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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA KONI INSCRIPTION OF KALACHURI PRITHVIDEVA II ; K. E. 900 Verse 26 mentions the exploits of Purushōttama. He conquered the Khimmiṇḍi Maṇḍala, made the Talahāri Maṇḍala attractive, punished Daṇḍapura, subjugated Khijjiṅga, killed Haravōhu and threatened the ruler of Daṇḍabhukti. It may be noted that some of these countries are also mentioned in a fragmentary verse eulogising the Kalachuri king Jājalladēva I, which occurs in his Ratanpur stone inscription dated K. 866.[1] Jājalladēva is said to have received annual tributes from the rulers of Dakshiṇa Kōsala, Āndhra, Khimiḍi, Vairāgara, Lañjikā, Bhāṇāra, Talahāri, Daṇḍakapura, Nandāvalī and Kukkuṭa. It will be noticed that Khimiḍi, Talahāri and Daṇḍapura are common to the two lists of countries. It may therefore be conjectured that Purushōttama took a prominent part in the expeditions of Jājalladēva I against the rulers of these three countries. The present inscription no doubt states that Purushōttama was made Sarvādhikārin by Ratnadēva II, but that does not necessarily imply that he first came into prominence during that king’s reign. He may have held the office of a minister under Jājalladēva I also, and may have distinguished himself during that king’s wars. Of these three countries Talahāri Maṇḍala was probably the name of the southern portion of the Bilāspur tahsīl and the adjoin portion of the Jānjgir tahsīl. Jājalladēva’s conquest of Talahāri is mentioned in some other records of the period.[2] Khimmiṇḍi or Khimidi may be the modern Kimedi Zamindari in the Ganjam District. Jājalladēva I’s expedition against this country which probably owned the suzerainty of the Eastern Gaṅgas may have provoked Anantavarman Chōḍagaṅga into launching his invasion of the Kalachuri kingdom during the reign of Jājalladēva’sson and successor Ratnadēva II. Nothing is known about the expedition against Daṇḍakapura. That it was different from Daṇḍabhukti is clear from the separate mention of the latter in v. 26.
The remaining three events mentioned in v. 26 may have occurred during the reign of Ratnadēva II. The first two of these, viz., the subjugation of Khijjiṅga and the slaying of Haravōhu, are not known from any other source, but the third one, viz., the intimidation of the lord of Daṇḍabhukti, may have happened during the expedition against the Gauḍa king which Ratnadēva II launched probably soon after inflicting a crushing defeat on Anantavarman Chōḍagaṅga. This expedition is mentioned in several records [3] of Vallabharāja who was a feudatory of both Ratnadēa II and Pṛithvīdeva II. Vallabharāja is said to have fought valiantly in the presence of his lord (Ratnadēva II) and capture many elephants in the enemy’s city. This invasion of the Gauḍa kingdom is probably referred to also in the Rāmacharita of Sandhyākaranandin. From v. 133 of Canto IV of that kāvya we learn that Madanapāla drove back to the Kālindī (which flowed near his capital) the vanguard of the forces that had destroyed a large number of soldiers on his side.[4] The invader who is not named in Sandhyākaranandin’s kāvya was probably Ratnadēva II. Like Vallabharāja, Purushōttama also seems to have distinguished himself in this expedition in the course of which he intimidated the ruler of Daṇḍabhukti (modern Midnapur District of Bengal). Purushōttama was probably an old man when the present inscription was put up. Verse 27 states that he had four sons, Madhusūdana, Lakshmīdhara, Yaśōdhara and Gaṅgādhara, all of whom turned out to be very able statesmen. The eldest of them Madhusūdana is said to have attained great renown. He may have been appointed a minister, though not Sarvādhikarin, [5] by Pṛithvīdēva II. Nothing is known about the other three sons of Purushōttama. _______________________________________________
[1] Above, Vol. I, p. 36. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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