Nandivarman III
Pallava emperor from 846 to 869
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Nandivarman III (r. 846–869) was an Indian monarch of the Nandivarman II line who ruled the Pallava kingdom from 846 to 869.[2] He was the son of Dantivarman and the grandson of Nandivarman II.[3]
Kampavarman (north)
Kandan Marampavaiyar
| Nandivarman III | |
|---|---|
| Tellaru erinda[1] | |
| Pallava Monarch | |
| Reign | c. 846 – c. 869 |
| Predecessor | Dantivarman |
| Successor | Nriputungavarman (south) Kampavarman (north) |
| Spouse | Shankha Kandan Marampavaiyar |
| Issue | Nriputungavarman, Kampavarman |
| Dynasty | Pallava |
| Father | Dantivarman |
| Mother | Aggalanimati |
| Religion | Jainism (Digambara) |
| Virakurcha | (Unknown) |
|---|---|
| Vishnugopa I | (Unknown) |
| Vishnugopa II | (Unknown) |
| Simhavarman III | (Unknown) |
| Simhavishnu | 575–600 |
| Mahendravarman I | 600–630 |
| Narasimhavarman I | 630–668 |
| Mahendravarman II | 668–670 |
| Parameswaravarman I | 670–695 |
| Narasimhavarman II | 695–728 |
| Paramesvaravarman II | 728–731 |
| Nandivarman II | 731–795 |
| Dantivarman | 795–846 |
| Nandivarman III | 846–869 |
| Nriputungavarman | 869–880 |
| Aparajita Varman | 880–897 |
Reign
Nandivarman III was born to the Pallava king Dantivarman and a Kadamba princess named Aggalanimati.[4] His guru (teacher) was the well-known Digambara Jain monk Jinasena.[5] He tried to reverse the decline that began in the reign of his father Dantivarman. Nandivarman III made an alliance with the Rashtrakutas and the Gangas to form a confederacy against the Pandyas. He defeated the Pandyas at the Battle of Tellaru in 830.[6][7] He then pursued the retreating Pandyan army as far as the Vaigai river. The Pandyan king Srimara Srivallabha, however, recovered most of his territories and even defeated the Pallavas at Kumbakonam.[8][9][10]
Nandivarman had a powerful navy and maintained trade contacts with Siam and Malaya. He possibly conquered territory in Southeast Asia as he constructed a Vishnu temple at Siam which was placed under the protection of the Manigramam merchant guild.[11][2] He was a great patron of arts and literature.[4] The Bharatam was translated into Tamil by Perundevanar under his patronage. The Nandikkalambakam was composed by a poet in praise of Nandivarman III.[12][13][7] His reign saw the construction of the Vishnu temple at Kiliyanur and the Shiva temple at Thirukattupalli.
Nandivarman III married a Rashtrakuta princess named Shankha, who was likely the daughter of Amoghavarsha I, the Rashtrakuta emperor. He had a son named Nripatunga from Shankha, who succeeded him as king.[14][15] His second wife was a Paluvettaraiyar princess named Kandan Marampavaiyar, through which he had his second son named Kampavarman. Before his death, Nandivarman III divided his kingdom between his two sons- Nriputungavarman ruling in the south and Kampavarman ruling in the north.[5]