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Question 49 of 93 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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Which dynasty first initiated the Dravidian style of structural temple architecture in South India?

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Answer: Option B — Pallava dynasty

Detailed Solution

The Pallavas, who ruled in northern Tamil Nadu from about the 6th to the 9th centuries CE, are credited with initiating the Dravidian style of temple architecture in South India.

Stages of Pallava architecture:

Historians usually describe four phases of Pallava architecture, named after the rulers:

  • "Mahendra style" (Mahendravarman I, early 7th century): rock-cut cave temples (mandapas), cut into hillsides, such as those at Mandagapattu, Pallavaram and Mahendravadi.
  • "Mamalla style" (Narasimhavarman I, mid-7th century): monolithic rathas (temples carved out of single rocks) and rock-cut mandapas at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), such as the Pancha Rathas and the Arjuna's Penance relief.
  • "Rajasimha style" (Narasimhavarman II, late 7th-early 8th century): the first structural (built) temples, made of stone blocks, such as the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram and the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram.
  • "Nandivarman style" (8th-9th century): smaller structural temples, such as the Vaikuntha Perumal temple at Kanchipuram.

Features of the Dravidian style:

  • A square sanctum (garbhagriha) with a pyramidal, tiered tower called the "vimana".
  • A pillared hall (mandapa) in front.
  • A courtyard surrounded by a wall (prakara).
  • Gateway towers ("gopurams"), which became very large in later periods.
  • The Dravidian style was developed further by the Cholas (such as the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur), the Pandyas, the Vijayanagara rulers and the Nayakas.

Mahabalipuram:

The "Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Other styles:

  • "Nagara": the north Indian style, with a curvilinear tower (shikhara).
  • "Vesara": a mixed style, developed in the Deccan by the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Hoysalas.
  • Good to know
  • The Cholas developed the Dravidian style further, after the Pallavas.
  • The Pandyas built gopurams and temples later.
  • The Hoysalas developed their own star-shaped style in Karnataka.

Quick tip

Remember: Pallavas = initiators of Dravidian temple architecture (Mahendra -> Mamalla -> Rajasimha -> Nandivarman styles); first structural temples = Shore Temple and Kailasanatha (Rajasimha).

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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