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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox royalty
| succession = [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava King]]
| reign = 700–729 CE (29 years)
| predecessor = [[Paramesvaravarman I]]
| successor = [[Paramesvaravarman II]]
| dynasty = [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]]
| father = [[Paramesvaravarman I]]
| issue = Mahendravarman III, [[Paramesvaravarman II]]
}}
{{Pallava}}
'''Narasimhavarman II''' or '''Narasimha Varma II'''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0CybxK9ANI8C&q=narasimha-varma+II&pg=PA203|title=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|date=1885|publisher=Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WuBFs6yFRwcC|title=The Pearson CSAT Manual 2011|last=Thorpe|first=Edgar Thorpe, Showick|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=9788131758304|language=en}}</ref>(r. 700 - 729 CE), popularly known as '''Rajasimha Pallava''', was a ruler of the [[Pallava]] kingdom. Sen states Narasimhavarman, or '''Rajamalla''', reigned from 695 to 722 AD. Rajasimha is credited with the construction of the [[Shore Temple]], Isvara and Mukunda Temples in [[Mahabalipuram]], the [[Panamalai]] Temple in [[South Arcot]], plus the [[Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple|Kailasanathar Temple]].<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-93-80607-34-4 |pages=41–44}}</ref> Rajasimha's reign was period of great literary and architectural advancements and he is often grouped by historians with [[Mahendravarman I]] and [[Narasimhavarman I]] as one of the greatest Pallava rulers.

==Accession to the throne==
By the time Rajasimha ascended the throne, the Pallavas were by the large most powerful military force in the subcontinent. His father Parameswaravarman I was among the greatest of warrior kings of ancient India, the Amaravati Pallava inscription praises him of being: "As vigorous and strong as lord sambhu (siva)". Parameswaravarman I had subdued all his formidable enemies to extend the Pallava empire far and away. Rajasimha followed up very well.The Vayalur inscription of Pallavas issued on the eve of the coronation of Rajasimha (695.C.E-728.C.E), gives a lineage of 54 rulers through the epochs of Kritam, Dwaparam and Kali up to emperor Rajasimha, this includes 47 kings after Aswattaman, the great warrior ancestor of the Pallavas.

==The reign==
Rajasimha, like of most of [[Pallava]] kings before him, was a great militarist. That the Pallavas were recognized as a major power during his period is testified by the fact that he exchanged ambassadors with [[China]]. In general his period was relatively free from major wars and Pallava domination of south east Asia continued.

==General of South China==
In the 8th century, the [[Tang dynasty]], forged a [[military alliance]] with Narasimhavarman II and made him the [[General of the army|General]] of the [[Northern and southern China|South China]] to safeguard from the expanding [[Tibetan Empire]].<ref>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/a-1700-year-old-chinese-connection/articleshow/70968006.cms</ref>

==Contribution to literature==
Rajasimha was a skilled dramatist and poet. He wrote many works in [[Sanskrit]]. Most of these are missing. His Sanskrit plays had themes from Ramayana, Mahabharatha and ''puranas''. ''Kutiyattam'', which is considered as the most ancient available form of dance drama and is
still in vogue in [[Kerala]], uses some of his plays (like ''kailasodharanam'') for subject matter and so does chakyar koothu another ancient Tamil dramatized worship service. another play called "kamsavadham" dealing with lord krishna's killing of kamsa also was written by the king.

The [[Sanskrit]] litterateur [[Dandi (poet)|Dandin]] spent several years in his court and was patronized by the king, but we do not know about his standing as the inscriptions denote considerable level of erudition . Rajasimha himself was a great devotee who was credited for having mastered the great agamic worship rituals" like preceptor drona".<ref name=Dandin>Tripathi, p450</ref>

For all his accomplishments, Rajasimha is mainly remembered as a foremost devotee of lord sivan and a relentless,truthful, diehard warrior king who made sure that pallava armies remained dominant in the subcontinent. Lord sivan is famously known to have appeared in the king's dream and ordered him to adjourn his coronation because he wanted to first bless an impoverished saint poosalar.This event is very well described in most pallava grants of Rajasimha as well as the ones after him.

==Religious endowments==
Rajasimha was a great devotee of [[Shiva]] and constructed the [[Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple|Kailasanathar Temple]] at [[Kanchipuram]].

Rajasimha is generally identified with as [[Kalarsinga Nayanar]] ( meaning "one who is lion to crowd of evil kings") Nayanar. one of the 63 Shaiva saints and also a contemporary to many nayanmar saints like sundarar, dandi, poosalar and his great queen Rangapataka who was known to be a pious queen. Rajasimha is greatly admired for valor. He took many titles like "ranajaya", and "sivachudamani". Rajasimha also famously declared before lord sivan in tiruvarur alongside serruthunai a nayanmar saint that he considered himself not as a king but a sincere servant of lord sivan.

==Patronage of architecture==
[[File:ShoreTemple.jpg|thumb|The Shore Temple at [[Mahabalipuram]] built by Narasimhavarman II]]
Rajasimha's reign was marked by peace and prosperity, and he constructed several beautiful temples.<ref name=Dandin/> Apart from the [[Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple|Kailasanathar Temple]] at Kanchipuram, Rajasimha also built several other temples, including the [[Tiru Parameswara Vinnagaram|Vaikuntha Perumal Temple]] at Kanchi, [[Shore Temple]] at Mahabalipuram.<ref name=ching2>Ching, Francis D.K, A Global History of Architecture, p 274</ref><ref>Keay, John, India: A History, p 174</ref> He is also credited with building the [[Iravatanesvara Temple, Kanchipuram|Iravatanesvara Temple]] at Kanchipuram and the [[Talagirisvara Temple]] at Panamalai.<ref name=ASI>South Indian Inscriptions, Volume 12, ASI</ref>

==Successor==
Rajasimha's had two sons - Mahendravarman III and Paramesvaravarman II. However, Mahendravarman III predeceased his father, and [[Paramesvaravarman II]] succeeded to the throne in 728 CE.
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Pallava dynasty]]}}
{{S-bef| before=[[Paramesvaravarman I]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Pallava dynasty]] | years=695–722}}
{{S-aft| after=[[Paramesvaravarman II]]}}
{{end}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book| first= Francis D.K.| last= Ching| year= 2007| title= A Global History of Architecture| publisher= John Wiley and Sons| location= New York| isbn= 978-0-471-26892-5| display-authors= etal| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/globalhistoryofa0000chin}}
* {{cite book | first= John | last= Keay | year=2001 | title= India: A History | publisher= Grove Press | location= New York| isbn= 0-8021-3797-0}}
* {{cite book | first=Tansen | last=Sen | year=2003 | title=Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade | publisher=University of Hawaii Press | isbn= 0-8248-2593-4}}
* {{cite book | first= Rama Sankar| last= Tripathi| year= 1967| title= History of Ancient India| publisher= Motilal Banarsidass Publications| location= India| isbn= 81-208-0018-4}}
* [http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_12/introduction.html South Indian Inscriptions, Volume 12]
* A study on koodiyattam, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE ART.
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Narasimhavarman 02}}
[[Category:6th-century births]]
[[Category:6th-century deaths]]
[[Category:Pallava kings]]

Narasimhavarman II - Revision history

imported>Senthamizhselvan93 at 17:45, 26 August 2021