ABSTRACT
The ancient site of Mahābalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram, is important in Indian history as the second capital and seaport of the Pallava Dynasty, whose kingdom was centered at Kānchipuram, about thirty miles to the northwest. The Pallavas succeeded the Andhra, or Sātavāhana, Dynasty as rulers of southeast India and are known to have existed since the first century B.C. They were to become rulers of the Tondaimandalam, the area around Madras and Kānchipuram, from the third century A.D. The Pallava kings are best known for their rivalry with the Cālukyas, with whom they were frequently at war. The height of the power of the Pallava Dynasty was between the fifth and eighth centuries.
