Longest ruling South Indian dynasties

Walk past the Anthropology Galleries building to the Archaeology Galleries building. You can play this story at the entrance of the South Indian Sculptures Gallery on the ground floor of this building.

Do you know which dynasty in India ruled the longest?

If you thought of the Mughals, you’d be far off the mark. Their rule lasted for just over 300 years! There are dynasties that held onto their power for over 1500 years!

The Pandyas of Madurai and the Cheras of modern-day Kerala ruled between the 3rd century BCE and the 12th century CE. And they were not alone. Their neighbours, the Cholas, who ruled from Thanjavur in southern Tamil Nadu, also reigned for nearly 1500 years!

And in these 1500 odd years, they largely went about governing their own lands, and developing their kingdoms as best as they could. This shows in the distinct family of languages, customs and festivals you see in South India. The region rarely came under the direct control of the North Indian kings. However, there was a non-stop tussle for supremacy among the kingdoms of the South.

Take the Cholas for instance. For 400 years, between the 4th and the 8th centuries, the Cholas were reduced to an insignificant power. This was when another South Indian dynasty called the Pallavas took centre stage. Their capital was Kanchipuram, a city that became a famous seat of Sanskrit learning during their time. But the Pallavas are best known for their 7th- century rock-cut temples in Mamallapuram. By the 8th century CE, the Cholas had bounced back and very soon their territories extended all the way up to Bengal in the North and even overseas to Sri Lanka, Maldives, and parts of South-east Asia. The Cholas were a strong maritime power and were prolific temple builders. The magnificent 10th- century Brihadeshwara temple in Thanjavur stands testimony to the might of their Chola empire.

Meanwhile, during much of this time, other South Indian states - modern-day Karnataka, Andhra and parts of Maharashtra were ruled by the powerful Chalukyas. They had their capital in Badami in western Karnataka, where you can still see their beautiful 7th century rock-cut temples.

By the 14th century, as these dynasties started disappearing from the map, a new power emerged. This was the Vijayanagara kingdom, with its capital in Hampi in modern- day Karnataka. The monarchs of this kingdomy soon went on to rule most of the southern peninsula. Though the Vijayanagara dynasty lasted for only 350 years their influence is still clearly visible in temple architecture across South India.

This gallery showcases stone sculptures from all these empires and more.