-   **Percy Brown** : Pallavas provided the foundation to the Dravidian style
-   **KAN Sastri** : Pallavas bridged transition from rock archi to structural stone temples

**KAN Sastri** :  From the middle of 6th century AD history of South India is story of mutual conflict among three powers

Main aspects of Polity :

They claimed to be descendants of Brahma and ruled by divine right.
They had a centralized administration with a council of ministers and officials.
They divided their empire into provinces called mandalas, which were further subdivided into districts called kottams or nadus.
They delegated some authority to local assemblies or sabhas, which had autonomy over taxation, justice, irrigation etc.
They maintained a large army, navy, and bureaucracy.
They had a long rivalry with the Chalukyas of Badami over the control of south India.
They established diplomatic relations with foreign countries such as China, Sri Lanka, Cambodia etc.

- ! Answered below.

The struggle for supremacy in south India between the Chalukyas of Badami and the Pallavas was a long and fierce one that lasted from the 6th to the 8th centuries CE1. The main reason for the conflict was over the control of the land lying between Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, which was rich in resources and strategic importance.

The first clash between the two powers occurred during the reign of Pulakesin II (609-642 CE), who defeated Mahendravarman I, the Pallava king, and occupied some of his territories. However, Mahendravarman’s son Narasimhavarman I avenged his father’s defeat by invading Vatapi (Badami) and killing Pulakesin II in 642 CE. He also captured some Chalukyan lands and assumed the title of Vatapikonda (the conqueror of Vatapi).

The war continued between Narasimhavarman’s successors and Pulakesin’s son Vikramaditya I, who recovered Vatapi and some other regions from the Pallavas. He also defeated Harshavardhana on the banks of Narmada river and established his supremacy in north India as well.

The next phase of conflict began when Vikramaditya’s son Vinayaditya attacked Narasimhavarman II, who had succeeded his father Paramesvaravarman I as the Pallava king. Vinayaditya was repulsed by Narasimhavarman II, who also invaded Chalukyan territory and plundered their capital. He built a new city called Kanchipuram after his victory.

The final phase of conflict took place during the reigns of Vikramaditya II (733-746 CE) and Nandivarman II (732-796 CE) of Chalukya and Pallava dynasties respectively. Vikramaditya II launched a series of campaigns against Nandivarman II and defeated him several times. He also captured Kanchipuram twice and looted its wealth. However, he did not annex any Pallava territory or destroy their temples. Instead, he showed respect for their culture and religion by making donations to their shrines.

The struggle between Chalukyas of Badami and Pallavas ended with Vikramaditya II’s death in 746 CE. Both dynasties declined soon after due to internal dissensions and external invasions by other powers such as Rashtrakutas, Pandyas, Pratiharas etc.

The Chalukyas of Vatapi (modern Badami) were a powerful dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and 8th centuries CE1. They emerged as the successors of the Vakatakas in western Deccan and established their capital at Vatapi23. They united the whole of south India under their rule and expanded their influence to Gujarat, Maharashtra, and parts of north India.

Their most famous ruler was Pulakesin II (609-642 CE), who was a contemporary of Harshavardhana. He defeated Harsha’s army on the banks of the Narmada river and prevented him from expanding his empire to the south5. He also successfully resisted the invasion of the Pallavas, who were his main rivals in south India. He had diplomatic relations with the rulers of Persia, as evident from a copper plate inscription found at Mandasor.

The Chalukyas of Vatapi were great patrons of art and architecture. They developed the vesara style in building structural temples, which combined features of both Nagara and Dravida styles67. They also carved out magnificent rock-cut cave temples at Badami, Aihole, and Pattadakal, which are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These caves display exquisite sculptures and paintings depicting Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain themes89. The Chalukyas also encouraged literature, especially in Sanskrit and Kannada languages. Some of their notable poets were Bharavi, Dandin, Ravikirti, Pampa, and Ponna.