South Indian Inscriptions

KALCHURI OF TRIPURI

the fortune of the Gauda king, for the which he received some territory from Bhōja. His father Śankaragańa may, therefore, have received some help from Kokalla I during the early part of the latter’s reign.

The Amōdā plates¹ of Prīthvīdēva I, dated K. 831 (1079 A.C.), state that Kōkalla, an ancestor of Prithvīdēva I, forcibly dispossessed the rulers of Karnāta, Vańga, Gurjara, Kōnkana and Śākambharī, the Turushkas and a descendant of Raghu, of treasures, horses and elephants, and erected a column of victory on the earth.¹ As shown below, this Kōkalla was probably the first king of that name who ruled at Tripurī; but it is doubtful how far the description of his conquests contained in this record, dated nearly two centuries after him, can be taken to be correct; for, we have no corroboration of it in other records of the Kalachuris of Ratanpur or even of Tripurī. Besides, we find that Kōkalla I formed alliances with the Rāshtrakūtas and the Gurjara-Pratīhāras, who are probably referred to here as the lord of Karnāta and a descendant of Raghu respectively. His hostility with these kings is, therefore, not likely.

Kōkalla I was succeeded by his son, who is called Mugdhatunga in the Bilhāri inscription and Prasiddhadhavala in the Banaras grant. Both these appear to be birudas rather than personal names. The former of them was evidently suggested by his association with the Rāshtrakūtas, who were fond of names ending in tunga. The personal name of Kōkalla’s son and successor was probably Śankaragana. As we have already seen, the Maliapundi inscription calls Sankila (i.e., Śankaragana) the lord of the excellent Dāhala country.² The Kardā plates state that Śankaragana was the lord of Chēdi.³ There is no doubt, therefore, that Śankaragana ascended the Kalachuri throne; but no prince of this name is mentioned as Kōkalla I’s successor either in the Bilhāri inscription or in the Banaras grant the two records which are our main authorities for the early history of the Tripurī branch. Śankaragana must, therefore, be identified with Mugdhatunga-Prasiddhadhavala. A third biruda of his, viz., Ranavigraha is mentioned in some Rāshtrakūta records⁴, and is also known from a subhāshita of Rājaśēkhara cited in the Suktimuktavali of Jalhana.⁵

The Bilhāri inscription states that Mugdhatunga conquered the lines of countries along the sea-shore and took away (the country of) Pāli from the lord of Kōsala.⁶ This statement is corroborated by a Prakrit gāthā about Prasiddhadhavala, cited in the Banaras grant. It states that Prasiddhadhavala took possession of Pāli, thinking that there would be born in his family (many) men eminent on account of their greatness in this world.⁷ This apparently means that the Kalachuri king conquered Pāli to provide an adequate field for the activities of the illustrious princes who would be born in his family. Several inscriptions⁸ of the Ratanpur branch of the Kalachuri dynasty state that Kōkalla had eighteen sons, of whom the eldest became the lord of Trīpurī, and that he made his younger brothers the lords of mandalas in the neighbourhood. If this Kōkalla is identified with
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¹ No. 76, 11. 6-8.
² Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, p. 51.
³ Ind. Ant., Vol. XII, p. 265.
⁴ The Cambay and Sangli plates of Gōvinda IV state that Lakshmī, the wife of the Rāshtrakūta prince Jagattunga, was the daughter of Ranavigraha (Ep. Ind., Vol. VII, p. 38 and Ind. Ant., Vol. XII, p. 250), while the Kardā plates say that she was the daughter of Śankaragana, the lord of Chēdi (Ind. Ant., Vol. XII, p. 264). Ranavigraha was, therefore, a biruda of Śankaragana.
⁵ Cf. Nadīnām Mēkala-sutā nripānām Ranavigrahah \ Kavīnām cha Surānandah Chēdi-mandala-mandanam || Sūktimuktāvali (Gaekwad’s Oriental Series), p. 47.
⁶ No. 45, 1.10.
⁷ No, 48, 1.13.
⁸ See, e.g., No. 76, 11. 8-9; No. 77, 11. 5-6 etc.