North Indian Inscriptions

INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PARAMARAS OF MALWA

that the northern Gujarāt was then conquered by Mūlarāja and the central by his opponent. Bārappa.[1] With reference to Vākpati’s victory over the Chōlas and Kēralas, it is not possible to give any credit to the statement of the praśasti, in view of the fact, as has been pointed out by Bühler, that both these kingdoms lay at a very great distance from Mālwā.

...About Vākpati’s end, the praśasti is silent, as the Nagpur praśasti also, which eulogises him in three verses (23-25) ; nor even Padmagupta, the contemporary court-poet, has spoken of the reverse, which we know from some other sources. From Mērutuṅga we learn that Vākpati invaded the Chālukya territories which touched the southern borders of his kingdom, as many as six times ; but when in his seventh expedition in that land he crossed the Gōdāvarī, ignoring the advice of his minister Rudrāditya, he was taken prisoner by the Chālukya king Tailapa, who first treated him honourably, but an attempt to escape being detected, assassinated him.[2] This story is corroborated by Chālukya inscriptions.[3] This tragic event must have taken place between 993–94 and 993-998 A.C., the first of these dates being furnished by Amitagati who then composed his Subhāshitaratnasandōha,[4] and the second is known to be the last year of Tailapa.[5]

...Vākpati’s younger brother was Sindhurāja, who is stated to have won a victory over a king of the Hūṇas. To the description of Sindhurāja our praśasti gives only half a verse (16) ; but the N.S. Charita, besides corroborating his success against the Hūṇa king, credits him with victories over a prince of the Kōsala as well as over the inhabitants of Vāgaḍa and the Muralas (X, 14-20). The Kōsala used here, as Dr. Bühler has shown, refers to the Southern Kōsala kingdom which included portions of the Central Provinces and Berar (now a part of the Bombay State); and there is still a Province known as Vāgaḍa which lies to the north-west of Mālwā ; and it is not impossible that Sindhurāja may have come into a clash with the rulers of both these regions.[6] But the reference to his victory over the Muralas (Kēralas ?) appears to be a more poetic fancy, as the region lay at a great distance from his kingdom. It must be admitted here, however, that we have no details regarding Sindhurāja’s victories over all these powers; but he must have taken at least seven or eight years to perform all these military exploits before Padmagupta, who too alludes to some of them, must have completed his work. In view of this, Bühler has concluded that this prince must have reigned at least up to the middle of the first decade of the eleventh century when Padmagupta wrote. How much longer Sindhurāja may have ruled is not known ; but he must have certainly closed some time before 1011 A.C. which is the earliest date furnished for his son Bhōjadēva by the Mōḍāsā grant (No. 8, above), and probably about 1000 A.C., as conjectured by us in the historical Section.

...Sindhurāja’s son, Bhōjadēva, is eulogised in the praśasti for his charities, victories and temple-building activities, in vv. 16-20. The assertion of the praśastikāra that Bhōja resembled Pṛithu[7] and ruled the earth from Kailāsa (in the north) to Malaya-giri (in the south), and from the mountain where the Sun rises to that where it is sets (east and west respectively)is merely a poetic way of expression which is absolutely worthless for historical purposes. Verse 18 alludes to his knowledge and endows him with the title of kavirāja. The praise is not undeserved, since, as we know, a number of works were composed by Bhōja himself and protégés.[8] Verse 19 enumerates Bhōja’s military exploits and victories won by him over the lord of Chēdis, Indraratha, Toggala(?) Bhīma, the king of the Gurjaras, the lord of Lāṭa, the Karṇātas and the Turushkas. Of these, Bhōja’s political relations with the Chēdis (Kalachuris) and the rulers of Lāṭa, Karṇāṭa
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[1] K. Forbes, Rāsamālā, pp. 37 ff.
[2] P.C.M., pp. 33 ff.
[3] See Ind. Ant., Vol. XXI, pp. 167-68. The Saṁgamnēr grant of the Yādava Bhillama II (Ep. Ind., II, p. 217) says that on the battle-field Bhillama deprived Muñja of his royal fortune which he which he established in the house of his overlord raṇa-raṅga-bhīma, i.e. Tailapa II. This statement goes to show that Bhillama participated actively in the battle in which Muñja was taken prisoner.
[4] Kāvyamālā Series, No. 82 (1903). p. 104, v. 922.
[5] Bomb. Gaz., Vol. I, Pt. II, p. 432.
[6] See Ep. Ind., Vol. I, pp. 228-29
[7] Pṛithu, after whom the earth(pṛithvī) is so known, is said to have pushed the mountains (urvīdharas) asunder with his bow ; and in the same way Bhōja is described here as defeating the (rival)kings. There is a pun on word urvīdhara here.
[8] A list of these will be found in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum. Some of them have been mentioned by Bühler in his article in pp. 231-32. Also see the Section on Literature, above.

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