A Kingdom at its Zenith, An Enemy Reborn
In the grand, sweeping saga of the Pallava dynasty of Kanchipuram, the reign of Mahendravarman II is a short, intense, and often overlooked chapter. He ascended the throne not in a time of placid peace, but at the very moment a storm, long-brewing on the northern horizon, was about to break. He was the son of a legend, Narasimhavarman I, the man who had humbled the great Chalukyan empire, sacked their capital Vatapi, and earned the immortal title of Vatapikonda (Conqueror of Vatapi). Mahendravarman II inherited a kingdom at the apex of its power, an empire whose cultural and military might resonated across Southern India. But with this golden inheritance came a legacy of blood and a thirst for vengeance that would define his brief, embattled rule.
Early Life & The Weight of Legacy
Born into the heart of Pallava royalty, the early life of Mahendravarman II would have been one of rigorous training and immense expectation. As the grandson of the art-loving Mahendravarman I, who pioneered rock-cut temple architecture, and the son of the warrior-king Narasimhavarman I, he was the scion of a dynasty that had perfected the arts of both culture and conquest. His education would have been a masterclass in ancient Indian statecraft. He would have studied the Arthashastra, delved into the sacred shastras, and honed his skills in the art of war, or dhanurvidya. He would have walked through the bustling port city of Mamallapuram, witnessing firsthand the colossal artistic projects his father had commissioned—the magnificent rock-cut rathas and the breathtaking bas-relief of Arjuna's Penance—monuments that were transforming the very landscape into a testament of Pallava glory.
But this glory was built upon the ashes of a rival's capital. In 642 CE, his father had avenged the earlier Chalukyan invasion of his kingdom by marching north, defeating the formidable Pulakeshin II, and leaving the city of Vatapi in ruins. This singular act of victory, while cementing Pallava dominance, also sowed the seeds of a bitter and personal vendetta. The young Mahendravarman II grew up in a court that celebrated this triumph, but he would have also been keenly aware that the sons of Pulakeshin II were nursing their wounds, rebuilding their strength, and waiting for the moment to reclaim their honour.
When Narasimhavarman I's long and illustrious reign ended around 668 CE, the jewelled crown of the Pallavas passed to Mahendravarman II. He inherited not just a throne, but a formidable challenge: to protect a legacy forged in the fire of an epic conflict.
A Reign Forged in Fire: The Chalukyan Resurgence
The moment the Pallavas had a new, relatively untested ruler on the throne was the moment the Chalukyas had been waiting for. Vikramaditya I, the son of the slain Pulakeshin II, had consolidated his power in Vatapi and now turned his gaze southward. For him, this was not merely a campaign for territory; it was a sacred duty to avenge his father's death and erase the humiliation of Vatapikonda. Allied with the Ganga king Bhuvikarma, Vikramaditya I launched a massive invasion into the heart of the Pallava kingdom.
The Chalukyan army, hardened by years of conflict and driven by a powerful desire for revenge, swept across the Pallava northern territories. The very survival of the empire that Mahendravarman II's father and grandfather had built was now at stake. The new king had to prove his mettle not in a palace court or an artist's workshop, but on the blood-soaked fields of battle.
The Battle of Malliyur & The Contested Narrative
The historical records of this conflict present two dramatically different, and utterly irreconcilable, accounts. This clash of narratives, preserved in the stone and copper-plate inscriptions of the rival dynasties, offers a fascinating glimpse into the nature of royal propaganda and the writing of history in ancient India.
According to the Pallava version, found in later grants like the Velurpalaiyam plates, Mahendravarman II met the challenge head-on and achieved a resounding victory. These records state that he confronted the invading Chalukyan forces at a place called Malliyur, believed to be near the capital, Kanchipuram. The Pallava chroniclers, with poetic flourish, claim that Mahendravarman II “completely defeated” Vikramaditya I, whose army was put to flight. In a particularly vivid and humiliating description, the inscription states that the Chalukyan king was forced to flee the battlefield with nothing but a rag to cover himself. For the Pallavas, this was a heroic defence of the homeland, where the young king proved himself a worthy successor to his father by repelling the great enemy.
However, the Chalukyan records tell a completely different story. In their own grants and inscriptions, they claim that Vikramaditya I was overwhelmingly successful. They boast that he “crushed the pride of the Pallava lineage,” “conquered Kanchi,” the Pallava capital, and “caused its splendour to be dimmed.” Some Chalukyan records even state that Vikramaditya I advanced as far south as the Kaveri river, camping in the city of Uraiyur, deep in the territory of the Pallavas' allies, the Cholas. In this version of events, Mahendravarman II was not a victorious defender, but a defeated king who lost his own capital to the avenging son of Pulakeshin II.
How do we reconcile these two accounts? The truth, as is often the case in such historical disputes, likely lies somewhere in the middle. Royal eulogies, or prashastis, were designed to glorify the ruling king, not to provide an objective historical account. It is plausible that Mahendravarman II did inflict a significant defeat on the Chalukyan advance at Malliyur, temporarily halting their progress. This victory would have been celebrated and immortalised in Pallava records. However, the sheer scale of the Chalukyan invasion may have been too great to contain entirely. It is equally plausible that another Chalukyan contingent, or even the main army after regrouping, managed to bypass Pallava defences and occupy Kanchipuram for a short period. The Chalukyan presence as far south as the Kaveri is a strong claim, suggesting a deep and damaging penetration into Pallava territory. The conflict was likely not a single, decisive battle, but a brutal, attritional war with victories and defeats on both sides.
What is certain is that Mahendravarman II’s reign, which lasted only a few years (c. 668–672 CE), was almost entirely consumed by this existential struggle.
Patronage and Governance in a Time of War
Given the brevity of his rule and its preoccupation with military defence, there are no major architectural or artistic works that can be definitively attributed to Mahendravarman II. His grandfather had initiated the Pallava rock-cut tradition, and his father had perfected it at Mamallapuram. It is reasonable to assume that the imperial workshops and skilled artisans continued their work, perhaps completing projects begun under Narasimhavarman I. The cultural momentum of the dynasty was too strong to be halted completely.
However, the king's resources and attention would have been overwhelmingly directed towards the army and the defence of the realm. Fortifications would have been strengthened, new soldiers recruited, and the kingdom's treasury used to fund the war effort. Mahendravarman II's primary contribution was not to cut new temples from granite, but to ensure that the kingdom that produced such wonders would survive to create more. His governance was one of crisis management, his patronage directed towards the preservation of the state itself.
Legacy & Influence: The Unsung Defender
Mahendravarman II died around 672 CE, leaving the throne to his son, Paramesvaravarman I. He is often seen as a transitional figure, a brief interlude between the celebrated reigns of his father, Narasimhavarman I, and his son, who would continue the war and eventually drive the Chalukyas out of Pallava lands. Yet, this view diminishes his crucial role.
His legacy is that of the unsung defender. He inherited the storm his father had sown and bore its initial, ferocious brunt. He did not lose the empire. He fought, and according to his own court's records, won a significant victory, holding the line against a determined and powerful foe. By absorbing the initial shock of Vikramaditya I's vengeful invasion, he bought precious time for the Pallava empire to rally. He ensured the continuity of the dynasty at its most vulnerable moment—a succession during a time of war.
Mahendravarman II is overshadowed by the grander achievements of his predecessors and successors. He was not a Vatapikonda like his father, nor a great temple-builder like his grandfather. He was a king who fulfilled the most fundamental duty of a monarch: he defended his people and his land against a formidable invasion. His short, violent reign serves as a stark reminder that the glorious artistic achievements of the Pallavas were not created in a vacuum, but in a world of constant political and military struggle, where the survival of the kingdom was a victory in itself.