. 600-625) was an important Monarch, the Cholas on the Eastern side and the Cheras followed by Narasimha varnan 1 le. 625-615), the on the Western, with many incursions into each greatest of all. The decline of the Pallava power other's territories. - As regards the Pallavas, the pro. began with Nandi varman (c. 720-782), and the blem as to who and what they were is being gradual- dynasty went on fighting till it was overthrown by ly settled, and though I do not at present personally the Cholas at the beginning of the tenth century, feel satisfied that it is right to describe them, as During all this period, there existed two kingdoms does this book, as a predatory clan like the Marathas of the Gangas-the Western in Mysore and the of later times, it is quite possible that that is a con. Eastem in Kalinga on the East Coast. They-ench clusion historians will eventually arrive at. Tamil produced a great king: Sripurusha (725-756) of the India is very ancient and its story important for Western branch, and Ananta varma Cholaganga tracing the history of the people, but politically the (1076–1147) of the Eastern. old kingdoms were strictly local, like many others of the minor principalities in the country.
With these remarks Dr. Vincent Smith ends his The Cholas and the Cheras seem to have become
last edition of a great work, with which his name
must ever be associated. As a very old student of some importance about the date of the Christian ora and the Palla vas to have become rulers about
of Indian history, I cannot too highly express my 300 A.D. The Cholas also seem to have preserved
admiration of the research and the knowledge ex
bibited and the clearness with which the results # harassed existence between the Påndyas and th Pallavas till about 900 A.D., when Parantaka I.
thereof have been recorded. Mr. Edwardes, with Chola (c. 901-953) overthrew both of them. In 985
characteristio modesty, hides his shop as much se CAMO mighty man to the Chola throne, Rajaraja
he can, but I suspect that more of the Lootnotes and the Great (c. 985-1018), and then came Rajendra
the emendations in the text than would at first ap Choladova (c. 1018-1035), an equally great conqueror,
pear are due to his pen. Between them the authors followed by Rajadhirêjs (1035-1053) a renowned
have produced a work which is not only accurate fighter. Bubsequently on the failure of the male
as is possible, but gives the student a clear and Succession in 1077, the throne fell to relative in the
comprehensive view of ancient Indian history. female line, Kulottunga Chola (1074-1118), the horo
R. C. TEMPLE.
