Narasimhavarman II, popularly known as Rajasimha and Rajamalla, was a Pallava emperor who reigned from 695 CE to 728 CE.
Narasimhavarman's reign was a period of great literary and architectural advancements. He is often grouped by historians with Mahendravarman I and Narasimhavarman I as one of the greatest Pallava rulers.
Accession to the throne
By the time Narasimhavarman II ascended the throne, the
Pallavas were by large the most powerful military force in the subcontinent. His father Parameswaravarman I was among the greatest of warrior monarchs of ancient India, the Amaravati Pallava inscription praises him of being: "As vigorous and strong as lord Sambhu (
Shiva)".
Parameswaravarman I had subdued all his formidable rivals to extend the Pallava empire far and away. Narasimhavarman II followed up very well. The Vayalur inscription of Pallavas issued on the eve of the coronation of Narasimhavarman II, gives a lineage of 54 rulers through the epochs of Krita Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga up to Emperor Narasimhavarman II, this includes 47 kings after Ashwatthama, the legendary warrior ancestor of the Pallavas.
Reign
Narasimhavarman II, like of most of
Pallava monarchs 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 had a close relationship with
Tang dynasty. Mentions of
Dvipalaksam indicate Pallava influence in the
Lakshadweep during his reign.
In general, his period was relatively free from major wars and Pallava domination of
Southeast Asia continued.
Foreign relations
Relations with Tang China
In the 8th century, the
Tang dynasty under Emperor Xuanzong, forged a military alliance with the
Pallavas under Narasimhavarman II and made the latter the General of South China to safeguard Chinese territories and interests from the expanding
Tibetan Empire.
Narasimhavarman II sent an embassy to Tang dynasty to inform the Chinese Emperor Xuanzong of his intention to employ his war elephants and his cavalry to chastise the Ta-che (Arabs) and T’ou-po (Tibetan Empire) and request the emperor to give a name to his army, as sign of friendly gesture . The emperor praised it greatly and named his army, ‘the army which cherished virtue’. This embassy was sent in about 720 CE. The historian Nilakanta Sastri states that this embassy was definitely led by the venerated South India Buddhist Monk Vajrabodhi. The Chinese emperor also sent an ambassador to confer by brevet the title of General of South China on the 'King of the kingdom of South India', Che-li-Na-lo-seng-k’ia pao-to-pa-mo (Sri Narasimha Potavarman). It is also noteworthy that Narasimhavarman II built a temple in the honor of the Tang Chinese emperor and asked a name for this temple from the emperor. He was sent an inscribed tablet reading Koei-hoa se, meaning 'which cause to return virtue’. This temple could be the Buddhist Vihara, commonly known as 'China-pagoda' constructed by him at Nagapattinam.
The historian Nilakanta Sastri states that "Separately or allied together, the Arabs and the Tibetan Empire were more the enemies of China in this period than of any Indian state,
least of all a Southern Indian state, and one Tibetan power
may reasonably surmise that it was the Chinese court which, being impressed by the political power
of Narasimhavarman in India, was anxious to enlist his support in
its plans against the Tibetan Empire".
Contributions to literature
Narasimhavarman was a skilled dramatist and poet. He wrote many works in
Sanskrit. Most of these are missing. His Sanskrit plays had themes from
Ramayana, the
Mahabharatha and the
Puranas.
Kutiyattam, which is considered as the most ancient available form of dance drama and is
still in vogue in
Kerala, uses some of his plays (like
Kailasodharanam) for subject matter and so does
Chakyar koothu, another ancient Tamil dramatized worship service. Another play titled
Kamsavadham dealing with the
Lord Krishna's slaying of
Kamsa also was written by him.
The Sanskrit litterateur Dandin spent several years in his court and was patronized by the monarch, but we do not know about his standing as the inscriptions denote considerable level of erudition . Narasimhavarman himself was a great devotee who was credited for having mastered the great agamic worship rituals like his preceptor Drona.[Tripathi, p450]
For all his accomplishments, Narasimhavarman II is mainly remembered as a foremost devotee of the Shiva and a relentless, truthful, diehard warrior king who made sure that the Pallava power remained dominant in the subcontinent. The Shiva is famously known to have appeared in the monarch's dream and ordered him to adjourn his coronation as he wanted to first bless an impoverished saint in Pusalar. This event is well described in many Pallava grants of Narasimhavarman as well as those of monarchs who succeeded him.
Religious endowments
In the Kasakudi plates of
Nandivarman II, Narasimhavarman II is said to have bestowed his wealth on temples and Brahmanas.
He was devout worshiper of
Shiva,
Vishnu and
Subramanya as per his Reyuru grant. All of the temples he commissioned are dedicated to Shiva which suggests that he was more inclined to Shiva worship. He commissioned the Kailasanathar Temple Complex in the Pallava capital of
Kanchipuram.
The main shrine is titled "Rajasimhesvara". The complex also houses a smaller shrine commissioned by his pious
Maharani Rangapataka and a frontal shrine named "Mahendresvara" which was commissioned by his son Mahendravarman III.
Narasimhavarman II is generally identified with as Kalarsinga Nayanar ( meaning "one who is lion to crowd of evil kings"), one of the 63
Nayanars and also a contemporary to many Nayanar saints like
Sundarar, Dandi Adigal Nayanar,
Pusalar. His epithets
Sivachudamani,
Agamanusari among others reveal his deep devotion to the
Shiva. Narasimhavarman also famously declared before the Lord Shiva in
Tiruvarur alongside Seruthunai, a Nayanar saint that he considered himself not a monarch but a sincere servant of the Lord Shiva.
Patronage of architecture
Narasimhavarman's reign was marked by peace and prosperity, and he constructed several beautiful temples.
[ Apart from the Kailasanathar Temple at Kanchipuram, Narasimhavarman II also built several other temples, including the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram.][Ching, Francis D.K, A Global History of Architecture, p 274][Keay, John, India: A History, p 174] He is also credited with building the Iravatanesvara Temple at Kanchipuram and the Talagirisvara Temple at Panamalai.[South Indian Inscriptions, Volume 12, ASI]
Successor
Narasimhavarman's had two sons – Mahendravarman III and Paramesvaravarman II. However, Mahendravarman III predeceased his father, and Paramesvaravarman II succeeded to the throne.
Footnotes
