South Indian Inscriptions

KALACHURI OF SOUTH KOSALA

shows that it was fought towards the end of it, in circa 1132. Vallabharāja fought very valiantly in the presence of his lord and captured a large number of elephants in the enemy’s city. The king of Gauda defeated by Ratanadeva is not named. He was probably one of the weak successors of Ramapala, perhaps Madanapāla of the Pala dynasty, who has been referred to the period circa 1130-1150 A.C.1 Another minister who won laurels in this war against the Gauda king was Purushōttama, whom Ratnadēva II made his Sarvādhikārin. He is said to have threatened the ruler of Dandabhukti and punished Dandapura, which may have been its capital. He also conquered Khijjinga and killed Haravōhu, who was probably its ruler.² Khijjinga is probably identical with the homonymous capital of the Bhañja kings, but Haravōhu is not known from any other source.

Ratnadēva was a patron of religion and learning. He made some gifts to pious and learned Brahmanas. His court attracted learned men from off lands.³ One of his gifts, recorded in the Sarkho plates, is worthy of note; for, it was made to an astronomer for accurate prediction of an eclipse.⁴ There was a considerable building activity during this reign. Vallabharāja, the aforementioned feudatory of the Vaiśya lineage excavated a large tank with a palace of pleasure in the centre of it, and erected a temple of Revanta at Vikarnapura. He built another temple of Siva at the same place and gave half the religious merit accruing from it to his liege lord Ratnadeva II.⁵ The latter seems to have endowed the temple with some land-grant.

The aforementoined Purushōttama, the Sarvādhikārin of Ratnadēva II, made several benefactions, which are recorded in his stone inscription dated K. 900. He raised several groves, erected mathas (monasteries) and mandapas (temples), and excavated a deep tank at Ratnapura. He also built a five-shrined temple of Śiva at Kōni, about 10 miles south by east of Bilaspur.⁶

Ratnadēva had two sons. The elder of them, Prithvīdēva II, succeeded him, while the younger Jayasimha is known only from the fragmentary Raipur Museum inscription of Vallabharaja. Ratnadeva was ruling at least till K. 885 (1134 A.C.). The earliest date of Prithvīdēva’s reign is K. 890 (1138A.C.).7 Ratnadēva II may, therefore, have closed his reign in circa 1135 A.C.

During the early part of his reign, Prithvidēva II subjugated the petty princes ruling on the borders of his kingdom and annexed their territories. In the Rājim inscriptions, his general Jagapāla is said to have won several victories. He took the strong forts of Sara- harāgadha (modern Sarangarh) and Machakā-Sihavā, south of Dhamtari in the Raipur District. Further, he conquered the countries of Bhramaravadra, Kāntāra, KusumabhVga, Kāndā-dōngara and Kākayara.8 Bhramaravadra may be identical with Bhramarakōtya
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¹D.H.N.I., Vol. I, p. 385. This invasion is probably referred to in the Ramacharita, Canto IV, v. 133. This verse mentions that Madanapala had driven back to the Kalindi (which flowed near the capital of Madanapala) ‘the vanguard of the forces that had destroyed a large number of soldiers on his side.’ History of Bengal (Dacca university), Vol. I, p. 170. The invader who is not named in the kāvya was probably Ratnadeva II.
²No.90, v. 26.
³For instance, Gangādhara, a learned Brāhmana, migrated to Tummāna from Madhyadēśa and received the village of Kosambi from Ratnadeva II. No. 97, v. 13.
⁴No. 83, v. 19.
⁵No. 85, v. 23.
⁶No. 90, vv. 32-33.
⁷No. 86, 1.26. Ratnadēva II did not continue to reign still 1144 A.C. as A. Ghosh supposes from the mention of Jatesvara’s name in v. 8 of the Kharod inscription. B.V., p. 270. Jatesvara is mentioned there in connection with the description of Chodaganga.
⁸No. 88, vv. 15-17.