We go ahead with part II of this series, parking all the questions/clarifications of the part I. Pallavas has tried to answered the question of their origin in various Sanskrit grants and inscription. Vayalur inscription (SII Vol 1, p 25) is very important in this regard. Dureuil says that he went to Vayalur to read that inscription himself. As per the inscription, the genealogy is as follows: 1. Brahma 2. Angiras 3. Brihaspati 4. Samyu 5. Bharadvaja 6. Drona 7. Asvathaman 8. Pallava 9. Asoka 10. Harigupta 11. Aryavarman 12. Kalinda 13. Byamalla 14. Ekamalla 15. Vimala 16. Konkanika 17. Kalabharti 18. Chutapallava 19. Virakrucha 20. Chandravarman 21. Karala 22. Vishnugopa 23. Skandamula 24. Kanagopa 25. Virakrucha 26. Skandavarman 27. Kumarvishnu 28. Buddhavarman 29. Skandavarman 30. Kumarvishnu 31. Buddhavarman 32. Skandavarman 33. Vishnugopa 34. Vishnudasa 35. Skandavarman 36. Simhavarman 37. Viravarman 38. Skandavarman 39. Simhavarman 40. Skandavarman 41. Nandivarman I 42. Simhavarman 43. Simhavarman 44. Vishnugopa 45. Simhavarman 46. Simhavishnu 47. Mahendravarman I 48. Narasimhavarman I 49. Mahendravarman II 50. Parameshvaravarman I
There seems to be some names here which are of Ganga origin. Pengonda plates gives the genealogy of Western Gangas as follows: Konkanivarman | Madhava | Aryavarman | Simhavarman
We have another record of Pallavas where similar legendary genealogy is seen. Kasakudi plates (SII Vol II, p 356) gives not a very long list but a significant one. The genealogy is as follows: 1. Brahma 2. Angiras 3. Brihaspati 4. Samyu 5. Bharadvaja 6. Drona 7. Ashvathaman 8. Pallava 9. Asokavarman 10. Skandavarman 11. Kalindavarman 12. Kanagopa 13. Vishnugopa 14. Virakrucha 15. Virasimha 16. Simhavarman 17. Vishnusimha 18. Simhavishnu (avanisimha) 19. Mahendravarman (who defeated enemies at Pullalura) 20. Narasimhavarman (conquest of Lanka, Vatapi) 21. Mahendravarman 22. Parameshvarapotavarman 23. Narasimhavarman 24. Parameshvarapotavarman 25. Nandivarman (chosen by subjects)
Between Vayalur and Kasakudi plates, we have similar genealogy till Asoka/Asokavarman. However they do not match afterwards. Where Vayalur gives a long list of kings between Asoka and Simhavishnu, Kasakudi list is small. Fortunately we have another grant, Velurpalaiyam grant (SII Vol II, Part V, p 510), where genealogy is also given. Till Asoka, the genealogy is same. We also see names like Kalabhartri, Chutapallava. But both, Vayalur inscription and Velurpalaiyam grant, coincides from Virakrucha, no 25 in Vayalur, onwards. Both the epigraphs supports the genealogy as follows:
Velupalaiyam plates also says that Virakrucha was the first king who “grasped the complete insignia of royalty”, which suggests that he was the first Pallava king. All of his predecessors were not king, but some vassals under Andhra kings. This king, Virakrucha, is also known from Darsi plates (EI, Vol I, p 397). Skandasishya is mentioned in Tirukkalukkunram inscription (EI, Vol III, p 277). We have identified this Skandasishya with Skandavarman of Vayalur as both the inscriptions put him as the son of Virakrucha, and father of Kumarvishnu and grandfather of Buddhavarman.
Now if we take Virakrucha as the first Pallava king, then we need to relook at the earliest Prakrit grants of Pallavas. We find Vijaya-Shivaskandavarman, once as Yuva-maharaja, then as maharaja in those grants. The genealogy of these grants is already defined above. We also have another grant, Chendalur (EI Vol VIII, no 23, p 233), where we find another genealogy as follows: Skandavarman | Kumaravishnu | Buddhavarman
Dubreuil again suggests here the Pahlava origin of Pallavas. He says that Pallavas were not kings and alien to South India. So it is most probable that a Pahlava married a daughter of Andhra king Skandavarman and became the first king of Pallavas. His son was named Shiva-skandavarman, on the name of his grandfather.
However now we know that Virakrucha was the first Pallava king and the genealogy after him, till Buddhavarman, is supported by various other grants as well. Now if we move down the list of Vayalur genealogy, we will find Vishnugopa who should be the king mentioned in Samudragupta’s pillar inscription at Allahabad of about 339 AD.
Now if we try to combine the data of all the plates we have, we will get a structure like this:
1. Father of Yuva-maharaja Sivaskandavarman (Bappa deva) -> King of Kanchi | 2. Sivaskandavarman/3. Vijaya-skandavarman | 4. Skandavarman | 5. Kumaravishnu I | 6. Buddhavarman | 7. Kumaravishnu II | 8. Vishnugopa I 338 AD | 9. Vishnudasa (Kumaravishnu) 366 AD | 10. Skandavarman I 394 AD | 11. Viravarman (422 AD) | 12. Skandavarman II (450 AD)
1) What's the relation between the main (Simhavarman I) branch and the Yuva Maharaja Vishnugopa branch? If the tree is to be believed, until Simhavishnu's reign, they have to have been alternating between the two branches, if all the people mentioned were actually kings.
2) How did the Khamboja branch come about? Adventuring all the way to Cambodia by Bhimavarman? Or was he called upon to rule there by the people of Khamboja?