North Indian Inscriptions

THE SILAHARAS OF KOLHAPUR

Sarasvatī or Abhinava-Śāradā.[1] She personally ruled over some part of the Chālukya kingdom.

.. Gūhala II, who is mentioned in Śilāhāra records first among the sons of Mārasiṁha, seems to have succeeded him and ruled in c. A.D. 1075-1085, but no records of his reign have yet been discovered. Gōṅka, who is mentioned after Gūhala among the five sons of Mārasiṁha in the Kolhāpur stone inscription of Vijayāditya,[2] did not probably come to the throne; for his name is omitted in all other records. They generally name Bhōjadēva or Bhōja I after Gūhala. He was a brave and ambitious prince. Some of his exploits are mentioned in the Kolhāpur plates of Gaṇḍarāditya dated Śaka 1037. He is said to have worshiped the feet of Vikramāditya with the lotus-like head of the Kadamba king Sāntara. The latter has been identified with Śāntivarman, II, the Kadamba king of Vanavāsī. This Kadamba king is, however, mentioned in the Arālēśvara (Hangal tālukā) inscription as a feudatory of Vikramāditya and as ruling in A.D. 1089.[3] The aprecited desription is perhaps to be understood in the sense that Bhōja defeated Śāntivarman II and made him acknowledge the suzerainty of Vikramāditya and do homage to him.

.. Bhoja is said to have brought about the downfall of king Kōṅgaja. The latter cannot be identified. He is further described as having sent Bijjaṇa of the solar race to the home of Indra. This probably refers to the homonymous Kalachuri king who is mentioned as Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara ruling over the area round Maṅgaḷvēḍhē as a feudatory of the Later Chālukya king Sōmēśvara I in A.D. 1069.[4] Bhōja exterminated also Kōkkalla, who is unknown to history.

.. Some other exploits of Bhōja I mentioned in the aforementioned Kolhāpur plates are (1) the burning of Veṇugrāma, (2) the destruction of Gōvinda and (3) of Kurañja, (4) the conquest of Kōṅkaṇa and (5 ) the release of Bhillama. They cannot be satisfactorily explained in the present state of our knowledge. The first probably refers to Bhōja’s conflict with the Raṭṭas of Saundatti ( Sugandhavatī) who were ruling in the neighbourhood of Vēṇugrāma (Belgaon). Gōvinda may be the Maurya king of that name who was ruling from Vāghalī in Khāndēsh in Śaka 991[5]. The ruler of Kōṅkaṇa may have been Anantapāla (c. A.D. 1070-1110) of North Koṅkaṇ. Bhillama released by Bhōja may have been the third king of that name ruling over Sēuṇa-dēsa.

.. Bhōja came into conflict with the Sindas of Yelburgā also. He raided their territory but seems to have been taken prisoner. The Sinda king Āchugi II states in his Koḍikop inscription that he vomited forth Bhōja together with his troops which had invaded his country.[6] This probably means that he released him and his army afterwards. As this inscription is dated in the current Śaka year 1045 (A.D.1122), the Bhōja is evidently the first king of that name.

..Bhōja seems to have rebelled against his suzerain Vikramāditya VI. In A.D. 1089 Vikramāditya is said to have fought with his Māṇḍalika Bhōja, who is none other than this Śilāhāra king. Again, by the end of A.D. 1100 we find Vikramāditya camping on the Bhīmarathī in the course of his expedition against Bhōja.[7] The latter seems to have been killed in this battle; for the next known date of the Śilāhāras of Kolhāpur is A.D. 1110 of the reign of Gaṇḍarāditya, who came to the throne after his elder brother Ballala.
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[1] P.B. Desai, A History of Karnāṭaka, P. 108.
[2] Bom. Gaz., Vol. I (old ed.), part ii, p. 305.
[3] Ibid., p. 561.
[4] Ep. Ind., Vol. XXIVI, p. 178, no 2.
[5] Ibid., Vol. II, p. 225.
[6] J.B.B.R.A.S., Vol XI (old series), p. 269.
[7] P.B. Desai, A History of Karnāṭaka, p. 175.

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