[2] Nandivarman III was born to the Pallava king Dantivarman and a Kadamba princess named Aggalanimati.
Nandivarman III made an alliance with the Rashtrakutas and the Gangas to form a confederacy against the Pandyas.
The Pandyan king Srimara Srivallabha, however, recovered most of his territories and even defeated the Pallavas at Kumbakonam.
[7][8][9] 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.