Aparajita Varman, (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

c. 885-903 CE) commonly referred as Aparajita, was a king of the

Pallava dynasty The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as f ...

. Considered as the last known ruler of the Pallavas, he was defeated and killed in c. 897 CE in a battle against

Aditya I Aditya I (Tamil: ஆதித்த சோழன்) (c. 870/71 – c. 907 CE), the son of Vijayalaya, was the Chola king who extended the Chola dominions by the conquest of the Pallavas and occupied the Western Ganga Kingdom. Relations wit ...

. The

rule at

Tondaimandalam Tondaimandalam, also known as Tondai Nadu, is a historical region located in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh and northernmost part of Tamil Nadu. The region comprises the districts which formed a part of the legendary kingdom of Athondai Ch ...

came to an end thereafter as the Pallava territories were ceded into the

Chola Empire The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...

. In 880 CE, Aparajita fought a battle against the Pandya ruler

Varagunavarman II Varagunavarman II, also described as Varaguna II, was a king of the Pandya dynasty in south India whose reign lasted from c. 862 until c. 879 CE.Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta. (1958, second ed.) ''A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to th ...

and had him defeated.

Reign

A depiction of

Somaskanda Somaskanda is a particular form of representation of Shiva with his consort Parvati, and Skanda as a child. This family group depiction of Shiva originated during the 6th-8th centuries during the period of the Pallava in South India South ...

on the rear wall of the sanctum of a temple commissioned by him in Tiruttani is regarded as the last known use of that stylistic tradition. In 885 he transferred the rule of

Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the ...

to his ally and vassal

as a reward for his contribution to the victory at Thirupurambiyam. The

Cholas The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...

under Aditya I at first were minor allies of the Pallavas, but later attacked them, defeated and killed Aparajitavarman, thus marking the end of the Pallava dynasty in South India.

References

{{reflist Pallava kings