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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
KALACHURI OF TRIPURI Kulenur inscription1 it seems that Gāngēyadēva had formed a confederacy with the Paramāra Bhōja and the Chōla Rājēndra to attack Jayasimha from three sides. Victory does not, however, appear to have always attended the arms of the allies; for, the Kulenur inscription records the defeat of their elephant squadrons by Jayasimha’s cousin Chattadēva alias Kundarāja. From another inscription we learn that the battle was fought on the bank of the Gautama-Gangā or Gōdāvarī.2 Bhōja and his allies appear to have sustained a disastrous defeat; for, the Balagamve inscription states that Jayasimha searched out, beset, pursued, ground down and put to flight the confederacy of the Malava king.3 . The alliance between the Kalachuris and the Paramāras seems to have been of short duration; for, we find that Bhōja soon attacked and defeated Gāngēya. In one of the Nāndī verses of the inscribed Sanskrit play Pārijātamañjarī, Bhōja is said to have had his desires speedily fulfilled for a long time at the festive defeat of Gāngēya.4 The Udaipur praśasti5 and the Kalwan Plates6 also refer to Bhōja’s victory over a Chēdi king who can be none other than Gāngēyadēva.
Verse 19 of the Rewa stone inscription of Karna7 describes in a conventional manner Gāngēya’s victory near the sea-coast. This may refer to his campaign in Orissa, which is specifically mentioned in the preceding verse. This latter verse says that Gāngēyadēva, strong as he was in the action of breaking open the frontal globes of the best of elephants, made his own arm the pillar of victory on the shore of the (eastern) ocean after vanquishing the king of Utkala. In this war Gāngēya was helped by the subordinate branch of the Kalachuri family established at Tummāna. The Amōdā plates of Prithvīdēva I8 record that Kamalarāja, an early prince of the Tummāna branch, vanquished the king of Utkala and gave his wealth to his lord Gāngēyadēva. The king of Utkala was, it seems, a member of the Kara dynasty, perhaps Śubhākara II, as shown below. During this campaign Gāngēya seems to have also defeated Mahāśivagupta––Yayāti, the ruler of South Kōsala. In one of his grants Yayāti is said to have obtained a victory over the Chaidyas, i.e., the people of the Chēdi country, and carried fire and sword into their home province of Dāhala.9 The war seems to have continued for some time, and victory sometimes leaned to one side and sometimes to the other. If Gāngēyadēva was ultimately victorious, he might have assumed the title of Trikalingādhipati after his success. We know that his son Karna mentions this title in his first known grant10 issued just a year after Gāngēya’s death The invasions of Mahmud of Ghazni had shattered the power and prestige of the Pratīhāras of Kanauj. Trilōchanapāla is the last known Pratīhāra king who was exercising some loose authority over the Gangetic Doab till 1027 A.C.; for, his Jhusi grant11 of that year records the donation of a village to the Brāhmanas of Pratishthāna. The power of the Chandēllas, the only other ruling family of Central India capable of thwarting the ambition of Gāngēya, was waning after the death of Ganda. Some time after 1027 A.C. Gāngēya seems to have embarked on a bold policy of conquest and annexation. Throwing ___________________ 1 Ep. Ind., Vol. XV, p. 330.
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