Introduction (Pallava Dynasty)

After the decline of the Imperial Pallavas of Kanchi towards the close of the 9th century A.D., many a dynasty of Pallava descent ruled in South India, in different localities, at varying times, from the middle of the 10th to the beginning of the 15th century A.D. The Pallavas in the Telugu land were the Pallavas of Guntur, Nellore, Tripurantakam, Proddutur, Pentrala, Kanchi and Virakuta and the Pallavas in the Tamil country were the Kadavarayas and the Sambuvarayas. Mostly the Telugu Pallavas were feudatory dynasties but assumed hereditary title of lordship over Kanchi. In no case is any lineal connection between the ancient Pallavas and their Telugu descendants traceable and the inter-relationship between the different families is also not apparent. The Telugu Pallavas acquired important political victories and owed allegiance to the Eastern Chalukyas, the Cholas the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani, the Kakatiyas, the Pandyas and the kings of Vijayanagar.

The Pallavamallas

The Pallavamallas, in the 10th century A.D., were the feudatories of the Chalukyas of Vengi. Pallavammalla was a title borne by Nandivarma Maharaja, the last among the Imperial. Pallavas. Hence these Pallavas claiming descent from Nandivarmapallavamalla, may be called Pallavamallas. The earliest member of the family was Kalivarma. His son Makariyaraja was in the service of Badapa, brother of Tala II and lost his life in the civil war in Vengi, after the accession of Vijayaditya. fighting on the side of his master Kuppamayya alias Kuppanamatya was also in the service of Ammaraja Vijayaditya (945 A.D.—970) and received presents from him. Later on he proved a traitor to the king, fought on the side of the sons of Yuddhamalla against the king, and got from them the agraharas—Tandem and Betipudi. He became minister of Tala II—Vishnuvardhana and received from him Sripundi in Velanandu Vishaya. In the Arumbaka inscription of Badapamaharaju, Kuppanamatya is mentioned as the holder of mahasamantamatyapada. Kuppanayya definitely says that he was of the lineage of Pallavamalla; and he was last of the line as no descondants of him are heard of. A pallavamalla is mentioned in a Telugu epigraph at Kotappakonda (Gontur district) in characters of about the 10th century A.D. His relationship to other pallavamallas is unknown.