Sirbhavarman III 436-7-460 AD

• During the reign of Simhavarman III, the Pallava glory revived, and the Pallavas triumphed over their enemies.

• The Kadamba emperor Kişnavarman I was defeated and killed, with his army destroyed and his country overrun by the victorious Pallava monarch.

• Encouraged by these successes, Simhavarman III turned his attention to Andhradesa, where a new dynasty, the Vişnukundins, had risen to power.

• The first king of the Vişnukundin dynasty was Mädhavavarman I (c. 420-455 A.D.), who conquered neighboring territories and extended his kingdom over Andhradesa.

• Mädhavavarman I defeated the Pallava viceroy, driving him out of the southern Andhra sub-provinces and celebrated eleven Asvamēdhas, becoming the paramount lord of Andhradesa.

• The death of Mädhavavarman I after a long reign created an opportunity for the Pallava monarch to invade the Vişnukundin Kingdom and regain the southern Andhra territories.

• Simhavarman III defeated and killed Devavarman, the eldest son and successor of Mädhavavarman I, overran Vişnukundin dominions as far as the Godavari, and possibly beyond, according to the Amaravati pillar inscription.

• The inscription states that Simhavarman III was called “the lord of eighteen laksas of horses and elephants”.

• Simhavarman III, protected by his vassals and tributaries, marched to the peak of Sumēru, planning to plant a pillar of victory to celebrate his conquests.

• He crossed the Bhagirathi, Godavari, and Krsna-verņa, reaching a place sacred to Buddha called Dhānyaghaṭa.

• Simhavarman III became a lay worshipper (upasaka) of Buddhism, erected a statue of the Buddha, and ornamented it with gold, jewels, and silver at Dhānyaghaṭa.

• The Amaravati pillar inscription suggests that Simhavarman III’s reign ended shortly after these events, as it mentions he had protected the earth for a long time.

Vijaya Skandavarman IV surnamed Trilo cana-Pallava or Mukkanti Kaduvetti; 460-495 AD

• Simhavarman III was succeeded by his son Vijaya Skandavarman IV, whose reign was marked by several significant events.

• Vijaya Skandavarman IV reigned for about 35 years, from around 460 to 495 A.D..

• His reign is considered long due to the eventful period in which he flourished and his great achievements.

• The Cendalüru plates of Kumāravişnu III mention him as a glorious king, describing him as the only hero on earth, endowed with the qualities necessary for acquiring power (sakti) and victory (siddhi).

• He was noted as the abode of the fortunes of kings defeated by his valour.

• These epithets highlight his significance, as Vijaya Skandavarman IV dominated the entire Southern India, stretching as far as the Krsna and its northern tributary, the Musi.

• He was a contemporary of four Kadamba kings: Devavarman, Mrgēsavarman, Kumāravarman, and Visnuvarman.

• His long reign was filled with wars in the north and west.

• During his reign, the Vişnukundin king Madhavavarman II regained power, initially defeated at the beginning of Vijaya Skandavarman’s reign, and successfully drove the Pallavas out of his country, regaining the southern Andhradesa.

• Madhavavarman II’s conquest of the Pallavas and the reoccupation of Southern Andhradesa was followed by disasters for the Pallava monarch in the south.

• Vijaya Skandavarman IV’s ally, Ayyavarman, or more likely his son Vişnugõpa, was defeated and destroyed.

• Vijaya Skandavarman IV was eventually defeated and forced to retire from the battlefield by Mrgēsavarman.

• These events are believed to have occurred between 472-476 A.D..