Simha Varman II

Simha Varman II
King of Pallava
Reign 438–460 AD
Coronation 438 AD
Predecessor Skanda Varman III
Successor Skanda Varman IV
Issue Simha Vishnu, Bhima Varman
House Pallava dynasty
Father Crown Prince Vishnugopa
Religion Buddhism

Simha Varman II (Devanāgarī: सिम्हा वर्मन), was a ruler from the Pallava Dynasty who ruled portions of land between what is now Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Biography

Simha Varman II was the son of Crown Prince Vishnugopa [1] and in most likelihood ruled out of Dasanapura [2](a village near present day Bangalore). A definitive date to his tenure as ruler is hard to pinpoint owing to lack of historical evidence, and available sources place his tenure between a period from 430 - 550 AD, however, a majority converge around the period of 438 - 460 AD as a likely period. Simha Varman II was also a buddhist unlike most other Pallava Kings who were predominantly orthodox Hindus.[3]

His reign was presumably prosperous as a vast majority of the available information indicates that the largest number of grants in the early Pallava period were issued during his tenure as ruler.[2]

Much is also not known about his direct descendents, but he is believed to have sired at least two sons, Simha Vishnu, and Bhima Varman.[4]

Historical Sources

There is not much information available about the early period of the Pallava dynasty, and much of the information on Simha Varman II known today is speculative and based on possible theoretical reconstructions of the available information. The only credible sources of information about this period, are the temples constructed by the Pallavas, and the discovery of the Uruvapalli copperplates among others which shed some light on the rulers of the time.

Simha Varman II
Pallava dynasty
Preceded by
Skanda Varman III
Pallava King
4th Century AD
Succeeded by
Skanda Varman IV

See also

References

  1. Aiyangar, K. Some Contributions of South India to Indian Culture. Cosmo Publications. p. 153.
  2. 2.0 2.1 R.C.Majumdar; A.S.Altekar (1986). Vakataka - Gupta Age Circa 200-550 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 234. ISBN 978-8120800267. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  3. Vincent A. Smith (1906). Volume 2 – From the Sixth Century B.C. to the Mohammedan Conquest, Including the Invasion of Alexander the Great. p. 383. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  4. History of Kanchipuram

External links