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Consider the following events in the history of India : 1. Rise of Pratiharas under King Bhoja 2. Establishment of Pallava power under Mahendravarman - I 3. Establishment of Chola power by Parantaka - I 4. Pala dynasty founded by Gopala What is the correct chronological order of the above events, starting from the earliest time ?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 3 (2-4-1-3). The chronological sequence of these historical events is determined by the regnal years of the respective monarchs:
- Mahendravarman I (c. 600–630 CE): He was a pioneering Pallava king who established significant power in South India during the early 7th century, making this the earliest event.
- Gopala (c. 750 CE): He founded the Pala dynasty in Bengal following a period of anarchy (Matsyanyaya) in the mid-8th century.
- King Bhoja (c. 836–885 CE): Also known as Mihira Bhoja, he led the Gurjara-Pratihara empire to its zenith in the 9th century.
- Parantaka I (c. 907–955 CE): He was a significant ruler of the Imperial Cholas who expanded their power by defeating the Pandyas and capturing Madurai in the 10th century.
Thus, the sequence 2 (7th century), 4 (8th century), 1 (9th century), and 3 (10th century) is historically accurate.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Timeline Anchor' question. It rewards students who map dynasties to centuries rather than memorizing exact years. The TN Class 11 History book covers 3/4 directly; the fourth (Bhoja) is easily placed if you understand the 'Tripartite Struggle' era. The trick is distinguishing between a 'Founder' (Gopala) and a 'Zenith Ruler' (Bhoja).
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: In the history of India, when did Mahendravarman I establish Pallava power (reign years or approximate date)?
- Statement 2: In the history of India, when was the Pala dynasty founded by Gopala (founding year or approximate date)?
- Statement 3: In the history of India, when did Parantaka I establish Chola power (reign years or approximate date)?
- Statement 4: In the history of India, when did the rise of the Pratiharas under King Bhoja occur (reign years or approximate date)?
States that Mahendravarman I and Narasimhavarman I made efforts to extend Pallava territory and engaged in wars with the Chalukyas, placing Mahendravarman in the key expansion phase of the dynasty.
A student can use the known reign dates of Narasimhavarman I (given elsewhere in the snippets) to infer that Mahendravarman's active period is immediately before or overlapping Narasimhavarman's expansion (i.e., early 7th century).
Provides Narasimhavarman I's reign years (630–668) and describes him as succeeding in later campaigns — implying earlier Pallava consolidation under his predecessors.
Combine Narasimhavarman's dated reign with the statement that Mahendravarman preceded or contemporaneously set up the Pallava power to place Mahendravarman around the late 6th/early 7th century.
Attributes the introduction of rock-cut temples to Mahendravarman I and cites inscriptions (Mandagappattu), showing he was an active ruler who commissioned monuments — a sign of establishment/consolidation of power.
A student could date such architectural developments relative to Narasimhavarman's known dates to narrow Mahendravarman's period to the generation immediately before mid-7th century.
Mentions that an attack on Kanchipuram was thwarted by Mahendravarman Pallava, triggering prolonged war with the Chalukyas — indicating Mahendravarman was the ruling Pallava when major interstate conflicts began.
Knowing Narasimhavarman I's later victories (630–668) lets a student place Mahendravarman's defensive/establishing actions earlier, consistent with an early 7th-century timeframe.
Explains that the Pallavas emerged as a powerful dynasty in the south as Satavahana power declined and consolidated territory in parts of present-day South India, giving a broader context for when Pallava power rose.
A student can combine this general timeline (post-Satavahana decline) with the specific dated reign of Narasimhavarman I to infer that the consolidation under Mahendravarman likely occurred around the turn of the 7th century.
- Gives Dharmapala's regnal years as 770–815 CE and explicitly identifies Dharmapala as Gopala I's son and successor.
- If Dharmapala began ruling by 770 CE after succeeding Gopala I, the foundation by Gopala must be placed shortly before that — i.e., mid‑8th century.
- Names Gopala as the founder of the Pala dynasty and describes his election by regional chieftains.
- Confirms the identity of the founder so the regnal dating in the other snippet can be used to approximate the founding date.
- Gives explicit regnal years for Parantaka I as 907–955, placing his rule in the early–mid 10th century.
- Links Parantaka I as a key successor who brought glory to the Cholas, implying consolidation of Chola power during these years.
- Specifically identifies Parantaka (Paranthaka Chola I) with dates 907–955 and credits him with consolidation after the Vijayalaya revival.
- Positions Parantaka I in the dynastic sequence immediately before Rajaraja I, clarifying the timeframe of Chola strengthening.
- Records an inscriptional action circa 945 CE by Parantaka I, providing a mid-10th-century chronological anchor for his reign.
- Confirms his active rule and temple-related acts around the 940s, consistent with the 907–955 date range.
- Directly names King Bhoja and gives his reign years.
- States the dynasty reached its zenith under Bhoja, tying his reign to the rise/height of Pratihara power.
States explicitly that the rise of the Pratiharas occurred in Jalore under Mihira Bhoja, identifying the ruler associated with that rise.
A student could look up Mihira (Mihira) Bhoja's reign dates in standard chronological lists to place this 'rise' in time.
Says the Rashtrakutas captured Kanauj from the Pratiharas and that 'they continued to rule until 10th century CE', giving an endpoint for Pratihara prominence.
Combine this endpoint with Mihira Bhoja's identity to infer the Pratihara rise predates or is earlier than the 10th century, then check reign dates around 9th century.
Notes that by the beginning of the tenth century the Gurjar Pratihara had lost power, implying their peak or rise occurred earlier (i.e., before c. 900–1000 CE).
Use this relative chronology to narrow the likely period of Bhoja's rise to the centuries immediately preceding the 10th century.
Gives concrete dates for contemporary/nearby dynasties (Pushyabhuti rulers c. 580–605 CE), providing temporal context for medieval regional dynasties.
A student can place the Pratihara rise relative to these dated dynasties and eliminate much earlier centuries (e.g., 6th century) as the time of Bhoja's rise.
Describes political events in northern India in the early 11th century (invasion c. 1020–1025 CE) showing later shifts in power after the Palas' revival and decline.
Use this later-11th/early-11th century marker to reinforce that the Pratihara rise under Bhoja was earlier, helping bracket the event before these 11th-century developments.
- [THE VERDICT]: Standard Book Sitter. Directly solvable from TN Class 11 History (Medieval India section).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Tripartite Struggle' for Kannauj (Palas vs. Pratiharas vs. Rashtrakutas) and the South Indian sequence (Pallava -> Chola).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize these anchors: Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE, Rock-cut architecture); Gopala (750 CE, Founder of Palas); Mihira Bhoja (836–885 CE, Pratihara Zenith, Adivaraha coins); Parantaka I (907–955 CE, Chola consolidator, Uttaramerur Inscription).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize isolated dates. Use 'Relative Chronology'. Pallavas (7th C) are contemporaries of Harsha. Palas/Pratiharas (8th-9th C) fought each other. Imperial Cholas (10th C onwards) rose after the Pallavas fell. This 'Era-Mapping' solves the sequence without exact years.
Kanchipuram was the Pallava capital and Tondaimandalam was the core region from which Pallava power was exercised.
High-yield for UPSC because identifying regional capitals and political cores helps place dynasties geographically and administratively; connects history with historical geography and temple-location questions; useful for questions on regional polity, urban centres and continuity of cultural sites.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > Pallavas > p. 132
Mahendravarman I and Narasimhavarman I led Pallava expansion that provoked prolonged wars with the Chalukyas, shaping political fortunes of the dynasty.
Critical for syllabus topics on inter-dynastic conflict and chronology; mastering this helps answer causation and consequence questions about southern polity, military campaigns, and alliances, and to anchor relative dates using better-dated rulers (e.g., Narasimhavarman I).
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > Pallavas > p. 132
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > 9.2Pallavas > p. 122
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > Chalukyas 9.1 > p. 118
Mahendravarman I is credited with introducing rock-cut temples and the Pallava period produced major architectural works exemplified by Mamallapuram.
High-yield for art-and-culture sections; links architectural styles to specific rulers and periods, aids in source-based and descriptive questions on temple development and material/technique changes, and connects cultural history with economic and social history of temple-centred communities.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > Rock-cut Temples > p. 126
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > Pallavas > p. 132
Regnal years of Dharmapala (770–815 CE) and his succession after Gopala allow dating the Pala dynasty's foundation to the mid‑8th century.
High‑yield for chronology questions: learning to infer a founder's approximate date from known dates of successors helps place dynasties when explicit foundation years are absent. Connects to broader techniques of reconstructing timelines across medieval Indian polities and supports comparative questions on contemporary dynasties.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > Pala Rulers > p. 111
Gopala was elected by regional chieftains, showing a non‑hereditary, consultative mode of royal legitimation at the dynasty's start.
Important for polity and state‑formation topics: distinguishes elective or consensual origins from hereditary claim, useful for questions on early medieval political structures, sources of legitimacy, and regional power dynamics in eastern India.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > II Palas > p. 115
Early Pala rulers (Gopala's successors) patronized major Buddhist institutions, linking political expansion to religious and educational patronage.
Useful for cultural‑political synthesis: demonstrates how royal patronage underpins state legitimacy and soft power; aids answers that connect chronology with institutional contributions (e.g., Vikramashila, Nalanda) in essays and prelims/mains questions.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > II Palas > p. 115
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > Pala Rulers > p. 111
Parantaka I ruled approximately 907–955 CE and is credited with consolidating Chola power in this period.
Chronological placement of major rulers is high-yield for UPSC history questions; mastering Parantaka I's dates helps situate later imperial expansion under Rajaraja I and Rajendra I and answers questions on political consolidation timelines.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 11: Later Cholas and Pandyas > Origin of the Dynasty > p. 156
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 11: Later Cholas and Pandyas > I Cholas > p. 172
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > 2.4 Relations with the state > p. 146
Since Parantaka I appeared, the 'Next Logical Question' is his famous 'Uttaramerur Inscription' (details of village administration/Kudavolai system). Also, watch out for 'Dantidurga' (Founder of Rashtrakutas, mid-8th C) who fits perfectly into this timeline gap.
Apply the 'Ancient vs. Medieval' filter. Mahendravarman (Pallava) is Ancient (contemporary of Pulakeshin II/Harsha). Parantaka (Imperial Chola) is Medieval. Thus, 2 must be first and 3 must be last. This leaves only Options A and C. Now, compare Gopala (Founder) vs. Bhoja (Zenith). A founder of a Tripartite dynasty (Pala) usually precedes the peak of its rival (Pratihara). Logic dictates 4 before 1. Answer is C.
Mains GS1 (Art & Culture): Link the rulers to their architectural legacy. Mahendravarman = Transition from wood to stone (Rock-cut). Parantaka I = Gold plating of Chidambaram Nataraja temple (Vembu). This connects political chronology to the evolution of Dravidian architecture.