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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Pallava emperor (c. 575 – 600 CE)}}<br />
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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}<br />
{{Infobox royalty<br />
| name = Simhavishnu<br />
| title = Avanisimha<br />
| image = Simhavishnu portrait in stone.jpg<br />
| alt = A stone relief carving showing a seated king with two queens standing beside him.<br />
| caption = Simhavishnu with his queens: sculpture found in Adivaraha mandapam in [[Mahabalipuram]]. This is dated to the reign of his grandson, [[Narasimhavarman I]] (630–668).<br />
| succession = [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava emperor]]<br />
| reign = c. 575 – 600 CE (disputed)<br />
| predecessor = [[Simhavarman III]]<br />
| successor = [[Mahendravarman I]]<br />
| spouse = Daughter of [[Vishnukundina dynasty#Vikramendra Varma II|Vikramendra Varma II]]<ref>{{cite book | last=Rao | first=P. Raghunadha | title=Ancient and Medieval History of Andhra Pradesh | publisher=Sterling Publishers | date=1993 | isbn=978-81-207-1495-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wENuAAAAMAAJ | page=32 }}</ref><br />
| issue = [[Mahendravarman I]]<br />
| father = [[Simhavarman III]]<br />
| dynasty = [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]]<br />
}}<br />
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'''Simhavishnu''' ([[IAST]]: Siṃhaviṣṇu), also known as '''Avanisimha''', son of [[Simhavarman III]], was a king of the [[Pallava dynasty]] responsible for its revival. He was the first Pallava monarch whose domain extended beyond [[Kanchipuram]] (Kanchi) to the south. He is portrayed as a great conqueror in ''[[Mattavilasa Prahasana]]'', a drama written by his son [[Mahendravarman I]].<br />
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== Reign ==<br />
There is no exact academic consensus regarding the period of Simhavishnu's reign. Different scholars propose the following timelines:<br />
* K. A. Nilakanta Sastri: 555–590 CE<ref name=sastri135>Sastri (2008), p. 135</ref><br />
* Sailendra Nath Sen: 575–600 CE<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=41–42}}</ref><br />
* T. V. Mahalingam: 575–615 CE<br />
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Based on available [[Hero stone]]s, he ruled for at least 33 years.<ref name=sastri135/><br />
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== Expansion of kingdom ==<br />
When Simhavishnu ascended the throne, the Pallava dynasty was beginning to reassert its supremacy. At that time, the southern peninsula of India was ruled by five dynasties: the Pallavas, [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]], and [[Pandya dynasty|Pandyas]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]; the [[Chera dynasty|Cheras]] in [[Kerala]]; and the [[Chalukya dynasty|Chalukyas]] in [[Karnataka]].<br />
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Simhavishnu overthrew the [[Kalabhras]] and conquered the region up to the [[Kaveri River]], where he came into conflict with the Pandyas and Ceylon.<ref name="sastri135"/> He is also credited with establishing Kanchipuram as a powerful capital. The presence of Pallava influence in [[Southeast Asia]]—attested by art and [[Grantha script]] inscriptions in countries like [[Thailand]], [[Laos]], and [[Cambodia]]—is often traced back to the maritime foundations laid during this period.<br />
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The struggle between the Pallavas and the Chalukyas, which would last for more than two centuries, began during his reign.<br />
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== Contribution to literature ==<br />
Simhavishnu was a patron of the [[Sanskrit]] poet [[Bharavi]], author of the epic ''[[Kiratarjuniya]]'', which depicts the duel between [[Lord Shiva|Shiva]] and [[Arjuna]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fTLlcGlkdjkC&dq=pasupata'+missile&pg=PA200 David Smith, ''The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India,'' Cambridge (2004) p. 200] {{ISBN|0-521-52865-8}}</ref> The structure of the work suggests it was intended for ''[[Koodiyattam]]'' performances during temple festivals, a tradition that continues to this day.<br />
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== Religious affiliation ==<br />
Simhavishnu was a follower of [[Vaishnavism]], as evidenced by the [[Tamil copper-plate inscriptions|Udayendiram copper plates]] of [[Nandivarman II]]. This is significant as his son, Mahendravarman I, was initially a follower of [[Jainism]] before converting to [[Shaivism]].<br />
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A portrait of Simhavishnu can be seen in the stone engravings at the [[Varaha Cave Temple]] (Adivaraha Mandapam) in [[Mahabalipuram]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] that stands as a testament to Pallava art.<br />
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== Notes ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
* {{cite book | first= K. A. N. | last= Sastri | orig-year = 1955 | year=2008 | title= A History of South India | edition= 4th | publisher= Oxford University Press | location= New Delhi, India}}<br />
* Hirsh, Marilyn "Mahendravarman I Pallava: Artist and Patron of Mamallapuram", ''Artibus Asiae'', Vol. 48, No. 1/2. (1987), pp. 113–130.<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050913113639/http://faculty.sxu.edu/~rabe/simhavishnu.htm Simhavishnu portrait] at Saint Xavier's University website.<br />
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{{S-start}}<br />
{{S-hou|[[Pallava dynasty]]}}<br />
{{S-bef|before=[[Simhavarman III]]}}<br />
{{S-ttl|title=[[Pallava dynasty|Pallava King]]|years=c. 575 – 600 CE}}<br />
{{S-aft|after=[[Mahendravarman I]]}}<br />
{{S-end}}<br />
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[[Category:Pallava kings]]<br />
[[Category:6th-century Indian monarchs]]</div>WinifredMontero